By Carly Gaspari
Theme Editor
According to Mira Costa’s College and Career Center, the majority of graduating Costa students attend a four-year university. However, the prevalence of four-year universities means that many students overlook the option of attending a community college.
On Jan. 8, President Barack Obama proposed a plan to make the first two years of community college free, with funding from both the state and the federal governments. According to the White House, this proposal would save community college students an annual amount of $3,800.
“I think that making the first two years of community college free will give people who normally cannot pay for school a chance to learn and get a paying job, just like the people who have the ability to pay for school,” junior Macy McKeegan said.
Even though community colleges still require applications, admissions requirements are far less rigorous than those of a traditional four-year college. Because community college applications do not require SAT/ACT testing scores, grades or essays, community college acceptance rates are generally higher than acceptance rates at traditional colleges.
“There is a college-going culture at Costa, and I think some students have the perception that if they attend community college, it will be viewed as negative by their peers for some reason,” College and Career Center counselor Caryn Ramirez said. “However, attending a community college not only saves a lot of money, but it can also allow students to start over academically from high school.”
When applying to a four-year college as a transfer student from a community college, applicants do not have to report high school grades or test scores. Therefore, performing well in community college enables students to start from scratch and possibly increase their chances of attending their originally-desired four-year university.
“I think community college is sometimes overlooked by students at Costa because students want the experience of going away to college right out of high school,” Ramirez said. “Going to community college would delay moving away for at least two years. I think most students at Costa are ready to move away at the same time as their peers, many of whom leave home right after high school.”
Depending on what university a student wishes to transfer to, there are different requirements. If a student plans to transfer from a two-year community college to a University of California (UC) or a California State University (CSU) school, he must complete general education requirements, which are known as Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, or IGETC. These requirements include 30 semester UC-transferable units, and one must have attended a community college in California immediately before transferring to a UC school.
“I think that it’s nice that community college gives people a chance to start fresh after high school if they didn’t receive the grades that they had hoped for,” junior Candace Cameron said. “The possibility of transferring into their preferred university is great motivation to work hard.”
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