College Readiness
Written & Researched By Nataly Meza
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Is college right for me?
It's important for us as students to understand that not going to college does not mean failure. There are many jobs you can acquire without a college degree where you can obtain a high position simply by working hard and showing extraordinary skills. Secondly, it is absolutely not required that all high school graduates dive into a 4-year university. Many students take what is named "Gap Years", which is simply the term used for a time in between studies used for any reason varying from saving up money or just taking a mental break.
Degree Majors & Minors
Majors
In college or before, you will decide on a degree major. This is the area of study you are committing to. Once you decide what this is, you take core classes that contribute to learning about different areas of your major. For example, if a student decides on their major to be biology, they make take classes such as genetics, cell biology, physiology, and such. In the diagrams I created below, you can view examples of the major, and core classes being put into perspective.
We can think of our major as the umbrella, and the core classes we register for in college, as the topics that fall under this area of study.
We can also think of our major as our tree, and the core classes we choose to do as the branches that make up & relate to this large topic.
Minors
Lastly, minors are simply extra specialties you can choose to add to your degree. This can be a language, communications, or another second large topic related to your major. Minors will also appear on your degree diploma. Examples:
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Major in Engineering with a Minor in Robotics
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Major in Economics with a Minor in Accounting
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Major in Speech Pathology with a Minor in Spanish & so on.
Degree Levels
Degree levels are determined by how many years in college/university you spend studying your major/minor.
Associates Degree
-You've studied for 2 years
-Granted by community college or university
Bachelors Degree
-You've studied for 4 years
-Granted by a college or university
Masters Degree
-You've studied for 6 years (2+ after obtain Bachelors)
-Requires research
-Granted by college or university
Doctors Degree (PhD)
-You've studied typically around 8 years in total
-Highest Level of Degree
-Granted by university/college
Community College vs University/College
Community college is an important path any student can take into preparing themselves for a 4-year university or the general workforce. Degrees at a community college take 2 years to complete whilst those at a 4-year university take 4 years. No matter what college or university you choose to go to, community or not, all students are required to complete general education classes. These classes are basic requirements such as math and more. This means if you choose to go to a 4-year university, you will spend 2 years completing your general education classes before you can truly dive into completing classes directed towards your major. Some students choose to complete these first 2 years at a community college to then apply to a 4-year university and complete their remaining two years. This then allows students to graduate and obtain a Bachelor's degree. If you wish to obtain a master's degree or higher, you then reapply to a university to then complete more years of study.
Should I go straight to a 4-year or go to community college?
When it comes to deciding what's best for you it is important to assure yourself that both choices have pros and cons and both are great choices. I've created a list of pros and cons to both a community college and a 4-year university.
Pros of Community College
1. Tuition & Fees
The first pro is the price of tuition and other fees. Community college is significantly less costly and provides much more financial support and assistance. Community college tuition is at an average of &1,300 whilst a university is at an average of $16,000.
2. More Time for a Job & Money Saving
The second pro is that community college has a flexible schedule meaning students are given more time for a job to save up money or to spend on other project/priorities.
3. More time for Education Planning
Lastly, community college is a great way to explore what you want your major to be and what your plans for the future truly are. Community college provides a large variety of classes you may take allowing you to explore fields.
Cons of Community College
1. Degree & Curriculum
The first con is that you cannot obtain a higher than an associate's degree from a community college. If you plan to strive for higher pay and position in a field, it is better to obtain a degree of a level higher than associates since it is the lowest you can acquire.
2. College Workload Preperation
The second con is that community college has a slightly lighter workload. It is important that this is not meaning it is significantly larger and you are receiving a notably lower education. Community college is still great preparation to what a private college will be like.
3. College Campus Experience
Community college campuses can have a very different social life in comparison to a private college. This means if college is an important experience & priority for you then it is important to know community college may not be what you expect.
Pros of Private College/University
1. Student Involvement
The first pro is student involvement. Unlike community colleges, private colleges are not open to just anyone and not everyone has the chance. This means your peers want to be there and worked to get there. This is great if you work best with competition and student involvement is a priority for you as a student.
2. Future Salary
The second pro is that if you successfully complete 4 years of college or more, you will obtain a degree. With this degree, you will have a higher salary than without and universities look great on resumes and can make finding a job easier.
3. College campus & experience
Lastly, a private college is more likely to give you the experience of living in a dorm and overall social campus life.
Cons of Private College/University
1. Tuition & Fees
The first con is that private college is significantly more expensive. Annual tuition is at an average of $16,000. Annual means per year, meaning this amount paid x4. Many students struggle from debt due to loans and interest rates that come from the struggle of paying off this quantity.
2. Demanding Schedule
The second con is a demanding and rigorous schedule. If you are a student who struggles with time management, you are bound to struggle at college. Private college classes have a large workload given by professors. Studying time is an important factor as well, and college work will occupy much of your day & time.
3. More time for Education Planning
Lastly, it is more likely to be welcome at any time to go to your local community college. In contrastingly, at a private college, you have to pay an application fee and then wait to be accepted. These acceptance rates vary from college to college and I will attach a last of a list.
Important Lists
How To Make College List
In building a college list you need to find colleges for three different categories.
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Safeties
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Dream Schools
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Obtainable
What are Safeties? Acceptance Rates: Around 70% -100%
Safeties are the colleges that have high acceptance rates. These are colleges you are likely to get into in order to secure that you will be accepted into a college. Being accepted at least to one university is important to some students. To minimize complete rejection from your entire list, it's great to apply to safe schools you will likely be able to attend.
What are Dream Schools? Acceptance Rates: Around 5%-25%
Dream schools are universities you DREAM to attend. These schools may have very low acceptance rates or costly tuitions, but at times this opportunity can be absolutely worth it. You as a student will never know if you could have attended these dream schools UNLESS you apply. It is important to note that these schools should take up the least amount of your applied schools. These are simply for the sake of "shooting your shot".
What are Obtainables? Acceptance Rates: Around 30%-65%
Obtainable are schools that you have a chance to attend with your grades & stats. These schools have middle acceptance rates and can be costly. These schools are universities you have a valid chance to be accepted into as long as you continue to work had and follow requirements. These are different from safeties because they are considered the middle ground and are more competitive.
Important Factors and Points to Analyze in picking colleges onto your list:
Majors: Do they have the major you want to study? Is it taught well? (Always read reviews or go onto these colleges' Instagrams and look through their following. In their following they at times have students, this gives you a chance to spot a friendly face and ask personally for their opinion & input about the school.)
Clubs & Activities: A large part of college is engagement, the best way to make friends is through clubs and activities. The more involved students are at college the more likely it is for you to involve yourself in friendly clubs or even educational clubs to help you in your classes.
Dorm & Living: It is important to look at how well these universities keep their dorms clean and safe. This is where you will be living for 4+ years! It matters. If you plan not to live on campus, it is still as important to look into the pricing in the city/area/ How is the rent? Is the city safe?
Acceptance Rates: Acceptance rates are the number of applicants that are accepted. If one is too low for your liking, don't apply, if one is too high and you want a challenge look for a university with a lower one!
Pricing/Tuition: Tuition is the amount of money you pay each semester for classes and education. Other important costs are books, some colleges allow you to rent or buy these and they can range from $50-$200 or more. This is the amount you may need to pay, but it's important to always sign up for FAFSA and scholarships. FAFSA is a program that provides students with financial aid, this is money given to you by the state that you do NOT need to pay back. The amount you recieve falls on your academic performance and your family income.
College Application Fee: Some students are applying to college on a budget. When you apply to college the application to apply , costs money. Its important to set a budget for how much you are willing to spend on college applications, and then choose your colleges, below are some prices for univeristies! :
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ATTENTION: Every UC (University of California) & CSU (California State University) Has a fee of $70( $80 for international and non-immigrant applicants)
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There is also application fee waivers you can apply to that allow for this price to go down or for the application to be completely free! Here are some waivers you can apply to as long as you fit all requirements:
When it comes UC colleges, you will be told on the application process if you are eligible so you dont necessarliy need to fill out a fee waiver for UC Colleges on your list. When you get to the "About You" Section you will be required to put your family size and income, if you are eligible for a fee waiver, a message will appear letting you know how many you can apply to at no cost. Usually most fee waivers cover only up to FOUR colleges, and the rest you will need to pay the fee for.