Should I go to a community college or a university?

Question

I am a high school graduate that has been in the honor roll since 9th grade, I've taken AP courses, and I received a pretty good SAT score. I was planning to go to a community college and then transfer to a university due it being cheaper. I've been planning to transfer after a year due to the fact that the community college does not have my major, which is Chinese, and to earn my freshman credits there, such as English 101 and etc. I also planned to transfer after a year so I wouldn’t be behind in Chinese. I took a placement test, which was required, and I scored pretty low. I talked to an advisor about it and he said that with my scores I would be taking non credit developmental classes. So I took the placement test again, I did a lot better but it still wasn't enough. I talked to the advisor again and he gave me the same answer and told me that it would take me more then a year for me to get enough credits to transfer to a university. I start to think about going to a university because it would have my major there and I wouldn't be wasting my time taking developmental classes and I would be taking college level classes. But the problem is that I have to apply for the spring semester and during the fall I'll just be working. What should I do? Go to a community college and stay there for over a year taking non credit courses and trying to earn enough credits to transfer to a university or apply straight to a university, hoping I get accepted, and work until the spring? Please help my head hurts...

Answer 1

What adviser did you talk to?  One at the high school?  Or the community college?  Or the university?  The best info will come from an adviser at the university.  If it's close enough to do so, visit and talk in person.  Otherwise, call him/her and do it over the phone.  You'll probably have to send a copy of your high school transcript ahead of time, as well as the results of your placement tests.  In my area, the colleges and universities require an official, sealed transcript sent directly from the school.  If the envelope is open, or you had a chance to tamper with it, they won't accept it.  Since you're so far behind now, don't take the chance of any other delays slowing you down.

Unless the university adviser says differently, I would probably do a year a the community college, and then transfer.  You can do basic english, math, etc. anywhere.  Just be sure to ask the university adviser if they accept those credits from that community college first.  You can contact an adviser at the community college, and work out a tentative schedule for the first semester or year, with the goal of transferring.  Which means they will need an official copy of your scores, transcript, etc also.

Good luck!  And get used to the idea of red tape, bureaucracy, etc.  It's inevitable in any large organization, but you'll be able to deal with it.

Answer 2

I would strongly suggest going to university instead of a community college unless you absolutely have to for cost reasons.  You will get a much better education.

Answer 3

If your grades and SATs are good, I'd have you go directly to university.

Normally, you'd be right to think going to cc, getting your basic classes done for cheap, and then transferring might work out. But for you, it will not, due to that placement test. Going to cc and having to take developmental classes is going to set you back, and since you were looking at cc because it might move you forward, I'd have you skip the cc path. If you feel you can handle university level work, then skip right to university.

However, be quite aware of your skills. If you aren't so great at math, for example, don't be afraid to ask for tutoring during your math class at university. You won't usually have to take a placement test at university, so you can jump right into college-level work, and since you say your grades and SATs are good, I strongly recommend that you do so.

Start preparing for writing your college applications, with a goal of university in the Spring. This fall, work and/or do volunteer work, so you're using your time wisely. If you want to, take a class or two at your local cc, without enrolling full-time. Take classes that you don't have to take placement tests for, but which are typical university general education requirements, such as a history class; or classes that would transfer in as electives, such as arts, theater, etc. But don't bother with the math or English, where you may need a placement test. And if the cc you took the test at won't let you take such classes due to the test you took, go to a different cc.  

Answer 4

University...can't believe your asking this!

Answer 5

go to a community college and then transfer to a university... it will be cheaper.. take your gen ed classes at the university... and if you want try to get an associates degree (that takes 2 years)... then go to the university where you will be able to major in chinese(you will be a the university for 2 years) community college2 years+ university 2 years= 4 years bachelor degree really cheap

Answer 6

Go to the university.  The advisor, who knows both your record and the community college a lot better than we do, is saying it would be a waste of time for you to enroll at the CC and take the "developmental" classes.  If your reason for wanting to start at the CC was to save money, it makes no sense to take extra developmental classes (these might be useful if you actually needed the academic development, but it does not sound like it), and it shouldn't be a big problem to work for a semester (making money, right?) before you start school.

Answer 7

hey..let me tell you..eventho i'm a junior in HS, i think you shud just wait and stay in community college, but thats IF you need to make up classes. i'm not telling you to do this, but if you apply straight ahead to a university, think about the classes that you tool in HS. did you pass all of them? if so, then why not? (but only if you did good in HS) because a lot of university is hard to get into if you dont have the right GPA or Academic  grade point average. maybe your counselor was trying to tell you to finish up the classes that you didnt make in HS and finish them, so you could go to a university. if so, then do what your counselor told you. other than that, if you did rly good in HS, then go right ahead and apply for that university.