Transferring from a Community College

[closer23]

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[SiR99]

It will not affect you unless you do poorly once you transfer

Going to community college is a pretty good idea, because you save money and ALOT of stress and you get a higher gpa, but the one fault is the experience you miss out on because your only at the school for two years instead of four. But to some people this is not really a bad thing

 

[Hoju]

Some supposedly top notch schools (Duke, etc.) will not accept community college credits for med school prerequisites. Most schools do though.

 

[UNMorBUST]

 

[HumidBeing]

Better finish that popcorn quickly. There's no battle to be fought here.

OP, this question has been asked many times. We have MANY successful applicants come back to say that their CC credits were never even brought up during interviews. As long as you continue to do well in upper level courses at the four year college, it will not harm you. Transfer students do not face the same stigma as students who take the bulk of their courses at a university, and while enrolled there, take pre-reqs at a CC in the belief that they will be easier.

We can't tell you ahead of time how the difficulty of courses will vary between any non-specified CC and non-specified four year institution. It may or may not be a GPA booster. I took my own first classes at a CC and then transferred to my state "flagship" university, where I expected courses to be more demanding. It's actually turned out to take less effort to make "A's" at the university.

What you may miss out on at the CC is the opportunity to be involved with research, if you are interested in getting into that early. Some summer research programs will also only accept students are are enrolled in 4 year institutions. It is still possible to become involved in a research lab by contacting PI's at a nearby uni, if you have one in the area.

 

[mbe36]

I went to CC for my first year. I suggest you transfer ASAP. The longer you stay, the weaker your pre-reqs look. Also, CC's do not have the fact that you will take the MCAT in mind.

 

[chocolaterie]

It really depends on the school. I would recommend researching the schools to see what their requirements are. Frankly speaking, I went to a CC, obtained my AA and went on to a 4 year university. I saw little difference - except maybe the class size was larger. I agree with SiR99, when you transfer make sure to keep your grades up.

 

[mbe36]

It really depends on the school. I would recommend researching the schools to see what their requirements are. Frankly speaking, I went to a CC, obtained my AA and went on to a 4 year university. I saw little difference - except maybe the class size was larger. I agree with SiR99, when you transfer make sure to keep your grades up.

Yeah, but the problem is adcoms do not take the time to see which CCs are "good" and which are "bad". I actually had some of my CC professors as professors at my university. But, there are far too many CCs and, unfortunately, they fall under the same umbrella when considered by adcoms.

 

[chocolaterie]

Yeah, but the problem is adcoms do not take the time to see which CCs are "good" and which are "bad". I actually had some of my CC professors as professors at my university. But, there are far too many CCs and, unfortunately, they fall under the same umbrella when considered by adcoms.

But I believe the OP should really research the school(s) beforehand to decide if they should continue the CC route (they are a lot less expensive) . Maybe it's because I currently live in AZ, but the CC's here are linked to the three state universities. This means all associates transfer without loss of credit. So when I spoke to a U of A rep, science courses at a CC will have no bearing on their admission process. Of course if you're looking for a top tier school, university courses are definitely the best way to go.

 

[HolyGrail]

I Transferred from a CC which was attached to my large University as well. I felt I learned more, had better professors, and had just about the same opportunities(barring research) that I did at the big school. In fact, I enjoyed my CC much more, I basically coasted my way through my state school when I got there on things I learned in the first 2.5 years.

It really depends on where you're at though. I have the same thing as one of the other posters, where some professors teach at both my state school and the CC, so I don't think there's much difference, at least in my eyes, once again, this depends on the school though.

 

[bornready]

I do not feel it should be a major problem. Just make sure you make the grades (at the CC and 4 year)!!!

Many people fail to realize the reasons that individuals attend community colleges. Finances may play a major role.