Hi all! I'm considering attending community college. I want to earn credits quickly so I can transfer to a 4-year university sooner. Does anyone have experiences or suggestions on which community colleges might be best for this?
Your goal to accumulate credits quickly and transfer to a 4-year university is shared by many students, and this approach can be a smart way to save money. However, it's important to consider a few factors to make the best decision.
1. Liberal Policies on CLEP & AP Credit: Some colleges have more liberal policies than others when it comes to granting college credit for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams, Advanced Placement (AP) exams, or other standardized tests. The more liberal the policy, the faster you can accumulate credits.
2. Online/Remote Opportunities: Colleges with strong online or remote programs often allow students to take more classes at once, and even over the summer or winter breaks. This can help speed up credit accumulation.
3. Quarter System: Colleges on the quarter system (as opposed to the semester system) tend to allow faster accumulation of credits. Each quarter is shorter compared to a semester, hence you can take more subjects and earn more credits within the same span of time.
4. Articulation Agreements: Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, look for a college with a good articulation agreement with the university you're eyeing for transfer. An articulation agreement guarantees that your community college credits will be accepted by your target university. This ensures your hard-earned credits won't go to waste.
Remember that in addition to the above, you'll want to consider factors like the support services the community college offers for transfer students, their average transfer rate, and whether they have a dedicated advisor for students planning to transfer.
As for personal experiences, it varies greatly as each person has a unique situation and set of goals. You may get a variety of anecdotes leaning one way or another. The best advice is to do your own research, consider your specific circumstances, and make a checklist of what's important to you in this process. Then, use that list while researching and choosing a community college.
As it is not clear where you're located, I cannot recommend a specific community college, but I hope that the tips above will help you determine where you would like to study. Best of luck with your decision!
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