Do I have to go to a cc for 2 years to transfer?

Hi Brendan,

So there are a few of things to think about with your current situation.

First of all, please know that attending a community college is not a way to raise your high school GPA. Once you leave high school and start college, the GPAs are different, so it is like you are starting over again. Also, every university/college has their own rules on what defines a transfer student and you need to research these prior to deciding if you want to attend for one year or complete your associates degree (AA). Some colleges require high school records and college records if you have less than 45 transferable credit hours. My personal opinion is complete your AA, it will help you in the long run with future careers, especially if you have to work while in college.

Secondly, think about the cost of your education. Community colleges are typically cheaper than four-year institutions so you can save some tuition dollars by completing your AA degree first. Nearly every major has to take some amount of general education requirements so why pay higher tuition if you can get these courses out of the way at a lower cost.

Thirdly, think about transfer of credit. If you decide to go to a community college, I encourage you to go to one that has a built in articulation agreement with the college or university. You want to be certain the classes you take will transfer. Often students go to private for-profit community colleges, and there is nothing wrong with that, but then find out their courses may or may not transfer and they have wasted time and money. Talk to your university of choice and the community college to be sure the courses will be accepted.

Finally, you are still a junior and you have one more year of high school. Don't blow off your senior year. While it is exciting to be graduating soon there is still a lot of planning and preparation that you need to do to be successful in the next stage of your education. Take your courses seriously and still challenge yourself academically. You will find that being challenged now in high school will pay off in your future classes.

Best of luck in your educational endeavors!!

Dr. K.

Hi Brendan!

I have a suggestion that you can use while still in high school, which could have a positive effect on your college outcome. Since colleges and employers like to see people who can identify and solve problems, go to your school counselor to see if there is something that you can do to improve your GPA, such as learning how to have better study habits. If you can find a way to increase your GPA during the remainder of high school, you may very well increase your attractiveness to colleges.

Also, if you still are having a low GPA at the end of high school, many community colleges have special programs for people who have low GPA's to enable them to develop better study habits and increase their GPA to make them more attractive to 4 year colleges.

Also, talk to the teachers of courses in which you have a problem to see if the teachers have any suggestions about increasing your scores in their classes.

Send thank you notes to those who help you. Please keep me posted so i can track your progress.

I have known several people who went to a community college for a year or several semesters than transferred to a 4 year college. I was in the same boat from high school, however, I decided to stay at the community college for two years since it was so much cheaper then transferred to Georgia State University. I was on my own to pay for college..... so I had to work full time while attending school in order to pay for my degree. I chose to get my Associates Degree at the community college then transfer out. I wanted to have my two-year degree in order to get a better paying job while I attended school to get my Bachelor's. The better grades you get at the community college and the amount of courses you take will play a role in how quickly you can raise your GPA in order to get into ASU.

Another option might be to take night school classes while in high school or attend summer school to get additional classes and raise your G.P.A.

Hello!
I agree with many of the points above, most important being that you need to become an expert at what it will take to transfer to ASU

But I can add one other option: have you considered taking on of ASU's online freshman college courses? They have 10+ college level courses available FOR FREE, and you only have to pay for them once you complete the class successfully (about $600 per class). Since very few students are currently completing these courses, this will also help you stand out among all other applicants to ASU.

Here is the link to all the courses (scroll all the way down); I took the one on Human Evolution from Prof Don Johansson and really liked it.

https://www.edx.org/gfa

If you go for less than 2 years, or 24 credits, you'll be able to transfer credits but also have to meet their freshman requirements. If you wait until after 2 years, or 24 credits, you can go as a transfer student under those requirements - which can be easier to meet than freshman requirements. Also, it will likely be cheaper to do 2 years at the cc and save the higher cost for only the last 2 years.

This is from ASU's site - https://transfer.asu.edu/apply

To transfer to ASU, you must meet one of the following requirements:

graduated from high school

earned a GED

completed an associate degree or be in progress toward an associate degree

Questions about admission requirements or how to apply to transfer to ASU? Our transfer specialists will assist you with the admission process.

General University Transfer Admission Requirements

Transfer students must meet one of the following requirements*:

less than 24 transferable credit hours:

minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA and meet freshman aptitude requirements

24 or more transferable credit hours:

minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA

associate degree from a regionally accredited higher education institution with:

2.00 or higher cumulative GPA (residents)

2.50 or higher cumulative GPA (nonresidents)