If You Apply to a Community College and Dont Attend Do You Have to Apply Again the Next Year
Did y'all know that nigh half of all undergrads in the U.S. go to customs college? In fact, there are 1,100 customs colleges nationwide, and they enroll 13 million students! If you're looking to make that 13 meg and one, read on to learn how to utilise for community college: from deciding where to apply to enrolling in classes. Before getting the ball rolling, let'southward review what community colleges offer their students and some good reasons to apply. Virtually community colleges offering ii-year Acquaintance's degree programs in a broad variety of academic and pre-professional fields. A growing number likewise offering Bachelor's degrees, though most of these programs are relatively new and limited in options. People who run community colleges know that not every pupil wants to cease at their Associate's caste; in fact, many students attend community college to earn credits and transfer to a four-year higher. To ease this transition, lots of community colleges take "articulation agreements" with their local land school organisation. These agreements allow a pupil to transfer credits smoothly from customs college and enter as a inferior in a four-twelvemonth program. Students can also utilize to schools exterior of this agreement, but they may need to put a bit more than individual effort into making sure their credits will transfer. This plan, often referred to as a "2 + ii" plan, tin have serious financial benefits. Community colleges tend to be more affordable than iv-twelvemonth institutions, and their flexible class times get in easier for students to work part-time or even full-fourth dimension jobs. Most community colleges are open up access, meaning that all students tin enroll (with the exception of a few programs, like nursing and engineering science). Many students appreciate the typically small class sizes and attentive professors, who tend to spend most of their time teaching rather than doing research, as with many of their counterparts at enquiry universities. While almost customs colleges are commuter schools without residential facilities, they often offer clubs, sports teams, and support services that allow students to connect with one some other and schoolhouse staff. These benefits form the footing of the main reasons that students utilize to community higher. Let's break down these reasons in a little more than item. It's e'er good to clarify your reasons before taking a big leap. Students use to community college for a number of reasons. Some high school students choose a dual enrollment track, in which they take customs college classes to fulfill high school graduation requirements. Some adult students render to schoolhouse after working for several years to farther their education or pursue a new degree or career alter. While students at 4-year colleges tend to be around 18 to 22, the boilerplate age of students at community college is a little older at 28. For the purposes of this guide, let's go over the common reasons that students who are about to or who have recently graduated high school cull customs college, starting with those looking for professional training. Community colleges are an ideal option for students who know they want to go into sure professional fields and are seeking the training or credentials to exercise so. Some of these occupations include nursing, medical assistants, police officers, engineering technicians, and dental hygienists, among many others. As mentioned above, a few programs, like nursing and electric engineering, may ask for certain prerequisites from applicants. Unremarkably, these are specific math and science classes in high school and a minimum GPA. Otherwise, the programs are open enrollment. While some students apply with the goal of an Associate's degree or other certification, others enter community college intending to transfer afterward a year or more commonly, two years. These side by side three reasons apply to students looking to transfer and ultimately earn their Bachelor'south degree. Maybe your GPA needs a workout before applying to 4-year colleges. For students planning to transfer to a 4-yr college, attending community college can be a smart and strategic way to strengthen their GPA. Well-nigh iv-yr colleges require a GPA of at least 2.0 or ii.5 to apply. For students who had lower grades in high schoolhouse, taking community college classes can be an opportunity to bring upwardly their grades. They can raise their GPA, earn credits, and transfer to a college to which they may not have been accustomed immediately after loftier schoolhouse. For students looking to develop their writing and math skills, they can take the fourth dimension to do so in remedial classes. Any ESL students, furthermore, can hone their language skills in English language classes. Once students accept completed a minimum number of credits (unremarkably two years worth), they typically don't take to send SAT or ACT scores to transfer. This tin can as well assistance students become into colleges they might not have been able to correct later loftier school. A couple of years in community college tin assistance students strengthen their bookish skills and renew their commitment to further education earlier transferring to a Bachelor's program. On a similar note, a year or ii in community higher can exist a good way to effigy out what exactly you want to study. Rather than jumping into college feeling unsure about their direction, some students have community classes to explore their options. Since community colleges tend to be a lot less financially burdensome, they make this kind of exploration more viable. While most community colleges want students to apply to a specific track of report, they do allow y'all to switch if you want to pursue a different bailiwick. If you're planning to transfer, y'all'd only want to work closely with your advisor to ensure that yous're earning the right credits for a future Bachelor's degree major. Customs colleges tend to be a lot less expensive than 4-twelvemonth schools, equally whatever financial advisor/ceramic pig worth his weight in pennies volition tell you. I've mentioned a few times that customs colleges tend to be less expensive than four-twelvemonth colleges. Exactly how much less expensive are they? According to the National Middle for Education, the boilerplate customs college cost for a year (tuition, materials, other fees) was $ix,574 in 2013. While this is a significant sum, it's less than half of the boilerplate for 4-year schools of $23,872. In addition to saving money on tuition, community college students are eligible for fiscal assist, including federal grants, federal loans, state aid, and institutional aid. Plus they may be able to choose evening, weekend, or online classes that let for a part-time or full-fourth dimension job. Students considered "in-state residents" get in-state tuition, which is why most community college students choose schools close to home (along with the convenience of the location). If they transfer to a state school through an articulation agreement, then they farther save money with in-country tuition. Ultimately, their diploma comes from the institution from which they graduated, same as whatsoever student who attended for four direct years. Now that we've gone over the main reasons that students attend community higher, permit'due south go over how you can apply! Do as the Atlantic puffins do. Take things i stride at a time. As discussed above, almost community colleges are open enrollment, then they don't require as much documentation every bit do applications to 4-year schools. Every school I know of lets yous use online. Your beginning step, though, is deciding where to go. Since community colleges are open admission, yous don't have to ship applications to a few dissimilar safety, target, and reach schools as you would for other colleges. Instead, unless you're applying to an especially selective rails, y'all can figure out where you want to go and just utilise there. If your main business concern is staying close to dwelling, as it is for many students who will be commuting, then y'all may simply cull the school in the nigh convenient location. Most states have several community colleges; Massachusetts has fifteen in 24 locations, New York and Texas have over 30, and California has 113! Chances are, you shouldn't have too much problem finding local customs colleges. Of course, you besides want to make sure that the school has the plan(s) you lot want. Research its website, electronic mail the admissions office, keep a tour, and attend data sessions. These should be available throughout the year, and unremarkably, you can sign upwardly through the school's website. Simply go to the website and discover the "Visit The states" or "Information Session" page. That way you can make sure you find the best customs colleges with the programs and resources you lot need. The majority of college applicants are high school seniors, and most of the college application advice out there is aimed at them. But what do you do if yous don't fall into this narrow category? Our eBook on how to set up for and use to higher as a nontraditional educatee will walk you through everything you lot demand to know, from the coursework you should have under your belt to how to get letters of recommendation when you're not a loftier school senior. One time yous've figured out where to enroll, yous tin discover its online application. While many 4-year schools utilise the Common Application or Universal Application, most community colleges accept their own online awarding portals. A few states offer 1 organisation for all of their community colleges, such as California with its "CCCApply" site. Every college designs its ain website, merely most will accept a tab where you can click "Apply." Y'all tin see a few examples of the application pages of this northeast community college, Bunker Colina Community Higher, along with the Customs College of Philadelphia and Urban center Colleges of Chicago (annotation that the Chicago schools have you fill out an initial form and then send you lot a student ID number to fill out the rest). While they accept some differences in pattern, most customs college applications ask for the aforementioned details: your name, address, citizenship, residency, high school, and intended major. Near enquire for your overall goal, whether yous want to earn an Associate's degree or certificate, acquire personal or professional person skills, transfer to a 4-twelvemonth institution, or enter the workforce. If yous've already taken some college courses, and then you may be able to transfer credits. Additionally, these applications enquire if y'all're applying for fiscal aid. Your final footstep will be providing your electronic signature and hitting submit. As for when to employ for community college, most applications are candy within 24 to 48 hours, assuasive yous to enroll equally late as two weeks before the beginning of classes! I wouldn't recommend leaving your application this final infinitesimal, especially if you're applying for financial aid, only it's a nice support in case some other plans fall through. As you tin can see, you typically don't need to write essays, gather recommendations, or transport SAT / Human activity scores to community colleges. Generally speaking, the just document y'all need to provide from your high school is your diploma, GED, or transcript. Customs colleges want to encounter proof of past or upcoming high schoolhouse graduation. If you lot don't have your diploma from graduation nevertheless or a GED, you lot should send a copy of your transcript. This will testify your expected engagement of graduation and provide show that you're working toward fulfilling your high school requirements. Yous tin can get your transcript from your guidance counseling department. So you can upload it to your online application, post, or deliver it to the college in person. If you practice accept your diploma or GED, you usually don't need to send your transcript, except for the select programs with their own requirements. Yous tin can merely send one of those documents. If your school needs your ID, brand sure yours has a get-go proper name. If y'all're applying for in-state tuition, then you may need to provide proof of in-land residency. Students who have attended high schools in the same state every bit the community college for more than a year ordinarily don't need to send any further evidence. Your transcript will show that you lived and attended school in-state. If you didn't attend high schoolhouse in the state or the college asks for further documentation, you could ship a state driver'south license, local bank business relationship, vehicle registration, voter registration, or country or federal income taxes with in-land residential addresses. All of these should be dated at least a yr previous. If you lot're a dependent, and so the document you send should belong to a parent. If you're an contained, so information technology should vest to you. If you're non certain what steps you lot need to accept here, y'all should contact the community college to become their advice. Yous wouldn't desire to miss out on financial aid due to confusion with the application. The community college should contact you if there are whatever bug, but it's still worthwhile to exist proactive and ask them for guidance. Another important fiscal consideration is applying for federal financial assist with the FAFSA. Your timeline for this may really fall earlier than your application to community higher. The FAFSA awarding opens up on January i. As the U.S. Section of Teaching itself suggests, you should submit your FAFSA as early on equally possible "to ensure that you do not miss out on available aid." Financial assistance is another good reason to plan early for college. The FAFSA will ask you to list the colleges to which y'all're applying so it tin can transport them your calculated financial demand and estimated contribution. If you alter your plans, you can sign back in and add together a recipient. However, the smoothest plan is to list your customs college at the time y'all apply to FAFSA. In add-on to applying for federal financial help, yous might search for and apply to other external scholarships. There are all sorts of scholarships out there with unlike requirements, and then y'all might find 1 that seems fabricated merely for y'all! The new pupil orientation will give you a hazard to larn nearly the school, see new people, and not have to worry near forgetting anybody's name. As mentioned above, information technology'south a expert idea to attend a campus tour and an data session before you employ to learn more about your prospective schoolhouse. Many community colleges also hold orientations for new students. These ordinarily span a day or two and give you information near financial aid, placement testing, student and campus resources and policies, and bookish guidance. They may also accept you set up up a schoolhouse account and email address. If your school offers its own online portal, then yous'll probably do your class registration and other communication through that. One unique requirement of community colleges is their placement tests. Later on the college processes your application, you'll be invited to take placement tests to determine your level for math and English language classes. While you don't take to have the SAT or Human action to enroll, you may notice yourself exempt from these placement tests if you have a minimum SAT or ACT score. These vary from school to school, only tend to be around a 450 on Saturday Reading or a 47 on Human activity English and Reading combined. For math, schools usually desire to run across effectually a 450 on SAT math or a 22 on Deed math. Placement tests don't bear upon whether or not y'all get into customs college. Instead, they aid to determine what courses y'all should have in your first semester. It still may exist useful to review math and English cloth earlier taking them to make sure yous don't finish up in a form repeating much of what yous already learned in high schoolhouse. Your advisor's there to assist! By the time y'all run into with an counselor, y'all should be all set with enrollment and placement testing. Your advisor can talk to you about the classes yous desire to accept, also as give yous guidance virtually requirements and classes that could transfer credits to a 4-twelvemonth school, if that's in your plans. You lot can also ask her about opportunities outside of class, like cultural clubs, sports, linguistic communication groups, and support services. To make the most of this meeting, make sure to research classes and prepare questions. Finally, you'll register for your classes! Total-time students ordinarily take most 4 to v classes per semester. The first semester for first years tends to be highly structured, so you lot may non have a lot of choice with these first few classes. If your registration is delayed, double check that you lot've paid all your fees and provided all required documentation, like proof of immunization (required for all college students when they start as freshmen - and grad students as well, for that affair). Once yous've registered for classes, y'all're all done with the application process! It's time to settle in and get studying! At present that we've gone over the steps for how to employ for community college, is there anything else y'all tin do to get ready? To fully prepare, you must cross a mount range with aught but a walking stick and a backpack full of books. While you can technically apply to community college at the last minute, you lot'd be much amend off planning early on, like in the winter or leap of senior year. Spend some time researching local community colleges or out of state schools and their programs. Attend data sessions, go along a tour, and try to speak to current and former students about their experiences. You should clarify your reasons for attending and overall goals to make certain you lot're choosing the best classes and earning the credits you need. Part of this research may also involve learning nearly the community college'south joint agreements with state schools and other four-year schools to which you might ultimately use. While yous may not be sure exactly what 4-year higher you'll somewhen transfer to, you tin still work closely with your advisor to acquire well-nigh credit requirements and how and when to utilise to Bachelor'due south programs as a transfer student. As you nourish info sessions and meet with your advisor, make sure to prepare some questions nearly awarding requirements, class registration, and/or transfer agreements. By gathering all the data you need, you tin can brand the nearly of your time at community college to acquire, earn credits, and work toward your long-term academic and professional person goals. Are you also because iv-year colleges in addition to community colleges or but wondering what the application process is like? To learn more about the process, check out this consummate guide to applying to a 4-year college. Are you applying to college, but your GPA is lower than you'd similar? Don't be discouraged! Read this guide to acquire how to put together a strong college awarding despite lower than average grades. Colleges can get expensive, then yous want to be on the ball about financial aid. This comprehensive guide goes over everything yous need to know nigh applying for financial help, step past step. Desire to ameliorate your SAT score past 160 points or your Act score past iv points? We've written a guide for each test well-nigh the top 5 strategies you must be using to accept a shot at improving your score. Download it for gratis now: 
What Can Community Colleges Offering to Students?
Why Exercise Students Cull Community College?
To Get an Acquaintance's Degree or Professional person License
To Strengthen Their GPA
To Figure Out What They Want to Study
To Minimize the Financial Burden
How to Apply For Community College, Footstep by Step
Stride i: Decide Where to Utilise
Step 2: Fill Out and Submit Your Online Community College Application
Pace 3: Provide Your High School Diploma, GED, or Transcript
Pace 4: Provide Proof of Country Residency, If Applicable
Stride 5: Submit Your FAFSA
Step half-dozen: Attend a New Student Orientation
Stride 7: Take Placement Tests in Math and English language
Footstep 8: Meet With Your Counselor
Step 9: Annals for Classes
How Else Tin Yous Set for Community College?
What's Adjacent?
Rebecca graduated with her Main's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Educational activity. She has years of didactics and college counseling feel and is passionate nearly helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the Sat.
Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-apply-for-community-college
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