Is community college the right fit?

MYOS1634
Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:13:05 +0000

One aspect people often forget is that, if you have high stats (SAT/ACT scores), CC will NOT save you money and will in fact make you lose out on all the possible merit scholarships that are only available to freshmen. So, if you have high stats, CC is not the best choice (if you have alternatives - look at the “automatic full tuition scholarships” “competitive full tuition scholarships” and the “NMF scholarships” threads in the Financial Aid forum).
Furthermore, if your goal is med school, med schools really frown on any prereq being taken at CC.
On the other hand, if you have a 2.0-2.6 GPA, aren’t aiming for med school, want to attend your state’s public universities, and live in an area where you can find community colleges that prepare primarily students for 4-year university transfer, it can be a way to save money indeed. In that case, look at the various community colleges’ articulation agreements and attend the CC that will take you to the university you’re aiming for. Also check the % of students who actually transfer and how long it takes.