Will going to a community college screw my chances for grad school?

In summary, the conversation discusses the potential impact of attending a community college on one's chances of getting into graduate school. Some individuals share their personal experiences, with one person stating that they went to community college and are now a graduate student at a top university. Others offer advice, such as maintaining a good GPA and taking advantage of opportunities like dual enrollment programs. The conversation also touches on the quality of education at community colleges and the importance of taking major courses seriously. Ultimately, it is agreed that attending a community college will not harm one's chances of getting into graduate school as long as they do well in their coursework.
  • #1
battousai
86
0
Hello everyone, I'm currently a senior in high school. Due to financial circumstances and other reasons, there is a good chance that I might be headed to a community college next fall. I'm planning to go there for the usual 2 years, and transfer to a state school and major in math, hopefully going on to graduate school if all pans out.

My question is will going to a CC affect my chances? I'm saying this because most of the people I read in here are already starting to take upper division courses during their sophomore year, and already doing research summer before junior year. They will certainly have better connections than I do by the time of graduation. I, on the other hand, will just get started with my major when I enter for junior year, and I don't think I'll be able to do as much as them either for coursework or research work.

Any tips or suggestions? Or should I even worry about this at all?

Thanks.
 
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  • #2
No. Just do well at university in your upper-division courses and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.
 
  • #3
Here in California, the UC's have this thing called "Dual Enrollment" where students from community colleges can take courses at a UC school for credit. Your state school system might have a similar program.
 
  • #4
I went to community college and now I'm a grad student at a top-5 school, so no it doesn't matter. My experience was that the courses at community college aren't as rigorous as at a 4-year so try and talk to your professors and study hard to compensate. It'll make it easier when you transfer.
 
  • #5
I don't know why CCs have an aura of being bad places. I think they are awesome, and I truly believe that for some people the BEST option is to attend CC first then transfer. I say this from experience. Coming out of high school I went straight into UCLA, and I found out I was no where near as mature as I needed to be, to succeed in that environment. I'm not talking academically, but socially. When you go to a big school you truly are just a number for the first couple of years. Taking a Calc class with 500 other students truly means the Professor could care less if you attend class or do well in the class.

Of course I was not mature and quickly got kicked out of school. Not saying this is the case with you, but it certainly is the case with a lot of kids who go straight into a 4 year school. It took me three years to realize that I should finish school and I went back and still found it hard to be responsible, but managed to graduate anyway (in a major that was completely different than Astrophysics which is what I began as).

After several years of working, I decided I really should go back to school and do what I had wanted to do originally, which was math and physics. Because it had been so long since I had done any kind of math work, I decided to go to a CC for two years to redo all my math and fresh/soph level physics. I must say, the California Community College system is pretty damn awesome. In general, teachers really truly did care about you; they won't hold your hand mind you, but they care enough to listen to problems you might have.

I know this post went a bit off topic, but I just felt like I should talk abit about my feelings about the CC system. Maybe I am lucky to live in Cali, maybe the CC systems in other places are different, I don't know. But certainly in Cali, the CC system does not get the credit it deserves.

Back to the original post, no. It won't ruin your chances of getting into grad school...UNLESS you completely blow all your coursework at the CC, but if that were the case you would probably have a hard time transferring to a 4-year anyway. Point is, your major classes matter infinitely more than your GE classes as far as grad school goes.
 
  • #6
to the OP: no, going to a JC will not harm your chances. if you really want, you can always email a professor and say something like "I'm XXXXX and am transfering to UCXXX this fall and wanted to start working in a research lab. your lab seemed very interesting blah blah". or walk in the day you get to campus. and no one says you have to go to graduate school right after undergrad. you can always do work for them for a year or so after (post-bacc is what they're called... the NIH has a huge program for them).

and i took some JC classes while in high school. I would have to say they are mixed. when all the chem classes were filled up, they added some "adjunct" professors. two problems: 1. they REALLY want to keep their teaching jobs, so they make the class very easy to get good reviews. 2. they also hired some really sketch people. i was told that "any pH below 1 will instantly burn you! some much acid!". which was kind of ironic because some of the kids partied 24/7 and their gum line was coated with pH 1 fluids...

and professors at large universities (where i am at now) are not all terrible. the one thing I've noticed is that they really are intolerant of people who don't try/diss their field (eg pre meds complaining that ochem is the most useless class ever to organic chemists... yeah, they were pissed at those kids and didnt care for them). remember, most professors got where they are by working their butt off every day as a grad student, post-doc, assistant prof, and so on. when some undergrad comes in and really expects everything spoon fed to them, they get pissed (with good reason).
but if you sat down and talked to them and showed that you were thinking about the problems, they were exponentially nicer to you. [\rant]
 
  • #7
I will add that my professors, in general, have been really awesome at my Uni. But I also have had a chance to get to know them more personally, now that I am in a class of 10-40 people and not in a class of 500 (though I will say that there are some CC courses that do have enrollments that are large).

In anycase, flemmyd does bring up some good points. And they are also true for the CC's I've attended in some cases.
 
  • #8
hitmeoff said this about community colleges:

After several years of working, I decided I really should go back to school and do what I had wanted to do originally, which was math and physics. Because it had been so long since I had done any kind of math work, I decided to go to a CC for two years to redo all my math and fresh/soph level physics. I must say, the California Community College system is pretty damn awesome. In general, teachers really truly did care about you; they won't hold your hand mind you, but they care enough to listen to problems you might have.

That just seems surprising, since if you earned credit in those courses, you were allowed to enroll in them again. If you tried to enroll in them as auditor, then you must risk having lower enrollment priority in favor of the students registered for a letter grade. Classes must be crowded now with students who could not get into classes they wanted at their universities but who are trying to take equivalent classes in the community colleges.
 
  • #9
I don't know my experience with community college is that they are pretty awful but then again the one I took classes at was in a major urban area.

But yea, going to CC isn't going to effect your chances at grad school. The standard criteria applies.
 
  • #10
I'm not worried so much about going to a CC itself, but the fact that I would be wasting my opportunities for the first 2 years compared to someone who goes straight to a 4-year. Will I have ample time to do meaningful research while completing my coursework if I transfer junior year?
 
  • #11
if you plan on doing math, then research isn't a huge deal as an undergrad-- if my understanding is correct. you'd going to want to clear ALL you're lower div math requirements so you can get started on analysis/algebra your first term at 4 year uni. hopefully as a senior, you can a year long, graduate level course in one of the two areas.

and again, you don't NEED to apply for graduate schools your 4th year of college. you can always take a 5th, do masters somewhere else, or just do work for a year or something. plenty of other options.

Long story: you will be fine. just do well. focus on that first.
 
  • #12
Thank you every for your replies. I appreciate the positive responses. It's not a definite that I'll be going to a CC, but it's still nice to know that my situation isn't as bleak as I thought.
 
  • #13
The community colleges that have the aforementioned agreements with universities tend to be very rigorous. I'm at one now, and I must say, if the intro physics curriculum were any more difficult, it'd be an impossible course. You'll probably get a workout.

And don't worry about grad school. They don't give two garbages about your first two years. The only one who should is you -- after all, some of the courses will pertain to your major, and knowledge gained will be used in later coursework.
 

1. Will attending a community college hurt my chances of getting into grad school?

No, attending a community college will not automatically hurt your chances of getting into grad school. Admissions committees consider various factors when evaluating applicants, such as your academic performance, letters of recommendation, and research experience. As long as you excel academically and demonstrate your potential for success in graduate studies, attending a community college will not hinder your chances.

2. Do graduate schools favor applicants from four-year universities over community college students?

No, graduate schools do not necessarily favor applicants from four-year universities over community college students. Admissions committees look for well-rounded applicants with strong academic backgrounds and a passion for their chosen field. As long as you have a strong academic record and can demonstrate your potential for success in grad school, the type of institution you attended should not be a deciding factor.

3. Will attending a community college limit my opportunities for research experience?

No, attending a community college will not necessarily limit your opportunities for research experience. Many community colleges offer research opportunities for students, and you can also seek out research experience at nearby universities or through summer programs. Additionally, graduate schools look for applicants with a diverse range of experiences, so even if you do not have research experience from your community college, you can still highlight other relevant experiences in your application.

4. Do I need to transfer to a four-year university to be considered for grad school?

No, transferring to a four-year university is not a requirement for being considered for grad school. Admissions committees evaluate applicants based on their academic performance, research experience, and other relevant experiences, not the type of institution they attended. As long as you excel academically and demonstrate your potential for success in graduate studies, you can apply to grad school from a community college.

5. Should I take additional courses at a four-year university to improve my chances of getting into grad school?

It is not necessary to take additional courses at a four-year university to improve your chances of getting into grad school. Admissions committees look for applicants who have taken challenging and relevant courses, regardless of the institution they attended. It is more important to excel academically in your community college courses and demonstrate your passion and potential for your chosen field through research and other experiences.

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