I suppose debt is different for everyone; for me to just live in a humble apartment in cheaper city is like a life goal. I’ve never been middle class, I don’t even know what it’s like to not struggle for food. If I can have a career in which my passion is front and center, I’m happy. I’m even happier to just be able to afford a lower middle class life while doing it. If I can buy food without food stamps, rent a studio apartment, and pay my bills…I’m fine paying student loans.
Really, all of this is way in the future so I can decide then. But for now it’s helping to get a general idea of where I’d like to apply so I know what to take in CC. You’ve already been a huge help in telling me about transfer requirements, anyway.
I might end up at a top school for grad school or I might like to go to RIT for a very specific education that I can’t get anywhere else. Unless you can think of programs that offer courses in UV imaging, Infrared camera tech, etc- I think it should stay on my future list.
It should be noted that I am drooling over RIT’s Imaging Science curriculum. It is exactly what I’m looking for in a grad program.
@albert69 I do not think she will be able to get a full ride anywhere, but there are a lot of schools between free and $80,000 in loans. Attending a CC with the goal of transferring those credits in would save a significant amt of $$. Grad school should be funded. There is no need to take on that type of debt for UG.
@donutholez Where will you get the additional $9000 from? It is doubtful you would be able to take out a loan for the gap $$. Will you be able to attend school full-time and earn $11,000/yr?
@Mom2aphysicsgeek
This is why I’m not adding it to the undergrad list. The funding may be different for grad school, hence why I’ll put it on that list.
I heard back from UChicago this morning-
“For admissions purposes, we do require documentation of satisfactory completion of a secondary education, which can include a GED. I am not sure of all community college requirements, and you may have looked into this already, but in order to be formally enrolled as a degree seeking student rather than a student taking classes, they may want you to show formal completion of secondary education as well. While you could then technically applying as a first year applicant after receiving a GED, I think that the benefit of starting at a community college would be the opportunity to experience the classroom setting in a preparatory environment, and also to beef up your academic record. The other thing I want to highlight is that for UChicago, and for any liberal arts programs that you may be considering, you will be most successful if you are able to demonstrate documentation of more well-rounded preparation. Classes in the programming engineering field are good, but I would also encourage you to take math classes, and English or history classes as well. On our website we have a section called Preparing for College, which provides some suggestions (not requirements) for students to think about what a preparatory education might look like. As a transfer student, it’s not so much the number of years here as it is the variety of subjects that we’re looking at. Different schools would have different requirements, and as you look into different schools and different programs, you may find too that maybe you want something more technical, or to go to a more traditional engineering school rather than a liberal arts education. I encourage you to talk to different admissions offices, and see how different offices do things.”
I’ll compile a list of schools I’m interested in and try to work my CC classes around the shared requirements between schools.
After you’re done with your GED and remedial classes at CC (you can take your time), your “first, real, transferring-is-at-hand” classes would likely include, over your first two semesters:
2 English classes (composition, communication, rhetorics, Freshman Seminar…)
2 Calculus classes (regular or Honors - Honors may ask you to write proofs)
2 General Physics classes (") + labs
1 class in History (some colleges require it)
1 class in Philosophy or Ethics ( more important for colleges with a strong core curriculum)
1 class in Art or Art History (some colleges require it + relevant to your future major)
1 class in economics, psychology, political science, sociology, or American Studies
Your second year of “getting ready to transfer”, you’d have 2 Math, 2 Physics + labs, 2 other science classes + labs, 1 class in a social science, probably 1 or 2 art classes (due to your future major), and the rest up to you.
In order to make that more doable, you could potentially take 4 classes each semester, and 2 classes in the summer (via the summer session).
If you follow something general like the first-year schedule above, you should cover everything even the colleges with the strongest core curriculum would want.
That is a great list. If you take a courseload like that, you will open yourself up to multiple directions in terms of transferring. Definitely the path I would follow.
I agree, that is a fantastic list. If I can work in a little programming, I’d definitely come out ahead. Thanks @MYOS1634.