Choosing a Community College

There are several things to consider when choosing a community college. The most obvious is location. Many people choose to attend a community because it is located in their neighborhood. A college nearest your home can give you the option of living at home to save on housing while commuting to school. Attending a community college in your state also gives you access to inexpensive resident fees.

Ideally you want to attend a college that offers a large number of courses and extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports. If your nearest college does not offer the courses you want or need, it may be advisable to consider a longer commute, or even attend two colleges to meet those needs.

TIP: If you want to transfer to a college in another state, particularly if it is a public college, you may want to consider relocating to that state. Community colleges are geared toward transferring students to their states public colleges. Although you will pay the expense of increased out of state fees, in the two years it takes to transfer, you can establish residency so your fees at the university will be substantially lower than if you stayed in your home state and paid out of state tuition.

Some community colleges have a reputation for a large number of successful transfer students. When choosing a community college make sure it offers transferable courses, classes that will be accepted by the college you plan to transfer.

If you are attending a community college to build college skills, pay attention to remedial math and English classes. Community colleges supply an abundance these that mean you can learn the basic skills to succeed in college.

Most community colleges have transfer agreements with local colleges that guarantee acceptance upon completion of specific terms. An honors program or some variation of the term allows students with excellent grades to take more challenging classes limited only to those students. Upon completion of a required number of units and the classes required for your particular major, you will be granted admission to specific colleges. Although it requires more rigorous and challenging work, it takes the stress out of wondering if you will be accepted to the college.

If you choose not to participate in the honors program, it is still important that your community college has transfer agreements with the schools that you plan to attend. This lets you know which classes you need to take before you transfer. These transfer agreements will save you from spending more time at your future university taking introductory classes. Generally, your community college will have transfer agreements with your states public universities.

Recommended reading: Undergraduate Guide: Two-Year Colleges 2007