Getting Accepted into College

How hard is it to get into college? What will I need to do to get into without financial aid from my parents and without a scholarship? Right now, im very worried because Im failing Geometry, and I really want to know if that could effect my entry. (Im in the 10th grade right now, by the by).

Community College takes every one who gives them money.

Take the SAT I and II, take your intro courses at a community college and the like. Just make sure they offer something you want to do.

What are the differences in experience between community and other kinds of colleges?

Well one big difference is connections. If you go to a big college, companies from all over the country will be recruiting there. There will be tons of professors who want to hire you for research positions. I imagine that that kind of thing doesn't happen much at community colleges.

Can i still take the main college route? I imagine Id want to take something Englsih related (writing or Journalism), so my math grades wont matter that much, will they?

Why don't you apply and see?

Assuming your system works like mine did and you get 6 preferences, put down your dream place first, even if you don't think you'll get into it.

In America there's no place where you put down a list of preferences. You have to apply to each college individually, and you can apply to as many or as few as you want. (Limited of course by how much energy you're willing to spend on writing endless application essays, how much you're willing to pay in application fees, etc.)

In my case I applied to two places and partially filled out applications to two others, but didn't feel like finishing them. But that's because I'm a perfectionist and take over a month to write each essay. Anyway, I'm happy at the one I got into.

I've heard stories of people who've applied to as many as a dozen different colleges, although that seems highly excessive to me.

edited 14th Dec '10 7:10:01 AM by storyyeller

Be very careful about what colleges you choose, though. Be aware that if you pick a big college, lecture halls and professors who care more about their tenure projects than teaching you will have a higher chance of existing.

If I had to do everything all over I would either 1) take my first two years at community college and then go on to bigger, better colleges knowing that I had all my lecture-hall classes done with or 2) go to Duke.

WHY DIDN'T I GO TO DUKE?! I HAD AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER. God I'm such an idiot!!!

All in all, many state colleges have a sliding scale of acceptance. The higher your gpa is, the lower your SAT/ACT score can be and visa versa. If you go to an in-state college you're also more likely to get scholarships and financial aid, not to mention you don't have to pay out-of-state tuition.

Edit: Also, all schools have job fairs. Yes, even community colleges. Large colleges may have bigger companies explicitly recruiting, but there is no shortage of job offers at smaller ones.

edited 14th Dec '10 8:26:55 AM by Bur

Most community colleges don't give out 4-year degrees. You'll have to attend for 2 years and then transfer to a 4-year college.

BTW, what do you mean by no financial assistance from your parents and no scholarship? You have to pay for college somehow.

That sounds sucky. I'm sorry.

edited 14th Dec '10 1:26:21 PM by jewelleddragon

Actually, I wasnt really clear, sorry, but some of my other relatives may be able to help with that. But my mother and father cannot, what with my mom being jobless and psychotic and my dad having his money sucked up by child support payments to my mom (theyre divorced).

Are you intending to work before/during college to help pay for tuition fees? Are you intending to live at home to reduce rent/food costs?

Other than that, you're better off talking with individuals more familiar with the American acceptance system. Canada is... ridiculously simple and run through the government :P

Im planning on working during, and I dont know where I will live. Which one would be more expensive?

Living at home is always cheaper. That way, your parents cover your rent and food and utilities, and you don't have to worry about them. All the money you make can go towards future tuition payments, basically.

Of course, there's other things to think about. For one thing, not everyone is lucky to have a college within their hometown. I'm lucky in that I can live at home because there's a great university here. On the other hand there can be disadvantages. It takes anywhere from 40 mins to an hour to commute every morning, so I'm jealous of all the kids who live on campus and can just roll out of bed and go to class. XP

Living on campus may also be more expensive than living off campus, if you're not going to be living at home. Finding roommates helps because it can cut costs. But you have to worry about cooking your own meals, which is something you don't have to think about when you live in a residence.

And always remember, working and being a student simultaneously is fucking stressful. ridiculously so. I really wish I could stop but I'm depending on my paychecks every month, so I can't.

From what I've heard, the workload in a two year college may be smaller than in a four year college. So you may be able to handle a job in one but not the other, it really just depends.

If you're at a community college, there's no requirement to take a full class load; you could take one class a quarter if you wanted to (of course, if you take fewer classes, it'll take you that much longer to graduate; plus it can be difficult to get into the classes you want). And classes are *really* cheap; like $100 a class or something.

It's a bit of a catch-22 since you will only need a job badly if you go to a 4-year college, but at a 4-year college. Either way, an in-state public school sounds like the way to go.

edited 14th Dec '10 9:33:42 PM by jewelleddragon

How much would college cost for four years? The regular kind, not Community. Oh, and should I start working now to get job experience? In two months I will be 16....

By the time I stopped going MU it was about $13,000 a year, I think, for tuition, room and board, books, etc.

Edit: It's always hard to gauge what four years of college will cost because the cost can vary so wildly. I just looked up MU and estimated yearly cost is $13,450 for state residents, $19,030 for out-of-state residents. I also looked up KU (a better school, depending on who you ask) and it's in-state is $7,376 and out-of-state $18,404.

The only thing you can guarantee is that the extra out-of-state costs will be substantial.

Also, it's always better to start work sooner rather than later. Even if you're just sacking groceries or flipping burgers that's something you can put on your application (for a job or college) to show you are a responsible person. Not to mention, the sooner you start the more money you can save up.

edited 14th Dec '10 10:31:09 PM by Bur

Depends on the university and where you live. I get in-state tuition for the UC system, and I get to pay $12,000 a year.

Man, your tuition fees are crippling :P

You'd pay that as a visa student here.

Damn, I paid more than 15k but that was the whole package, room board and everything.

In Pennsylvania the state school tuitions range approximately from 5k to 12k.

It's 'cause students aren't influential enough to get funding. The prison guards' union, however, is. So we get budget cuts, and the money to pay all the UC employees has to come from somewhere.

What kind of job would I have to get to be able to help with paying? And should I get a job now, when I become 16(two months; yay), so I can get the work experience?

Yes, do so right now, if you can find something. If you're having trouble finding a job, volunteer instead and then keep looking. Volunteer experience looks good on a resume.

For one thing, you'll be able to put money away for tuition, another, you'll have extra cash to spend which is nice.

Also, the one mistake people make is not starting early enough. It's hard to get hired without experience. But it's more understandable when you're 16 than when you're 20.

Also, the kind of job doesn't really matter, as long as it pays. Maybe you'll start out pushing carts in the parking lot of a grocery store, but then they'll make you cashier and once you have experience with cash you can apply at some nicer retail store, like a clothing store. Fast food always works, they have a high turnover rate and they're always looking for people. Mc Donalds prides itself on hiring people with no experience, and even though it's not the best place to work it's a starting point. Unfortunately all these places pay minimum wage, but if you do a good job and stay somewhere long enough you may be able to expect a raise.

edited 19th Dec '10 6:39:08 AM by Nika-senpai