Aaron
Should I go to a safety school for now (financial safety/school safety), and then transfer after 2 or 4 years?
I want to complete my general education/major requirements, so is going to a safety and relatively cheap school advisable? Thanks!
#college-transfer #college #college-admissions
8 answers
Jenny Gildon
Jenny’s Answer
There are quite a few factors to consider when making the choice about your first year in college.
1) What environment would you like to be in during your freshman year in college? For example, would you like to live in a dorm? Commute to school? What size school would you like to attend? How many students do you want in your classes? What distance do you want to be from your current home? What size city or town do you want to live in this first year of college? What type of diversity is important to you in your college choice? Do you want to go to a college with a specialization like a co-op college (both classroom and paid work opportunities as part of the curriculum), arts college, same-sex college, or block plan college (take only one class at a time for about three and a half weeks)?
2) Have you applied for different types of financial aid yet? Make sure to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), state aid, and lots of scholarships
3) How many opportunities do you want in your freshman year (both inside the classroom and outside of the classroom)? Consider things like class size, your ability to work directly with professors, internships, research opportunities, extracurricular activities, volunteer opportunities.
4) Do you have an idea of what you want to study/major in or are you still exploring those areas?
Your answer to these questions will help determine what will schools will be the best fit for you for your first year in college. The good news is that you can keep all of your options open until at least the May 1st Decision Deadline as long as you take the SAT or ACT at least once and stick to all of the college and financial aid application deadlines.
I recommend that you research, visit, and apply to any community colleges that you're excited about attending. You can apply to community colleges for free. You should also research, visit, and apply to any four-year colleges/universities that you think would be a good match for you. If you happen to receive free or reduced lunch at school and/or are part of any AVID or TRIO programs, you can apply for many four-year colleges for free. Here's an additional list of colleges that your can apply to for free, apply free with a fee waiver, or apply to for free within your state (http://bit.ly/Apply2CollegeFree). Many colleges will also allow you to apply for free if you've visited their campus or have met with an admissions counselor at a high school information session or college fair. If you have a College and Career Center at you high school, I recommend following up with the counselors in there and/or your academic counselor to help you narrow down the schools that might be the best fit for you. It will be easier to make a final decision (closer to May 1st), when you have the financial aid offers from all of the schools that you've applied to and can compare those offers side-by-side.
Jenny recommends the following next steps:
When considering ANY college, please consider the TOTAL cost of the program. Attending a community college for 2 years to complete general education courses WILL LOWER TUITION tremendously. When attending a University, the cost is MUCH higher. If staying in a dorm, you will pay dorm fees as well. Speak with a financial aid advisor at your local community college to see what grants and scholarships you may qualify for.
L. C. Terry
Good advice Jenny! I agree. I also think community college will likely be the most affordable option and an economical way to explore skill based education that could lead to industry certifications sooner than a traditional college bachelor’s degree. Keep in mind, skills pay bills so continue to explore where would the education lead you and what career options will be available once your educational goals have been met.
Ann Bergen
I'd also advise if you have access to earn college credit in HS or attend an IB program, that can help with the transition. AP classes are difficult in terms of workload but not the best example of a college course.
Jeffrey Peterson
Chantell Rivera
Chantell’s Answer
L. C. Terry
L. C.’s Answer
When considering ANY college, please consider the TOTAL cost of the program. Attending a community college for 2 years to complete general education courses WILL LOWER TUITION tremendously. When attending a University, the cost is MUCH higher. If staying in a dorm, you will pay dorm fees as well. Speak with a financial aid advisor at your local community college to see what grants and scholarships you may qualify for.
L. C. recommends the following next steps:
Part 2:
Really participate in class: ask questions (pertinent ones); when asked, offer answers - even if you are unsure; always participate in discussions. Finally, make it a point to get to know your professors during the semester and then ask them, well before the last days, if they would please write you a letter of recommendation. You can also help them and yourself by explaining what your plans are and, in some cases,, what you would like them to highlight. This way, they can tailor the letter to best suit your needs.
Dr. Sara Davis-Nies
Renata Emery
Renata’s Answer
LaTasha Stokes
LaTasha’s Answer
Dr. Sara Davis-Nies
Dr. Sara’s Answer
If your family can afford it, without it being a hardship, then it greatly opens up your choices.
If this is the case, you can select your college based on all of the fun and specific things: School Rating, Location, Program Offerings - Especially if you already know what you want to major in, Employment Rate of graduates, Extracurriculars and so on.
If you/your family is like the majority college is a huge financial "burden," though one that all parents want to take on if possible.
And while the Employment Rate/Annual Income of college graduates IS higher than their non-college grad counterparts - the gap has been shrinking for years! Also, depending on whose study you read, the difference in these numbers is staggering.
As well, students (and their families, sometimes to a lesser degree) who have taken out student loans are having A Lot of trouble paying them back because the post-grad job climate is radically different than in previous decades.
I am very much against large student loans unless your major is both specialized and in a high demand field. Even then, often the cost is too high for the reward: The "potential" of a living wage and saddled with crippling debt.
Unfortunately, the cost of higher education no longer automatically translates into finding a job in your field of choice (what you went to school "for.") and/or with a high enough salary to make a living wage.
That said, unless you are one of the few where money is not a factor, choosing the lowest cost/debt path is my recommendation. This includes looking for grants, scholarships and, of course, applying for FAFSA. And, yes, getting your pre-requisites at a two year school.
I went back to college in my 30's for a new degree and was able to cover all of my expenses with Federal Student Aid at a two year college. And, I had professors from USC, UCLA and other top schools. It's really unfortunate that two year schools have a "lesser than" stigma. There are great professors at Community/Jr. Colleges, like I experienced. And there are terrible ones at expensive private schools, which I also experienced!
I truly hope this information helps in your decision process! And where ever you end up, higher education is awesome, in and of itself, especially if it doesn't break you financially for years after graduation.
Dr. Sara recommends the following next steps:
Telegre M. Shipman MS.Ed, GCDF
Telegre M.’s Answer
Daniel Cuesta
Daniel’s Answer
College gets more expensive every year, so attending a safety school is a smart choice when you do not have scholarship money or if you've received a lot of admission offers without a financial aid package. So, yes, going to a safety school can typically help save you money, but it depends on a lot of details (for example, is the school close to home so you don't have to spend money on rent? Do the more "expensive/higher rank" school have better resources for you and your major than the safety school? Could you be wasting your time at a school where you don't belong?)
If you do plan to transfer, you will have to plan carefully. In general, your options are (1) enroll in a community college (they often have many staff and resources to help facilitate a smooth transfer), or (2) attend a larger 4-year university (usually a lower-ranked safety school) and then try to transfer at the end of your first college year (hard to do) or second year (a little easier).
College courses and other obligations will minimize your time, so you will need good time management and a good plan. But luckily, you already know that you want to transfer.
Daniel recommends the following next steps:
Great advice! Here's my follow-up:
Part 1: Definitely getting those letters of recommendation is huge. The way you earn them is being a memorable student -- Studies (and my own experience getting a 4.0+ every year) show that sitting in the front row can lead to better grades AND it will automatically make you more visible to your professors.
Dr. Sara Davis-Nies
Part 2:
Really participate in class: ask questions (pertinent ones); when asked, offer answers - even if you are unsure; always participate in discussions. Finally, make it a point to get to know your professors during the semester and then ask them, well before the last days, if they would please write you a letter of recommendation. You can also help them and yourself by explaining what your plans are and, in some cases,, what you would like them to highlight. This way, they can tailor the letter to best suit your needs.
Dr. Sara Davis-Nies
Make sure if you plan to transfer, that you look at the requirements first. In Georgia for example, credits don't always transfer from school to school. Traditionally, a school has to have a comparable course in order for the credit to transfer. Japanese doesn't always earn a credit at a school that only has Spanish and French, for example.
Jeffrey Peterson