Community College vs 4 year University

[clh2]

I'm not going to add any comments to the transfer-credit discussions going on.

I'm just going to make a totally different type of comment/observation. If the OP's niece decides to go to a local community college - she just may find she is totally bored out of her mind. Especially if all her best friends are going off to other colleges and universities. She may realize sooner than later that a community college is not offering her much, and may want re-think that decision.

 

[eeyore kelly]

I am enrolled in a Community College and I love it. I am taught by profs that taught (or still teaching) at LSU, UNO and SU. I am getting the same quality education that I would at a 4 year college, but I have better access to my profs and they know my name. My credits transfer. I don't know enough about OP's niece to comment personally, but I know enough about community colleges (at least mine) to say don't knock it. Both of my kiddos are going to a community college before a university.

 

[mrsv98]

I started out at CC, transferred to a Uni, got a four-year degree and then ended up at Cambridge for my Masters. Starting at CC allowed me to start slowly and then achieve my goals, it did not hold me back at all.

In terms of your niece, it is her life, CC costs much less and has far less stress than a major uni. Her parents should let her go and try. She is young, odds are she will change her mind many times. Her parents she be supportive and not force her, in the end it will only backfire.

 

[Randi]

I'm not sure if I understand what the OP is trying to tell us.

Her niece, whose dad is a prof at a particular university which has an excellent Marine Bio program, wants to pursue a career in restaurant mgt starting at a CC. If I have it correct, then the issue is with the choice of career, not necessarily the choice of the school.

I am sure that her credits will transfer to another university if she continues to work toward restaurant mgt. I can see how they would not transfer to a Marine Bio degree.

 

[bicker]

I am sure that her credits will transfer to another university if she continues to work toward restaurant mgt.

I got the impression from the OP that that was not the case. It originally sounded to me that either the OP was noting a blanket change in university policies for accepting transfer credit. I did a little more research in the last hour or so (my wife is horribly sick in bed, so in-between caring and feeding her, I've got loads of time on my hands today) and I don't see any indications of that, at least not on a widescale basis. I realized another possibility could be that the specific community college the OP was talking about was not accredited, and therefore those credits wouldn't transfer to any accredited university.

Seems like we're in the dark without knowing which two schools the OP was talking about.

 

[safetymom]

My daughter started at a community college and finished up at a 4 year school. The 4 year counselor told her it isn't where you started school but where you finished.

My other daughter is doing the same thing and saving some money along the way.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I made the excellent decision of beginning at a community college - not only did it save me TONS of cash but it also allowed me to take small classes instead of classes with 800 plus students in them. I transferred to the private school of my choice 2 years later, transfered in all my classes, and already had my basics done and over wtih.

I went onto earn my masters degree as well at the school of my choice without a problem.

If she can't transfer her credits to a school of her choice then perhaps it's not the best decision. She won't be able to earn a bachelors degree at the community college but can earn an associates. I am surprised a university would not accept an associates degree as a transfer but I don't know what college she is interested in.

 

[delilah]

I attended a 2 year college my first two years. I was able to transfer 96 hrs toward my BS degree. I majored in Chemistry, graduated with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa, went on to earn a MS in Physical Chemistry and an MD, both from a major big ten university. So, yeah, I think I got a "decent" education at the junior college. I think alot depends on the student and their attitude and motivation, just as it would at the 4 year college.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

She may want to double check the whole transfer credit issue. With the overcrowding and high admission standards to the 4-year schools I find it very hard to believe that she cannot transfer specific (general ed) credits. Your neices mom may be trying to scare her into going to a 4-year by telling her the classes won't transfer.

In CA there is a path to follow if you want to transfer to a UC or a CSU school. There is also a degree only path.

Here in CA community colleges are much cheaper and recommended for the first 2 years. There is nothing wrong with a community college and she will get out of it what she puts into it.

 

[Crankyshank]

She might want to check transfer credit policies at other Colleges and Universities she is interested.
In my area, taking basic general requirements is encouraged at the local Community college because of demand. It enables the student to take the classes s/he needs without having to wait to take them due to class over booking.

 

[disykat]

It depends on the community college and also on the school she might transfer to. I would not be happy if my boys went that route. From rumors I hear that kids that go to our local cc are finding it difficult to gain entrance to many of the programs at nearby universities as a junior. As my kids get older I'll be paying more attention, but I'd do a lot of research prior to see if that option will even be available to them.

 

[Caradana]

My guess is that in the case of the OP, the niece expects to take restaurant management credits at the CC, which will then not transfer to a science program at the university.

There are very few colleges in the country that will not accept any CC credits, and I can see where they're a very good choice for some students. That being said, if your kid is the type who can get into a top US college, send him or her as a freshman.

 

[Alice28]

I transferred my Comm College credits to a local university with no problems. You have to be careful and work with the guidance counselors and take the correct classes that will transfer. I thought Comm college was a GREAT deal- some of my professors at C.C. also taught part-time at Stanford and Santa Clara Univ. No lie. They just taught a class here and there at whatever colleges would hire them! I figured I was getting the same education as kids at Stanford, but paying $90 a semester vs. several thousand!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

With regard to the specific situation the OP reported, I cannot say I'm very surprised at universities cracking down on transfer credits though. There has always been a measure of concern about the comparative quality of the transferred credits. When I was in college, they just started reviewing transfer credits and routinely invalidating some (such as some community college English and Math courses taken which were categorized by the university as remedial, i.e., at the high-school level). It sounds, from the OP, that things have progressed over the last 25 years to the point where some universities are having a difficult time finding merit in a substantial amount of credits coming from 2-year schools.

I think that's a shame -- it probably represents more a matter of how much work is involved in qualifying every single transfer credit from every single school than an accurate depiction of the true worth of those credits. Hopefully, such universities will reconsider such extreme positions.

I don't know about Mass--but in Florida...the material is presented the same. There may be "better" classes at a University in some cases--but in most...XYZ 0000 at CC is the same as XYZ 0000 at the State level. So within our state--whether it is FCCJ or USF---the class is the same. It may be presented in a different style or manner that may make it more easy or difficult, but they are on paper exactly the same.

There is no qualifying process. Between public/private and private/public there maybe as course numbers may not be uniform....and definitley from out of state schools there may be a review.

I preferred the 4yr route as it is my preference, but I can appreciate the 2+2 route as many do in our state.

The student in the OP--needs to think more of long term impact while planning her spite--it could have unintended consequences.

Question for the OP--what state are you--is the University in question a public or private institution and does their action of not transferring any credits violate state law? If we are speaking of a state university and a regular community college--I just cannot see how what they are doing can be permitted at all.

ETA: This is assuming general educ requirements and maybe some pre-req work. I agree with others that Technical degrees do not fall under this umbrella.

 

[Zurealsoon]

I I realized another possibility could be that the specific community college the OP was talking about was not accredited, and therefore those credits wouldn't transfer to any accredited university.

Seems like we're in the dark without knowing which two schools the OP was talking about.

Sorry, I don't know the Community College's name. The university is The University of North Carolina at Wilmington.There are many degrees there besides Marine Biology-it's just what the school excells at.

I also think part of the issue is my sister feels a Restaurant Mangement associate degree is ...how should I put this...below what she feels her DD can accomplish in life.

 

[tar heel]

Now that you've told us the university in question is a branch of the University of North Carolina, I feel very confident in saying that the reason the classes won't transfer is b/c they are technical classes - this restaurant management program is probably a terminal degree (or maybe just certificate) program. Perhaps the program does not even include her taking English, Psychology, Biology, etc. North Carolina community colleges and the university system work very closely together. Still, even kids whose sole purpose in attending are sometimes going to find credits that don't transfer b/c the community college class is a little different or that transfer as an elective instead of the class it's mean to count as.

 

[tar heel]

To answer your question, community colleges work for the first two years of college for a lot of people, BUT a lot of others use them to learn a trade. It sounds like the kind of program she plans is the latter. If I were her parent, I would try really hard to get her to do the transfer program at the community college instead of restaurant management.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

I figured I was getting the same education as kids at Stanford, but paying $90 a semester vs. several thousand!

I had several teachers who also taught at universities. Getting a full time teaching gig is hard and many teachers will take jobs where they can get them.

Restaurant management is not an easy carreer.

 

[KathyFP]

I would be more concerned if she didn't want to go to school at all. Does anyone really know what is motivating her choice??

 

[Pin Wizard]

From what I understand, credits do transfer to a 4-year school. I see she's a bit testy. LOL!