community college why is it better to take a transfer course

by Maybelle Simonis 3 min read

If you feel like you need to earn some money before transferring to a four-year school, the skills and education you receive at a community college can help. You boost your earning power quickly, and you can decide to go back to school later. Chance to improve your grades Perhaps you didn’t do quite as well as you could have during high school.

Full Answer

Should I go to a community college or transfer to University?

That’s why transferring from a community college to a university can help you take that next step toward achieving your goals with an undergraduate or graduate degree. At a community college, you can work on fulfilling your general education requirements. Oftentimes, most of these credits can easily be transferred to a university.

What do I need to know about transferring to a university?

Mar 18, 2016 · Community college is generally a lot cheaper than a traditional four-year college. Earning general education credits at a community college and transferring into a four-year school can help you save quite a lot of money. Community colleges help you explore different majors to help you get an idea of what you might want to study. Not only does ...

Is Community College cheaper than four year college?

May 05, 2016 · Finish an Associates Degree. The transfer process works more seamlessly with students who have completed at least 60 credits than it does with those who have fewer credits completed. It is more difficult to transfer from a community college to a four-year school as a sophomore than it is to transfer for the junior year.

Is it better to go straight to college or transfer?

The main differences between a two year and four-year college are the course load, the opportunities, and the price. Typically, universities are known for having harder academics. Many students going to a 4-year university will take classes at a 2-year college or community college over the summer to be able to save money and pass hard classes.

Is it better to start off at a community college?

The biggest advantage to starting at a two-year college is the fact that you pay much less as compared to other institutions. The average per-credit cost at a two-year public school is $135 — less than half the $325 per credit at a four-year public school.Dec 22, 2017

Is it better to transfer to a university?

For many students, the transfer route is a good way to go; it helps you adjust to college courses and save up money before you head off on your own to a four-year university. Other students with a clear idea of what they want to study might be better off going straight into a four-year college.Mar 18, 2016

Can you transfer to Harvard from a community college?

Harvard. Gaining admission at Harvard is never easy. In recent years, they've accepted an average of 12 transfers out of roughly 1,500 transfer applicants—around 1 percent, just a sliver of its regular 4 percent admissions rate. However, that select group of transfers has included community college students.Oct 14, 2021

What do universities look for in a transfer student?

Transfer students are evaluated on the basis of the GPA earned and the college work they have completed. If a student is right on the edge between being accepted or not, then in that case Letters of Recommendation may make an impact in the decision process.

Are transfer acceptance rates higher?

Transferring from one school to another is a wise or even necessary choice for many students, but it's not without obstacles. College transfer acceptance rates are actually lower than freshman acceptance rates, meaning competition is higher.Oct 23, 2021

Do Ivy Leagues accept community college transfers?

Ivy League schools accept transfer students from community colleges. Whether applicants have already earned their associate degrees or not, they can get accepted into Ivy League schools as transferees for as long as their college applications meet or even surpass the admissions requirements.Mar 13, 2022

Does Cornell accept community college credits?

Only transfer courses of three or more semester hours may be used to satisfy a Cornell major or a general education requirement. For example, a four-semester hour psychology course at a community college would be equivalent to one course credit at Cornell. A three-semester hour English course would be equivalent to .

Is it easier to transfer into an Ivy League?

Because there are significantly fewer transfer applicants than regular first-year applicants, if you have done well in your first year or semester – depending on the college's residency requirements, it's actually easier to get into the Ivy League as a transfer student.Dec 13, 2021

Why do people go to community colleges?

Not only does going to a community college let you adjust to college coursework but it also allows you to stay close to home if you aren't feeling ready to go out on your own just yet.

What does it mean to go to college?

Where to go to college is a huge decision. For some students, it means going straight into a four-year college or university; for others, it’s going to a community college first and then transferring to a four-year school. There are good and bad aspects to either option.

How long does it take to get an associates degree?

You can earn your associate degree in about two years, so if something comes up that forces you to postpone a four-year college and go straight into the workforce, you can find plenty of jobs with this degree.

Is community college cheaper than four year college?

Community college is generally a lot cheaper than a traditional four-year college. Earning general education credits at a community college and transferring into a four-year school can help you save quite a lot of money.

How many credits do you lose when you transfer to a four year college?

Early on, you need to know what kind of classes are required to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. It’s quite common for students to lose 10-15% of their credits during a transfer.

How to transition to a four year college?

1. Study for Placement Tests. Community colleges routinely require entering students to take placement tests in math and English.

What is a student success course?

Take a Student Success Course. Community colleges routinely offer a student success course that shares critical information about studying and time management. Community colleges have reported that students who take these optional courses are more likely to stay in school and transfer to four-year universities.

How to start community college?

It’s essential to start community college with a plan for how you are going to transfer. Go to your career transfer office and see what the academic path will be for a particular major. A growing number of community colleges, 250 by Jenkins’s estimate, offer guided academic pathways for students. Identifying a list of potential classes helps students make progress towards a goal.

Who is Lynn O'Shaughnessy?

Lynn O’Shaughnessy is a best-selling author, speaker and journalist. Her book, The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price , is available on Amazon.com. Categories. College Life.

Why do people go to community colleges?

With the price of college continuously rising, a popular thing for students to do is to go to a community college. Some students will go for two years at a community college then transfer to a university. There are many different reasons why students would want to do this. The most common reason is money. By not going to a 4-year university ...

How many credit hours do you need to transfer to a university?

They usually qualify a typical semester as 15 credit hours so this would mean that you would need 30 credit hours to transfer to this university. This is the most common type of situation, however, many schools do you allow you to transfer after one semester.

What is the difference between a two year and a four year college?

The main differences between a two year and four-year college are the course load, the opportunities, and the price. Typically, universities are known for having harder academics. Many students going to a 4-year university will take classes at a 2-year college or community college over the summer to be able to save money and pass hard classes. ...

Can you transfer to a 4 year university?

They only accept a certain number of incoming freshmen and they only accept a certain amount of transfers. Since the number of transfers is usually lower, it is a little bit easier to get into a 4-year university as a transfer. You also have a chance to get your college GPA up while at a community college.

Is 4 year college more expensive than community college?

Tuition is extremely more expensive at 4-year private and public universities than it is at a community college. Plus, normally when you go to a community college you tend to stay at home with your parents which saves a lot of money on room and board.

What are the benefits of electives?

Benefits of Elective Courses. Electives allow you to explore other subjects and areas of study – you might find that you like something you never tried before. Taking electives outside your core coursework may give you a new perspective on your degree and your future career path.

Why are electives important?

Electives may help you to build strong core values that will help you in achieving your desired degree and being successful in your field. Drawbacks of Elective Courses. Some students feel that elective course requirements are less likely to provide a dollar-based return than core classes related to their degree.

What is an elective class?

Elective classes are extra classes that may count toward your degree but which may not be directly related to the degree program you are in. You might choose to take elective courses that complement your degree or you could use them as an opportunity to explore another subject you think you might like. This video explains what elective courses are.

What are the different types of electives?

There are three different categories of electives. Free el ectives are the most flexible option – they may include any credits that are not a requirement for your degree program. Many students view free electives as a time to take an easy class or to explore a subject they have interest in. Area of study electives allow students to have some choice in the matter but the options are all related to the degree program in some way. For example, a communications major might take an area of study electives in journalism, communication law, or other relevant subjects.

What are general education electives?

General education electives are designed to help you achieve a working knowledge of core subjects. An example of core subjects from Thomas Edison State University includes Civic and Global Leadership; Intellectual and Practical Skills; Understanding of the Physical and Natural World; and Knowledge of Human Cultures.

What does an academic advisor do?

Your academic advisor will be able to tell you which classes you need for your degree and he or she will help you create your course schedule each semester. With the help of your advisor, you will be able to get your core classes in, fitting the requirements of your electives in around them.

Do community colleges have electives?

Many community colleges offer a wide variety of elective courses. In some cases, the selection of electives is much larger at a community college than it would be at a traditional college. This is because many traditional colleges have a focus on certain degrees, so most of the courses they offer are geared toward those degrees.

What percentage of community college students want a bachelor's degree?

When they first arrive, about 80 percent of community college students say they want to earn a bachelor’s degree. But the path to the B.A. is fraught. Only 13 percent of the students who start at a community college manage to get a bachelor’s degree six years later, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

What is the Hechinger Report?

The Hechinger Report is a national nonprofit newsroom that reports on one topic: education. Sign up for our weekly newsletters to get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox. Students are often advised to start college at a public community college as a way to save thousands of dollars on a bachelor’s degree.

Who writes Proof Points?

Jill Barshay writes the weekly “Proof Points” column about education research and data, covering a range of topics from early childhood to higher education. She taught algebra to ninth-graders for... More by Jill Barshay

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Benefit #1—Flexible Learning Environment

Benefit #2—Transfer Credit Benefits

  • A great benefit in transferring from a community college to Northeastern Universityis the transfer credits you will receive. In general, Northeastern accepts up to 60 transfer credits coming from another regionally accredited institution (exceptions include: 90 credits for active duty military, 63 for engineering majors, and 66 credits for biotechn...
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Benefit #3—An Easy Transfer Process

  • Northeastern has dedicated transfer agreements with 20 schoolsin six states, making for a seamless transfer process for many students. “The whole transfer process was easy; all I had to do was submit a transcript to Northeastern University and in a couple of weeks I received notification of which courses they would transfer over to their school,” says Jacqueline Mena, a …
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Benefit #4—Experiential Learning Opportunities

  • Consistently, one of the top reasons many students choose to enroll at Northeastern University is our extensive experiential learning network and numerous opportunities to enhance your in-classroom learning with work-based projects. Whether you choose an online project or something close to home, there is an experiential learning opportunity for everyone. Because many bachelo…
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Benefit #5—Scholarships and Financial Aid

  • Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies is dedicated to ensuring that our degrees are not only flexible but affordable. In order to do so, we offer various scholarship and aid opportunities that you may qualify for. Some of our featured scholarships include: 1. Community college scholarships: These various scholarships are awarded to students coming from one of our partn…
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