Is attending junior college worth it in my case?

Question

I'm going to be a senior this school year. I would like to save money for my parents when I go to college. So, my options are limited to attending a nearby 4-year or going to a junior college.

I have a 3.1 GPA, take 4 IB courses, and scored a 1530 on the first SAT Reasoning I took (I am retaking it along with subject tests). I know my grades/score are not that great, and I hope get into top schools.

I will however get into 4-year universities, but not the best ones in the country. I live in California and State Universities are probably my best option in this case.

My questions is whether in my case it will be worth attending a junior college? I want to get into communications/journalism programs but the schools I will be accepted to do not have the best programs. Is it worth it for me to go to community college and transfer to a better program? Or am I simply underestimating myself? I have senior year left to go, so.....?

Answer 1

I see you're from California.  

Many/most CC's in California have a program called TAG or something along those lines that is a Transfer Agreement Guarentee to any UC.  Basically you have to follow a guideline and achieve at least a 2.9 gpa at the CC to be eligible, and you then transfer to the UC that you have planned.  

Also, junior colleges are worth it, but you'll lose out on the atmosphere of a 4-year school.  CC's are often socially independen, meaning some people attend them without ever trying to make a friend.  Of course most people do, but it is much different than a 4-year school!  The atmosphere at the Community Colleges seem to be "I can't wait to get the h**l out of here" while 4-year schools have more of a "I can't wait to graduate but this is the best time of my life".

Answer 2

In California, senior year grades do not count when calculating the UC GPA used by all UCs and Most CSUs. With your current grades/scores you would have a chance at only UC Riverside and UC Merced in addition to most of the CSUs. good private colleges would be tough with your current grades/scores.

The way the CA system is designed gives community college kids an advantage in getting into the UCs after 2 years. If you do well you're all but guaranteed a place at a good UC. It is much harder to get into a UC if you go to a CSU now.

As for private colleges, if you're considering those realize that even after 2 years at a CC, SATs will matter for admission, so you would still have to work to raise those scores.

Answer 3

Yes. Community college is perfect for those who want to save money. General education courses like math, english, science, etc. are the same level as the ones that are in universities, and you get more attention with your professors.

Its also a good place to build up your grades and gpa. Many universities will just want your cc transcript if you go to cc, and not even ask for the h.s. transcript. Don't give up on yourself. Professors have told me of people who got accepted to Harvard after attending cc and doing well there.

Think of community college as a new chance, and just make the best of it. Also by giving yourself a head start as a senior, you might end up finishing college early.

EDIT: I live in Arizona. There's a state college called Arizona State University and it has one of the best journalism programs in the nation. Have you thought about attending there? I'm gonna post the link for it.

Oh yea ASU is known for being a party college, but its also got a lot of strong academics like the journalism program. I really wanted to attend that program when I thought of being a journalist. So I would highly recommend researching their journalism program, and try talking to an advisor either through email or phone.

Most community colleges are accredited and will transfer to state universities. If you're worried call up the colleges you want to attend, ask them if they receive cc credits, a lot of times you can mention a specific cc and they will let you know.