I'm in a tough situation.Advice please?

[jslee812]

I'll be entering this fall as a highschool senior with a 3.44 GPA and a SAT/Subject Test(US and Biology) score of 2080/740/680.I failed my my precalc/trig class so my only real 4 year univ choices are the low tier UC schools,like:Santa Cruz,Riverside,or MercedI'm 50/50 between going to a CC(Santa Monica College) or 4 year University.I really want to go to UCLA or UC Berkeley for the better education...but I don't want to miss out on the freshman experience and the important "social connections" my sister told me.Plus she said the education at a CC is bad.She said I should just go to a low tier UC.I don't know if its fair for her to comment because she was always a good student and never in this situation (Stanford grad).I feel like a community college saves me money the long run and will get me into my dream school.Kind of a chance to start over.Advice please?Those who actually went to a CC how was it?Did you feel like you missed out on anything???

[JayB6461]

Well, I'm currently a community college student at Saddleback College in South O.C. I was in nearly the same situation coming out of high school two years ago- 3.6 GPA, but not as great SAT scores. I was rejected by UCLA/Berkeley (big surprise), but I was deferred by UCI and accepted into UCR. I turned down UCR because of its reputation, mostly. The social environment at Saddleback is nothing compared to a university; I definitely feel like I'm missing out in that category. However, the education here is very exceptional for a CC, probably no easier than at UCLA, where I plan to transfer. If you choose to attend a CC, keep your grades up (3.5) and transfer in 1-2 years. I pay for all my school expenses right now (it's very affordable, and I also plan on transferring in a year). I'm a computer engineering major, so it may take me three years to transfer. A couple of years isn't a big deal; you have a lot of college years ahead of you. Apply to either Berkeley or UCLA even if you think your chances are slim. Best wishes man.

[guru5079]

from my experience about going to college..after couple years of graduation or flanking out...there will be no difference to what school you went Harvard or small community college....i went to community college and private college....yes there was a difference between both of them...how did i choose? i went there where they gave me more money in scholarships....but now when i am out of college...i am lucky to find a decent job even with a degree...not to be discouraging but realistic...and also with less student debts, which now i work for a collection agency that collects on defaulted student loans..and to tell you the truth....sometimes it is very sad to see people struggling to repay all these enormous student debts....so my advice to you is talk money...so many graduates get out of school and are ready to take the world but after six months of deferment the student loans come crushing down not taking in consideration nothing for next 20 to 30 years which is most of your adult life. a long time..no fun...that's just my opinion..i see it everyday...hope i didn't overwhelm you stay strong

[jb0051]

Your sister is right that community college kids miss out on some of the college experience. Oh well, no one gets everything. A degree from Cal or UCLA will serve you much better for the rest of your life. Employers that recruit at those schools often would not consider a graduate of Riverside or Merced. Grad schools favor kids from top colleges. Anyone who says Harvard or Berkeley won't make a difference has never been to a top school.Worth missing the 2 years of campus fun in my book!