Why has only one person listed their community college in the "only" thread?

[Nan in Mass]

I know at least some of you have students with cc plans for after high school graduation. Where are you in the comprehensive list? If you are worried about preserving your geographical anonymity, perhaps you could put "Local Community College"? I just think it is sad that this very real college option seems to be being left out of the celebratory list.

 

Nan

[FaithManor]

I agree, Nan! I wonder if some students will be part-time as they pursue other opportunities as well so their parent didn't think of them as "traditional" thus did not report the school of choice.

 

Any time we graduate one of our homeschooled or previously homeschooled kids, it's a big achievement! Big....party time! :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray: I hope everyone feels welcome to post both four year colleges, CC's, technical training, art schools, chef schools, etc.

[Faithr]

Hey, I'll bite!  My middle son graduated from our homeschool high school two years ago.  He is really bright and really unmotivated :(.  So he didn't so well at college.  He came home after a year and has spent the last year working at various jobs.  But he just decided that he is going to go to the local community college and pursue an Associate of Science degree with idea that he may transfer to a 4 year school.  He is going for a math specialization.  So he may take a summer class to freshen up his math though it has to fit in around his work schedule.  He really likes the idea of working part time and going to school part time.  So we'll see!  I am ok with it all.  My oldest two got into good schools and are very academic.  This guy marches to a different drum and I think he just needs a little more time to figure out what he wants to do.

[Dmmetler]

When I was in high school, the school stopped announcing post high school plans at graduation the year before my class graduated because some parents complained that their child who was "entering the work force" or "attending local community college" or "will be serving in the US Army" (or whatever) felt bad compared to "Will be attending Virginia Tech and studying Engineering"

 

I thought that was sad at the time, because I really liked hearing the range of what people were doing (since I was in symphonic band, I attended every graduation that occurred while I was in high school (and college, for that matter), and usually the plans were a great fit. If anything, leaving it out seemed like they were celebrating each student's plans for the future and that they were moving it on less, because the focus became "finishing" not heading into the next step. I don't remember where each of my classmates went for college, but I remember the applause for the teen mom, two years before me, who was announced that she would be working at a local child care program "where her son, Jordan, is a student", or the applause for the young man with developmental delays who "Will be working at the Carlton Street Pizza hut" (whereupon the kid yelled out "And getting paid!!").

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Laurel-in-CA]

Community college has been a great option for us. We've had one go straight to a specialized private school (art college), another started CC his senior year of high school and has now completed an AA for transfer plus a marketing cert. and is deciding on transfer schools (and no debt), and my current high school senior who refused to even discuss college apps and has struggled through her academic work in high school is now completing her testing and registration for CC. We are fortunate to have a quality CC that actually has an endowment so students have access to scholarships for CC studies as well.

 

18yo dd is considering 3 very different possibilities at the CC--horticulture, AA english for transfer, or culinary. She is proud of testing into English 1 and not too very worried about the remedial algebra class she'll be taking. I am just very, very happy she's moving forward, and she has a job lifeguarding senior citizens again this summer.

[FaithManor]

I think all of these life plans are great! We need to have threads like these so we can celebrate the accomplishments of all of our graduates!

 

The plus side of homeschooling has always been the alternative to "herd" mentality. That's part and parcel of this. Some of our kids will be fairly traditional students, some will go to work and volunteer and what not until they really get a handle on what they want to be when they grow up, some will go CC or vo-tech, some will really surprise us with their neat, against the grain plans like opening a business or becoming a pastry chef, of floral design, or study abroad, or ....let's celebrate all of it and encourage one another. There are so many different paths to living a successful adult life.

 

We need cheerleader emoticons with pom poms and mega phones.

[HS Mom in NC]

Mine go to the local cc when they're done with high school level materials.  For my oldest that was at 17.  She wanted to start earlier like lots of her friends, but she didn't have the motivation or follow through with her homeschool work before then.  I told her she couldn't go to cc as a minor student unless she was getting it done on time without my supervision at home.  I didn't apologize for that.  That's life. 

My middle daughter was 15 when she started cc.  It was the same year as the oldest started.  She's incredibly motivated and has been for a long time.  She needed college level science and Calculus.  We didn't want to teach it. She tested into their engineering program, but I didn't push her to sign up because she was too young, in my opinion, to narrow her focus at 15. She skipped the written essay during the placement test (which a student can retake 24 hours later if they choose) because the topic was unlike anything we ever did.  "Do you believe human potential is limited or unlimited?"  We don't waste our kids' time on that kind of thing.  So she scored into a remedial, high school level English class (a 95 class I think it's called.) I talked her out of retaking the test to test into English 101 because writing is her least favorite and weakest subject and she needs more time on it, so I thought taking a 95 level class there might be a lower pressure way for her to ease into college English classes.  She took the 95 class, got an A and then took English 101 the next semester and got an A.

 

I wanted them both to be able to spend some time exploring what they might like to do.  With the lower cost and very close location (15 minutes from my house) at the cc they can take lots of different classes and spend extra time trying some different things without it being a huge burden.  My middle took lots of science and math classes and loved them for the first 3 semesters but then realized she didn't see herself in those fields.  She saw herself in an office doing clerical work because this kid LOVES to meticulously organize endless minutiae and crunch piles of tedious data.  So she's focused on business classes right now.  No big deal, if she graduates with a 2 year degree that took 3 years instead of 2 it's time well spent.

My oldest, now 19 year old took a year of cc, then got her doula certification (not cc)  and is currently taking more classes (not cc) related to increasing her doula skill set and taking a class at cc. It's nice to be able to explore different adult education options without the pressure to get it all done in 4 years and then have to stay in the field you got your degree in.  She's currently working on getting her doula business going and networking with other doulas in the area for support and mentoring. There's no way she could do that in a 4 year selective college.

They've both done very well.  They always have the top grades in their classes and each has had a professor or professors (Art History, Creative Writing  and Chemistry) tell them they were the best educated freshman they've ever seen.  They see a lot of homeschoolers and kids from every public, public charter and private schools around. With the economy the way it is, there are plenty of kids who could get into selective colleges but are choosing to decrease the cost of their adult education by spending part of it at cc. I think more and more people are taking this route to avoid starting their children on the dreaded debt cycle that so many Americans are experiencing.

 

A side note: I didn't issue my girls a homeschool diploma until they were completely done with high school.  That meant my middle daughter's diploma was issued after she completed her English 95 class at the cc. That way I can say she got the diploma when she completed high school.   My oldest tested into all college level classes so her homeschool diploma issue date reflects that.  Why?  So they have an objective measure, college level placement test results and a grade from a college English teacher, that indicate they have met their standards for readiness for college level classes. If anyone ever questions if those diplomas were issued based on "mommy grades" as opposed to an objective evaluation, they have test results and grades from an outside entity that have general credibility. Will they ever need that? Probably not, but it's there if they do.

[Crimson Wife]

Some people don't think much of community college. Sadly, I've heard this even on these boards throughout the many years.

 

CC's vary tremendously as to the quality of their programs. But for the individual student, having a plan for the future is something to be celebrated :-)

[The Girls' Mom]

My oldest is going to community college.  We have a decent one, and they have some pretty awesome study abroad opportunities.  She has no desire to go away to college.  She will be majoring in German.  

 

One of my sophomores also plans (for the moment) to attend the same community college after graduation.  She will begin taking classes there this fall.  

 

I also go to the same cc.  Here it is a very valid option with very good transfer paths to state schools.  Another bonus is that it is free for high school grads starting this fall.

 

[Faithr]

Our CC has a good nursing/medical program.  I don't know about the other majors, but I have one niece who just got an AAS in Radiography and is now gainfully employed at a local hospital.  Her sister did two years at the cc then transferred, earned a degree in biology and now is working on a masters in research.  So it definitely worked for them.  

[KarenNC]

CC's vary tremendously as to the quality of their programs. But for the individual student, having a plan for the future is something to be celebrated :-)

 

Colleges vary tremendously as to the quality of their programs as well, and may vary tremendously within the college depending on the department, so I wouldn't hesitate to list community college, apprenticeship programs, etc.

[G5052]

Yes, I decided not to post there.  I tend to be private with those sorts of details, and I just didn't see that we fit there.

 

With last minute applications, DS got into two highly selective 4-years with merit aid (he nearly made National Merit), but they didn't represent what he really wanted at this juncture. He wants community college.

 

He's made his decision, and we're good with it. That's what counts, right?  

[quark]

Deleting due to privacy concerns.

[Nan in Mass]

Yes, I decided not to post there. I tend to be private with those sorts of details, and I just didn't see that we fit there.

 

With last minute applications, DS got into two highly selective 4-years with merit aid (he nearly made National Merit), but they didn't represent what he really wanted at this juncture. He wants community college.

 

He's made his decision, and we're good with it. That's what counts, right?

Definitely. : )

 

I didn,t post my sons choices in those lists the years I had graduates, either, for privacy reasons. I can see how specifying a particular cc might make someone hesitate because they serve a smaller region than a state, wHich is why I suggested using the word local. I just am hoping nobody who wants to celebrate their child,s choice by posting in the list only thread is refraining.

 

Nan

[Nan in Mass]

I am loving hearing all the stories! Our cc has been such a big part of my children,s educations. I have two there this semester and I am so proud of them...

 

Nan

[Annie G]

Community college has been great for our two youngest! DD did two years and transferred to a pricey private school for her junior and senior years and is graduating on time. Well, she's actually in Japan finishing her last term so technically she won't be done in May when her class graduates but that's because her term in Japan starts and ends later than spring term here.  We couldn't afford four years there even though she had a good scholarship, but two years we could swing. 

 

Ds needed some time to mature after high school so he went to the local cc. In the fall he's transferring to  a senior military college- it's been his goal all along but he needed a bit to time to be ready.  

 

The local cc was a good choice for both dd and ds, and it saved us a lot of money, especially for dd.  

[BlsdMama]

My DS is going full-time to CC next year. He's covered what I can teach him with the exception of writing. He won't technically be a high school grad yet but he'll spend the next two years at CC before university.

[Tsuga]

National merit semi-finalist here, third in my class adjusted GPA, and my first degree was an Associate's, which I paid for in cash. My sister didn't take the PSAT, but also graduated top of her class, paid cash for her AS. All of my cousins who finished university started at CC, and there are several doctors/doctorates, lawyers, and other professionals in there.

 

CCs vary tremendously but so do universities. Some of the smartest people I know started at CC--including Harvard, Princeton, and UCI grads. :)

 

Starting at an affordable, low-key option is a fantastic way to begin post-secondary careers for many people and in no way exclusive of going "all the way" to the top tiers of education. I work with scores of people who started at CCs and have PhDs from renowned programs... maybe if I ever go on to get a doctorate I will be one of them.

 

My hearty congratulations to everyone who had taken that step and enrolled. Godspeed!