Question re: Homeschoolers and College

[Love2Smile]

So I ran into one of dh's friends wives at the store the other day.

Her kids go to the public HS where mine would have gone to. This HS is very *rough* and not so good. However he girls are doing great. They are very mature, I feel like I am talking to a 35 year old when I talk to her senior. That's because the parents are the same way. Very mature, serious, proper etc...

Anyway, she goes on to tell me how she is taking physics, calculus, and is 4th in her class.

She will go on to Berkeley or another 4 year college. Like I said she is very mature, she almost intimidates me! LOL

 

So I say, *oh what about Jr. college*?? Since the price of colleges are so much money and all

 

The mother then says that most 4 year colleges do not LIKE kids from Jr. Colleges. It's very competitive she says,and they want kids who have been *faithful* to them for the past 2 years. And if you are not faithful to those colleges they wont accept you

I go on to say, that I have heard the opposite, and nooooo Colleges frown upon Jr. College kids...

 

Any thoughts on this?

[Pamela H in Texas]

I think that there are a couple pluses and minuses either way. Nothing is a sure thing, even for a kid 4th in her class and doing very well, even with a perfect SAT/ACT score.

 

One thing that would be wise (and what I suggest) is to have an open dialogue with the main colleges you're considering. A lot of times, those discussions will allow you to learn the benefits and drawbacks, but also may open the door to a bit more aid.

[phathui5]

I think one thing that could help is to have your teen take classes at community/junior college in 11th and 12th grade so that when they're applying to four year colleges, they can already show that they can handle college classes.

[Mary in VA]

How's that for an answer! Here in Virginia it is very hard for students in northern VA to get into VA state schools. I have heard it is because there is a quota for each part of the state, and of course northern VA has a much larger population. But they also have a certain amount they accept each year from CCs and they never meet that quota. So students who do well at a CC have a much greater chance of getting in then they do as HS seniors. We know one homeschool graduate who has done this and one who is still at CC with this in mind. It also saves the parents big bucks :001_smile:

 

I have no idea how other states or private colleges handle it. My dd went straight to a private college out of state, but I do know she has several friends who transferred in after freshman year.

 

I would think speaking directly to the admissions offices of the colleges you are considering would be the best way to go.

 

HTH,

Mary

[Love2Smile]

I think one thing that could help is to have your teen take classes at community/junior college in 11th and 12th grade so that when they're applying to four year colleges, they can already show that they can handle college classes.

Thanks, yes we are going to dual enrol her in either 10th or above!

[monk17]

I'm only repeating what several parents have told me that are playing the college admissions game. Getting into UVA as an outsider is about impossible, but one clever parent told me how they did it. There child moved to VA went to a community college and then transfered. They had all the numbers and outside activities working for them. When I say numbers I mean the 4.5 GPA's and they missed a question on the SAT, captain of the rowing team etc.

I didn't have any parents tell me that the 4 year college showed any bias, unless you didn't transfer with an AA degree. Then be prepared to take a lot of the same courses. I have heard of 4 year colleges refusing to accept individual credits and accepting the AA degree which forced the student to repeat a class at the University.

I have a view that University are giant cash vacuum cleaners for undergraduates!

 

My mantra is go to JC and I'll help pay for grad school! Better yet dual enroll and get the AA out of the way for free and you get a car!

[Carrie12345]

I don't know about "most" colleges, but Princeton does not accept Junior/Community College credits. That means my ds won't be applying to Princeton. ;)

[BamaTanya]

I think it depends upon your ultimate goals. We're not aiming our dc for the Ivy League. Dh and I are teachers, though, so it wouldn't have mattered where we earned our credentials. And our relatives are engineers and nurses and counselors. Private colleges or state schools grads (as long as they're accredited, of course) both earn teaching certificates or prepare for nursing exams, etc.

 

If I believed my dc were in the top .1%, I might plan with other goals in mind. To our present beliefs, CC sounds like a reasonable option.

 

YMMV

[dangermom]

It really depends. The UC system has a deal where there are certain CC's in CA that you can attend, and if you get above a certain GPA then you are guaranteed admission to Berkeley as a junior. My brother didn't get into Cal as a freshman and went that route. Any old CC won't do, though; it has to be an approved one. Berkeley is indeed very competitive, but enough freshmen crash and burn that they let in a certain number as second-semester freshmen (I did this) and then again as juniors.

 

There are lots of reasons to go to a 4-year university as a freshman, and lots of reasons to go to a CC and transfer. Pick the way that suits you best.

[monk17]

I don't know about "most" colleges, but Princeton does not accept Junior/Community College credits. That means my ds won't be applying to Princeton. ;)

 

Do they not accept credits but do accept an AA degree?

 

Thanks for the info!

[FriedClams]

I am going to be a cynic and say it's the almighty dollar driving the ship here. Would 4 year schools rather have 4 years of tuition or 2? They want the money - education is a business or it would be free (or cost neutral - which it is NOT). Sure - getting the paper for a fraction of the cost is frowned upon - by the people who want the money and don't like the idea of not getting freshman and sophomore tuition.

 

Wow - I am seriously turning into my parents....

[Carrie12345]

Do they not accept credits but do accept an AA degree?

 

Thanks for the info!

 

From Princeton's website:

"If you have already started a college or university degree program elsewhere, you are not eligible to apply for admission to Princeton. We accept students who will begin their freshman year in the fall. Princeton does not offer spring semester entry or a transfer admission option."

[Julie in Austin]

FWIW, my dh did two years at various CA community colleges and then had no problem at all getting into UC-Davis, one of the top 20 programs in his field in the nation.

[cathmom]

When I graduated with my AA from a community college, I considered applying to Penn, but quickly realized that it would mean practically starting over, so I didn't. But I've only really seen the Ivies set up this way.

 

I didn't apply to Princeton for grad school because they didn't have a terminal MA. Most people get an MA somewhere else and then apply for the PhD.

 

So, yeah, it's a racket. Even though I had some great teachers at CC and all my credits transferred, sending my dc to CC would be the step of last resort.

[Erica in PA]

For us, a primary consideration is affordability. We cannot afford to pay for college for our kids, and we are going to strongly encourage them to not go into debt for college-- so that means they *cannot* afford four years at an Ivy League school. If those schools won't allow transfer credits, then they will simply be out of the running. There are many colleges in the US that are much more affordable where our kids can get their degrees. Going to cc, then transferring, is the best way I know of to earn a degree without incurring large amounts of debt.

 

I have known too many families whose entire lifestyle has been determined by the burden of college loans (i.e. both parents have to work, etc.) to encourage that path for my kids. I think your future financial situation and family life are more important than graduating from an Ivy League school.

[Hen]

my husband went to a Jr. college, did not get his AA but was there 3 years, he transferred to a state University, and yes, all his credits transferred. This is the route we will be going with our kids, it saves so much money.

[cathmom]

I think your future financial situation and family life are more important than graduating from an Ivy League school.

 

I agree about that!

 

It's just that for every story of CC credits transferring easily, there's a story of a person losing many credits, ie money, when they transfer.

[Carrie12345]

For us, it isn't even necessarily about the money. Ds has an August birthday. He'll barely be 18 as a freshman, and that's if we slow down his progression. In addition to that, he has Asperger's Syndrome.

 

There's just no way I'm sending him off to a dorm the fall after graduation! I'll be over the moon if he's responsible and mature enough to move out for his Junior year! Heck, I'll be thrilled if he does by the time he's 30!

 

I'm counting on community college as a stepping stone.

[TravelingChris]

Here is another point of view- I go by statistics. The stats for students who start out at 2 year colleges finishing their Bachelor's degrees are not good. Will your student be in the minority that does-hopefully. The other intersting thing I learned this week is if your student gets accepted at a reach school and a school at their so=called level, have them go to the reach school. They are more likely to graduate.

 

ALso note that in many states with the increasing amount of students and budgetary cuts, students need more than four years to graduate and that is without transferring. Count that in your costs too.

 

Finally, the GI Bill is one option for paying for school if your child is interested in the military. It pays extremely well for college.

[Chris in VA]

If you are going the CC to university route, it is extremely helpful to know what universities you are considering, and what will transfer. You CAN find out in advance. There is a document that should be on your CC's website, showing which classes will transfer to which universities. I'll link the Northern VA Community College's site (page) that shows this info so you can see what I mean. My son's school is Virginia Commonwealth Univ. and we know EXACTLY which courses match up.

 

Transfer guide

 

If you click on a school, you can see which courses from NOVA transfer to the college chosen, and you can see what the course is the equivalent to--All CC's should have a document like this. Sometimes, as the site says, the university does not provide a guide to NOVA (or whomever the CC may be)--then you call! lol

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

My experience: *If* your child has a 4.0 with 12 or more credits at a community college, they will be readily accepted at most in-state colleges, and many, if not all, their credits will transfer. (Depending on the classes, basket weaving may be a washout) Only the most prestigious, picky, schools with lots of high standing applicants may not accept the cc courses.

 

My son was accepted at 4 very good Virginia schools with no questions asked. He had a 4.0 with 28 community college credits. I think the school he chose accepted 25 of them as general ed. credits. He is now an academic junior, accepted into the prestigious business school of his college. He will just turn 19 next month. He will have a bachelor's at 20 and his MBA at 21.

 

Community college did not hurt him.

[melissel]

From Princeton's website:

"If you have already started a college or university degree program elsewhere, you are not eligible to apply for admission to Princeton. We accept students who will begin their freshman year in the fall. Princeton does not offer spring semester entry or a transfer admission option."

 

WOW! I did NOT know this. Thanks for pointing it out--we have a family member whom I should notify.

[Mekanamom]

I agree about that!

 

It's just that for every story of CC credits transferring easily, there's a story of a person losing many credits, ie money, when they transfer.

 

Yep. I transferred to a UC from a CC (tracked directly into a UC) and did not find out until I was registering for classes at the UC that so many of my quarter units did not transfer to semester units that I had an extra year of classes to take at the UC before I could get my degree.

 

I had no idea. My parents had no idea. Apparently, none of my college counselors did either, eh?

 

On the other hand, I know of a homeschooler who completed her AA degree concurrently with her high school classes, transferred to a UC, and completed her BA in two years with no problem whatsoever. Everything transferred.

[SW in IL]

with a friend's son who will be starting college "somewhere" next fall and my daughter who is off to college in fall 2011.

 

The friend's son wants a Bachelor's in Culinary Arts are there are only a handful of schools that offer that degree. Most culinary schools only offer certificates. Add to that the problem of there being no culinary arts programs in the state in which they live. And that they are poor and cannot afford the high tuitions of private schools (he's been unable to find any state schools anywhere that offer the Bachelor's he desires). He's beginning to give up on his dream, thinking it's unreachable.

 

My daughter wants to go to U of I with Illinois State University as her second choice. She has the grades (hasn't taken the ACT yet) but as with so many people nowadays, not the money. We checked into 2 community colleges (the one closest to us and the one closest to her) and while credits earned at the community colleges will transfer to many other colleges, the 2 she's most interested in are not on the list.

 

An article in our local paper recently stated that this is the perfect time to go back to school (while the economy picks up) and the local community college has more adult students than ever before. It's also easier and cheaper to go to community college right now. But enrollment in the state 4-year-schools is down for the most part. And many people are finding out that only some or maybe none of the work they did at the community college level transfers to the 4 year schools.

 

Sue

[Mary in VA]

Here is another point of view- I go by statistics. The stats for students who start out at 2 year colleges finishing their Bachelor's degrees are not good. Will your student be in the minority that does-hopefully. The other intersting thing I learned this week is if your student gets accepted at a reach school and a school at their so=called level, have them go to the reach school. They are more likely to graduate.

 

I believe your statistics, but I also believe that many students in CCs go there because they have no idea what they want to do, or they couldn't get into a four year university, or they are not college material but every one they know is going so they do too. These students are the ones who quit. I think you'd find that those who go in with a goal and plan are more likely to get a bachelors.

 

Mary

[Erica in PA]

 

It's just that for every story of CC credits transferring easily, there's a story of a person losing many credits, ie money, when they transfer.

 

That's true. That is why our plan is to encourage our kids to choose a college where they *do* transfer easily, because there are many such colleges out there. Fwiw, we're also encouraging our kids to commute and save money that way as well. The idea of "you can go to college anywhere you can gain admission" was not a philosophy that served our generation well, imo. The cost and debt involved ought to be far more seriously considered by most students, again, imo.

[DawnM]

:iagree:

 

It really depends. The UC system has a deal where there are certain CC's in CA that you can attend, and if you get above a certain GPA then you are guaranteed admission to Berkeley as a junior. My brother didn't get into Cal as a freshman and went that route. Any old CC won't do, though; it has to be an approved one. Berkeley is indeed very competitive, but enough freshmen crash and burn that they let in a certain number as second-semester freshmen (I did this) and then again as juniors.

 

There are lots of reasons to go to a 4-year university as a freshman, and lots of reasons to go to a CC and transfer. Pick the way that suits you best.

[LMA]

I don't know about "most" colleges, but Princeton does not accept Junior/Community College credits. That means my ds won't be applying to Princeton. ;)

 

Princeton doesn't accept transfers from anyone unless you forfeit your credits even if they are from another four year university.

[monk17]

Good information folks, thank you! Princeton is off the list!