With college application season coming to a close, many students are faced with the uncertainty of where they are going to attend for the next four years. However, some students know exactly where they want to go: community college. But whether people have a set plan or keep community college as a back-up option, this article details its benefits and future opportunities.
Grace Dimapilis (12) shares, “I’m not as financially fortunate as others, and since you probably spend the first couple years of any college finishing your general education requirements, why not do it practically for free? I also haven’t entirely narrowed down choices for my future, so going to community college for two years is two extra years to figure out my place in the world.”
First and foremost, community college is open admissions—everyone gets accepted. Students are also able to earn a career certificate or associate’s degree, which can take anywhere between one semester to two years. Community college also offers career training education, such as courses in culinary arts, fashion, graphic design, medical assisting and more.
Nearby community colleges include Irvine Valley College, Saddleback College, Orange Coast College and Santa Ana College. The most inticiting aspect of the pathway to one of these colleges is that students are able to transfer to a four-year university. They would spend freshman and sophomore year in community college and then transfer for junior and senior year, so theoretically, they could graduate at the same time as their peers from high school.
Students can participate in the Transfer Admission Guarantee program, which gives a direct pathway from community college into the University of California system. Those who meet specific requirements—taking certain courses and maintaining a high GPA—can transfer directly into UCI, UCSB, UCSC, UC Riverside, UC Merced and UC Davis. This applies to most majors.
Students can only TAG one school but can apply to different colleges outside of TAG. Additionally, TAG is nonbinding.
There is also the Promise Program, which allows students to attend community college for free. Anyone can qualify as long as they fill out a financial aid application by May 1. The Promise Program covers tuition, registration fees and provides up to $500 every year for books and supplies. This program only applies to the first two years of community college, so it does not cover the last two years at a four-year university.
According to UC’s admission website, “Junior-level transfer students from California community colleges are given priority consideration for admission.”
With this great news, these students still have to be competitive, so they should have extracurriculars and take honors courses. A good example would be Saddleback’s honors program. This program works with transferring students into four-year colleges such as UCLA, Scripps College, Pomona College and more, including out-of-state schools.
Benefits of the honors program include having a smaller class size, better preparation for upper-division work, research and conference opportunities. However, the most shocking part is that in 2022, the admit rate of students from the Saddleback Honors Program into UCLA was 92.5%!
Because of all these benefits, community college really is not as bad of an idea as many interpret. It provides a second chance for students to get into their dream colleges.
There are some community colleges that are pretty close to Aliso, so it is recommended for students to visit local community colleges to see which one is best for them. Additionally, the application process is very simple: students would create an OpenCCCApply account and will receive an email within a week with details on how to officially enroll.
Most of this information was given by Ms. Nguyen in the College and Career Center at Aliso in Room 500, so students are highly encouraged to visit her with any questions.
