If you didn’t do well in high school, and would still like to attend a selective school, how much does it help to pick a community college that is close to the one you want to go to…or to transfer to an average school for your sophomore year? I’m not really close to any good national universities.
I get the feeling that it significantly increases your chances, but I was wondering how much.
Depends on the school. Some schools in the Cal State University system for example are known for giving preference for local students. It absolutely matters to them where you live AND if you took the majority of your transfer units at a community college within their local area. Transferring from a four-year to a four-year however may be more tricky because they give a lot of preference to their CC transfers.