Community College

[pomeranian4rich]

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I plan to attend a community college this fall and transfer to a 4 year college afterwards, and I wanted to know if this can negatively affect me in any ways. What are some pros and cons of a premed students going to a community college than a 4 year college, and is it ideal to finish most of all of my premed requisites during the first two years at my community college or should I take the reminding requisites at my 4 year college?

Another question is is there a certain pathway I should finish my premed requisites, such as finishing chemistry and bio before taking physics or finishing calc I and II before taking physics?

Thank you

 

[Siroucity]

Take as many perquisites at a 4 year college because schools view community college work differently. If the 4 year college you're applying to requires premed perquisites. then definitely take them but don't take any additional classes you could take when you transfer. Your plan to take classes at a community college will have no adverse impact on your competitiveness for admission as long as you achieve honors-level grades at both institutions.

I went to a community college and am currently transferring to a 4 year in the fall. Budget-wise, community college was an excellent decision because I'm entering a 4 year school approximately halfway done with my major with no debt. It's also good for students who are a bit undecided with their plans on what major they like to attain. Some community colleges have premed programs they can get involved in. While in community college, I was volunteering at a suicide hotline and an ER.

As far as the pathway to follow for premed perquisites, the classes should list perquisites (For example, calc-based physics may require 1st semester calculus). As long as you master the perquisites, it doesn't matter what order you take the premed perquisites classes.

 

[chemist16]

The MCAT is also the big deciding factor. Even if you took some or all pre-med courses at a community college, a strong score on the MCAT signifies that you really learned the material as well as somebody who got a similar score at a four-year college. We could sit here and argue for days about the value of a 4.0 at a community college vs. at a four-year institution, but the fact remains that they are just as competitive if the applicants have similar MCAT scores.

The only case where taking pre-reqs at a community college are certainly viewed in a negative light is if it comes off that you did that as an "easy" way out of taking the harder courses at your own college.

 

[MrLogan13]

It will not negatively affect you. Plenty of people do this and get into good schools; this is how many non-trads do it as well.