Ok Ash, this is my suggestion..I would personally recomend going to a community college and then transferring to a university once you obtain your A.A. The college experience will still be there in a couple of years but a community college allows you to “figure out” what you want to do with yourself. For example, I jumped right into the university setting and felt pressured and obligated to do so since i was young and somewhat immature to the reality of life. This immaturity overlapped into my university years and I found myself in academic trouble because of my desire to socialize. PLUS, community college classes are alot easier and will allow you to hone your skills before you enter the university. THEN, you will carry your inflated GPA into the university and ultimately be able to graduate and possibly pursue graduate school with a higher gpa….its up to you…of course…from experience, I would have chosen community college as it gives you the time to mature as a student and person while still pursuing academic endeavors…put it this way, if you truly already knew that the university was for you, you wouldnt have posted this question,,,,if you are unsure about this, there are probably more uncertainties within you that need to be resolved……

The reason is the very best 4 year schools like Cal-tech and MIT give an education vastly superior to any CC. And getting into those schools from a CC, while not impossible, is so close to it it may as well be (lees than 1% chance at some schools). Bottom line here is if you are an elite student (say over a 3.5 GPA in rigorous ans challenging subjects such as calculus) then by all means go to a 4 year school directly. If not then you are unlikely to get the marks to be able to get into a 4 year school that will give you a better education than a CC, so you may as well save money by doing that. If you are a good, but not elite student (GPA > 3) then either option has merit and really depends on personnel preference. Either option will make zero difference in the long run. I have recently been reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. There you will discover what really determines success. It is not going to a ‘trophy’ schools like Harvard, it is going to good schools of which Harvard is only one example. The difference in their output of highly successful people is zero. And many of those good schools are assessable from a CC eg Rose Hullman or NJIT. Thanks Bill

Well, that happened to me too. And I accepted with no regret. I started in a CC and passed all my classes without pay a dime. While some other of my high school classmate went throught the “joy” of getting loans to pay their first and second year. Now I’ve transfered to a 4 year university where i’m enjoying the college life away from home. It was a wise decision…however it is up to you and what you want…

I have done both and I will tell you that I had a better experience at University. I did 2 years at a community college and it felt like high school grade 13. University is a much better environment for learning if you ask me. For some reason I felt compelled to learn and study at University, where at community college I was staring at the clock for the “10 minute rule” to kick in because the teacher was late and that means you can leave class.

Even if you have to pay for your room and board fees… those usually aren’t too bad, plus if you get a loan (which hopefully you started applying for them already) you won’t have to pay on them until you finish your schooling.

if i were in your position, i would study hard using the scholarship for the community college. don’t feel that you would be missing out on “college life”. college is about education, and that should be your priority. do so well that you might be eligible for scholarship this time to a bachelor’s degree in the university of your choice. by then, who knows, your priorities might change. a scholarship is always something to be proud of. it would also look good in your resume.

of course the final decision is yours. weigh the pros and cons. remember that whatever you decide will play a huge part in building your future. Good luck!

Well I’m going to a community college to get my associates. Maybe you could just get your associates, and than transfer for your bachelors. It’s up to you, don’t base your decision on money. If you know you can eventually repay the univeristy bills, go for it. Community college is a great option for someone like me, who is flat broke. Lol.

Go to a four year school – it has actual college life, and that is one major point for going to college. Ask yourself why they want you to come for free – is it for you or is it for them to be able to brag on the quality students they have?