Should I apply now or later?

[Stumpyman]

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Hi,
I am caught up in a bit of a dilemma. I graduated from highschool early (as I was homeschooled) and decided to do my first year of college in a community college ( as I am a bit younger than most). I wanted to know if I should ust finish one year at the community college, or do the full two years. If I do one year, by the time I apply I'll only have around 30 credits ( with a 4.0), I'm applying to virginia tech, and they most likely will give admission, but since the credits are a little low I most likely won't get the scholarships I want. If I apply after doing 2 years, with 60 credits, I could apply to better schools with better scholarships. However, I am doing pre med, and therefore I want to go to an above average but not GREAT school ( to lower competition). Virginia tech seems like the perfect choice, a downside to finishing two years is that the med schools I apply will look a bit down on the more science courses I take at a community college rather then a university. Please tell me what you guys think, thanks!

 

[boko]

thats a tough one! how bad do you need/want scholarships? would you not be able to attend without them?

 

[CougarMD]

Hi,
I am caught up in a bit of a dilemma. I graduated from highschool early (as I was homeschooled) and decided to do my first year of college in a community college ( as I am a bit younger than most). I wanted to know if I should ust finish one year at the community college, or do the full two years. If I do one year, by the time I apply I'll only have around 30 credits ( with a 4.0), I'm applying to virginia tech, and they most likely will give admission, but since the credits are a little low I most likely won't get the scholarships I want. If I apply after doing 2 years, with 60 credits, I could apply to better schools with better scholarships. However, I am doing pre med, and therefore I want to go to an above average but not GREAT school ( to lower competition). Virginia tech seems like the perfect choice, a downside to finishing two years is that the med schools I apply will look a bit down on the more science courses I take at a community college rather then a university. Please tell me what you guys think, thanks!

If you do well in college after you transfer, especially in upper division science classes, no one is going to care that the prereqs were at a CC. Your MCAT score will also only reinforce your (hopefully) good science grades.

It is really not the huge issue you think it is. I really think the issue comes more when you are at a 4 year school and then take your prereqs at a CC. This looks suspicious.

Apply later. Getting through with less debt is way more important. If you want to go to medical school, and work your ass off....I think it can happen. One of the guys in my class this year applied three times before getting in. This one thing is by NO means a dealbreaker.

 

[deleted357625]

Hi,
I am caught up in a bit of a dilemma. I graduated from highschool early (as I was homeschooled) and decided to do my first year of college in a community college ( as I am a bit younger than most). I wanted to know if I should ust finish one year at the community college, or do the full two years. If I do one year, by the time I apply I'll only have around 30 credits ( with a 4.0), I'm applying to virginia tech, and they most likely will give admission, but since the credits are a little low I most likely won't get the scholarships I want. If I apply after doing 2 years, with 60 credits, I could apply to better schools with better scholarships. However, I am doing pre med, and therefore I want to go to an above average but not GREAT school ( to lower competition). Virginia tech seems like the perfect choice, a downside to finishing two years is that the med schools I apply will look a bit down on the more science courses I take at a community college rather then a university. Please tell me what you guys think, thanks!

just stay for 2 years. graduated HS early as well and stayed at a CC for actually 1 year, cuz i did what you do in 2 years in 1. But i got a scholarship to my local university.

 

[deleted357625]

Hi,
I am caught up in a bit of a dilemma. I graduated from highschool early (as I was homeschooled) and decided to do my first year of college in a community college ( as I am a bit younger than most). I wanted to know if I should ust finish one year at the community college, or do the full two years. If I do one year, by the time I apply I'll only have around 30 credits ( with a 4.0), I'm applying to virginia tech, and they most likely will give admission, but since the credits are a little low I most likely won't get the scholarships I want. If I apply after doing 2 years, with 60 credits, I could apply to better schools with better scholarships. However, I am doing pre med, and therefore I want to go to an above average but not GREAT school ( to lower competition). Virginia tech seems like the perfect choice, a downside to finishing two years is that the med schools I apply will look a bit down on the more science courses I take at a community college rather then a university. Please tell me what you guys think, thanks!

no they won't.. don't listen to that. I've known many people who taken all there pre-reqs or most of them at a CC and had no problems as long as they took there upper-level courses towards there major at a university.

Myself included are doing the same thing and I'm young as well. No where on school websites say that you can't do it, but some schools don't accept a certain amount of CC credits such as Tufts is a perfect example, but the solution is don't apply there. YOU WILL be fine if you apply smart and to your in-state schools and a few OOS friendly schools. Apply broadly.

The only courses I'm taking at a CC are o-chem 1/2, bio 2, and physics 2.
Again, I know people who've done it and even young applicants. It won't kill your application. Also, don't think your age is a factor (being young), adcoms don't even bring it up the majority of the time.

Do what you gotta do and don't worry.

 

[BuffNerd]

Hey Stumpyman,

I was also homeschooled and was done with high school requirements early. I started taking college courses at a local community college at age 15 and did nearly all my courses there for my "junior" and "senior" year in high school (I had 48 hours when I started at my university).
I am applying in the 2011-2012 application cycle (will be starting my senior year this fall), but from what the Pre-med advisers/committee at my school have said, the classes taken at the community college shouldn't negatively affect me in any way. However, I didn't take any science classes there (other than a 5 hr. chemistry course, which didn't end up mattering since I took Chem I and II at my university). Also, I decided to stay 4 years at my university despite my advanced standing in terms of credits (I wanted to pursue several areas of study and make sure I knew which direction I wanted to go for my career), so my situation is somewhat different than yours was. I don't know if this helps at all, but I think you could either stay 1 or 2 years and it will be fine as long as you save all/most of your science classes/pre-reqs for when you're at your university. However, this could be hard if you're wanting to take the MCAT after/during your junior year.

 

[Stumpyman]

Thanks for the replies. Well, the scholarships are great but not so much that I wouldn't be able to go to school without them. Anyways, I'm leaning towards staying for the full 64 credits, I'll just take upper level courses at a university and remaining pre reqs.