Community college to University???

[Wakaaa]

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Hey everyone,

I'm currently a freshmen at a community college. My first semester is almost over and since dental schools frown upon community college science courses, I plan to transfer out next semester to continue my freshmen year.

I have already taken Gen Chem 1 during the summer as well as Psychology. I am currently taking Gen Chem 2, Gen Bio 1, Calc 1, and Writing 1.

Since i've already taken these classes, will I be at a disadvantage? Will it affect my chances?

I am worried about the effects of the classes I am currently taking and have already finished.

The reason that I went to a community college was because of one of my dads friends. He is a professor at a university and has 4 kids that go to top school in chicago. He suggested to my dad that if he was my dad, he'd send me to a community college because it is the same except cost. My dad took his word for it because they are really close friends and he has " a lot of experience". I was originally planning on becoming an engineer so I didn't think community college would be a problem, but about 2 weeks before college started I really started to think about what I want in my future and what is good for me and engineering just doesn't suit me.

Any suggestions or thoughts???

Thanks!

 

[Bis-GMA111]

first off, i can't believe your dad's friend suggested such a terrible idea. His kids attend a top school in chicago and he told your dad that a community college is a better route? uh, sounds a bit suspect to me bud. why didn't he send his kids there if it was such a grand idea?

get out of CC asap. if you want to pursue dentistry it would be in your best interest to transfer to a 4 year school. if you have the financial means, as well as the grades to transfer, do it. save yourself the disappointment when you apply to schools and your credits don't transfer.

just my 2 cents.

p.s. even if you wanted to do engineering...the institution which you attend does make a huge difference in your career, esp. if you wanted to advance your credentials by getting a masters or PhD in engineering

 

[SEAirLand]

I have to disagree with this being "bad".

I completed my AS degree at a CC. Took GC 1&2 and OC 1&2 while there.

I've since transferred to a 4-year, where I have taken Bio 1&2, Physics 1&2 and will be taking biochem in the spring.

I submitted my application in june, but it was not complete with the schools until 9/6. <-- don't get me started.

I received 4 interviews within 2 weeks of my file being complete. I've been on three of them and there have been no questions with regard to my CC portion of my record.

I will say this though, it really depends on where you are in the country. Some CC's from what I have heard are light years easier than 4-year. Other's are light years harder. Do some research, see if the CC's & 4-years in your state have reciprocity or an "agreement" where they accept all credit, or, deem CC's competitive.

Hope this helps.

Oh, last thing.. In the end, what I have learned, is that its all about your GPA and DAT score that gets you through the door to the interview. Maybe some life experiences and EC, but the great "screener" of applicants is the aforementioned GPA and DAT score.

 

[Wakaaa]

why didn't he send his kids there if it was such a grand idea?

Actually, he sent his 5th child to a community college this year, its her first semester also and she's also very smart.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

there are agreements in my state where you can transfer credits..some credits but not all...mostly gen ed requirements and, if you push it enough you can get other courses transferred to the state school

at the end of the day it is still community college, and it would be in your best interest to transfer out as soon as possible, do well at a 4 year uni, and do well on the DAT. community college is a great way to get your foot in the door if you do well, and it's unfortunate that there is a stigma placed on CCs

and a CC being harder than a 4 year university? i have rarely heard of community college courses being more difficult, at least in my experience. i've even taken calc II at my CC, and yes while the credit did transfer, it was probably one of the easiest courses i've taken (i had taken calc I in high school 4 years prior to this and didn't remember anything). granted, it does depend on the professor teaching the course, but in my experiences, the kids who have said that CC courses are harder only do it because it makes them feel better about themselves.

and the reciprocity agreements are in place to encourage state college enrollment. you'll have a much harder time trying to transfer CC credits to a more reputable private university

 

[Double Bonded]

I went to CC but only took 1 science prereq there. It hasn't stopped me from getting interviews.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

but wakaa, save yourself any potential problems and see if you can transfer to a 4 year school as soon as possible. why risk it?

 

[Wakaaa]

but wakaa, save yourself any potential problems and see if you can transfer to a 4 year school as soon as possible. why risk it?

Well, didn't I say I will be transferring next semester? Obviously, I said I want to leave, better safe then sorry, but that doesn't answer my questions.

What should I do about the classes I have already taken? Also, i'm taking calc 1 right now and im not going so good in that class... It turns out I don't need it for my major (health science) anyways. So i guess its just going to hurt me 🙁.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

well you could withdraw from calc, and just supplement the courses you've already taken with advanced bio courses. although some schools prefer that the core courses (such as bio 101) be retaken. so it all depends on the schools that you apply to

 

[SEAirLand]

Well, didn't I say I will be transferring next semester? Obviously, I said I want to leave, better safe then sorry, but that doesn't answer my questions.

What should I do about the classes I have already taken? Also, i'm taking calc 1 right now and im not going so good in that class... It turns out I don't need it for my major (health science) anyways. So i guess its just going to hurt me 🙁.

I would have disagree with Predents (sorry) and STRONGLY discourage you from withdrawing. I wouldn't withdraw as THAT is not looked upon very well.

I have one "W" from 1999 when I was working full time and for some reason thought that I could take 15 hours as well. Needless to say, I dropped a class.

That one class was brought up in one of my interviews. From 12 years ago! So... A "W" is forever. But the CC and then transfer to 4-year.. Not so much as long as you continue the trend of A's.

As for what to do. I would complete the semester. Make A's. Then go to 4 year and continue the trend of making A's. When I switched to 4-year, my GPA did not go down, it continued on the same trend as CC. That is what they will look for.

At the end of the day, if you can do it, go for it. But I wouldn't stress about the CC credits. Just do well where ever you are and rock the DAT.

 

[LittleTomato]

I went to a 2-year college for the full two years and I still count it as one of the best decisions of my life. I was in the top 10% of my class graduating High School and could have gone to a number of 4-year institutions, but only applied to my local junior college on the advice of my grandpa, who made his career in education.

The class sizes were small and the classes were easier not because there was any less content, but because my professors actually paid attention to me. I did both semesters of gen chem, all of ochem with the lab, and a semester of calculus there. The tuition was low enough so that my financial aid covered all of it and then some, so I put my extra grant money in a savings account and used it for rent when I transferred to my 4-year institution.

It did lower then number of schools I could apply to, so if you have your heart set on a particular dental school, it would be good to look up their view on community college credits. I transferred 68 credits to my 4-year institution, and I have gotten 6 interviews so far this cycle, so if you have a good GPA and DAT scores, community college will not hold you back. But you really have to have a good GPA and DAT scores anyway. It's just easier to get a good GPA from a 2-year institution.

Community college may not be as glamorous as the 4-year, but it can be a sound choice if you do well and in the long-run can save you so much money. However, I do have a bit of advice. Once you do transfer, you need to make sure you do as well at the 4-year as well so that your GPA from your 2-year institution doesn't appear inflated.

Good luck with your classes, go in to your calc professor's office hours, and give your community college a chance. 🙂

 

[SEAirLand]

i went to a 2-year college for the full two years and i still count it as one of the best decisions of my life. I was in the top 10% of my class graduating high school and could have gone to a number of 4-year institutions, but only applied to my local junior college on the advice of my grandpa, who made his career in education.

The class sizes were small and the classes were easier not because there was any less content, but because my professors actually paid attention to me. I did both semesters of gen chem, all of ochem with the lab, and a semester of calculus there. The tuition was low enough so that my financial aid covered all of it and then some, so i put my extra grant money in a savings account and used it for rent when i transferred to my 4-year institution.

It did lower then number of schools i could apply to, so if you have your heart set on a particular dental school, it would be good to look up their view on community college credits. I transferred 68 credits to my 4-year institution, and i have gotten 6 interviews so far this cycle, so if you have a good gpa and dat scores, community college will not hold you back. But you really have to have a good gpa and dat scores anyway. It's just easier to get a good gpa from a 2-year institution.

Community college may not be as glamorous as the 4-year, but it can be a sound choice if you do well and in the long-run can save you so much money. However, i do have a bit of advice. Once you do transfer, you need to make sure you do as well at the 4-year as well so that your gpa from your 2-year institution doesn't appear inflated.

Good luck with your classes, go in to your calc professor's office hours, and give your community college a chance. 🙂

+1

 

[JLum]

I went to a 2-year college for the full two years and I still count it as one of the best decisions of my life. I was in the top 10% of my class graduating High School and could have gone to a number of 4-year institutions, but only applied to my local junior college on the advice of my grandpa, who made his career in education.

The class sizes were small and the classes were easier not because there was any less content, but because my professors actually paid attention to me. I did both semesters of gen chem, all of ochem with the lab, and a semester of calculus there. The tuition was low enough so that my financial aid covered all of it and then some, so I put my extra grant money in a savings account and used it for rent when I transferred to my 4-year institution.

It did lower then number of schools I could apply to, so if you have your heart set on a particular dental school, it would be good to look up their view on community college credits. I transferred 68 credits to my 4-year institution, and I have gotten 6 interviews so far this cycle, so if you have a good GPA and DAT scores, community college will not hold you back. But you really have to have a good GPA and DAT scores anyway. It's just easier to get a good GPA from a 2-year institution.

Community college may not be as glamorous as the 4-year, but it can be a sound choice if you do well and in the long-run can save you so much money. However, I do have a bit of advice. Once you do transfer, you need to make sure you do as well at the 4-year as well so that your GPA from your 2-year institution doesn't appear inflated.

Good luck with your classes, go in to your calc professor's office hours, and give your community college a chance. 🙂

So well stated, and my thoughts exactly! 👍

 

[Wakaaa]

I went to a 2-year college for the full two years and I still count it as one of the best decisions of my life. I was in the top 10% of my class graduating High School and could have gone to a number of 4-year institutions, but only applied to my local junior college on the advice of my grandpa, who made his career in education.

The class sizes were small and the classes were easier not because there was any less content, but because my professors actually paid attention to me. I did both semesters of gen chem, all of ochem with the lab, and a semester of calculus there. The tuition was low enough so that my financial aid covered all of it and then some, so I put my extra grant money in a savings account and used it for rent when I transferred to my 4-year institution.

It did lower then number of schools I could apply to, so if you have your heart set on a particular dental school, it would be good to look up their view on community college credits. I transferred 68 credits to my 4-year institution, and I have gotten 6 interviews so far this cycle, so if you have a good GPA and DAT scores, community college will not hold you back. But you really have to have a good GPA and DAT scores anyway. It's just easier to get a good GPA from a 2-year institution.

Community college may not be as glamorous as the 4-year, but it can be a sound choice if you do well and in the long-run can save you so much money. However, I do have a bit of advice. Once you do transfer, you need to make sure you do as well at the 4-year as well so that your GPA from your 2-year institution doesn't appear inflated.

Good luck with your classes, go in to your calc professor's office hours, and give your community college a chance. 🙂

I appreciate your help. I will finish this year at my community college and will transfer out next fall. So should I save gen bio 2 and orgo 1 for the fall, or should i start next semester? I am ahead of schedule on general chem so im supposed to take orgo during my freshmen year.

 

[Double Bonded]

The class sizes were small and the classes were easier not because there was any less content, but because my professors actually paid attention to me. I did both semesters of gen chem, all of ochem with the lab, and a semester of calculus there. The tuition was low enough so that my financial aid covered all of it and then some, so I put my extra grant money in a savings account and used it for rent when I transferred to my 4-year institution.

I've been looking for a way to articulate why CC was easier than university for a while now. This is the perfect way to say it.

 

[BTown DDS]

Hey everyone,

I'm currently a freshmen at a community college. My first semester is almost over and since dental schools frown upon community college science courses, I plan to transfer out next semester to continue my freshmen year.

I have already taken Gen Chem 1 during the summer as well as Psychology. I am currently taking Gen Chem 2, Gen Bio 1, Calc 1, and Writing 1.

Since i've already taken these classes, will I be at a disadvantage? Will it affect my chances?

I am worried about the effects of the classes I am currently taking and have already finished.

The reason that I went to a community college was because of one of my dads friends. He is a professor at a university and has 4 kids that go to top school in chicago. He suggested to my dad that if he was my dad, he'd send me to a community college because it is the same except cost. My dad took his word for it because they are really close friends and he has " a lot of experience". I was originally planning on becoming an engineer so I didn't think community college would be a problem, but about 2 weeks before college started I really started to think about what I want in my future and what is good for me and engineering just doesn't suit me.

Any suggestions or thoughts???

Thanks!

You should take all your general education requirements that transfer at your CC since you are there already. It will save you so much more money. Finish the science courses you are taking and save the rest for the 4 year university. You shouldn't worry about schools looking unfavorably toward CC. Just rock the DAT to show that you are good with the subject matter. Grades are subjective at any university anyway. Thats why they have the DAT.

 

[duycuonggg]

The only thing that you have to watch out for is dental schools that take either a limited or don't take CC credits at all. I took Bio, Genchem and Ochem all at a CC for the first few years. I saved a bunch of money and really learned how to study.

What REALLY counts is the grades you make when you get to the university. Adcoms want to see an upward trend so when you get to the big U, aim for 4.0s like no other to prove that its not the school but the student that makes the grades. No one even mentioned my CC courses during my interviews.