anyone a pro with scholarship stuff?

[Chocolate Cake]

How many employers ask this? Really?

Not-a-One will ask if you stayed on campus

I am sure Happy Snowman just is confused.

 

[dragonrider2014]

Your dd is going fine and on a great path to a great future.
Now, if she as like my dd, doing DE and going to the local CC, then transferring to a 4 year University, she'd be screwed according to some

Yup, because no one successful has ever gone to a community college. After all, you have never heard of Tom Hanks, Ross Perot and George Lucas.

Oh, and to tie in with Disney, Al Weiss and Walt Disney.

 

[disykat]

A lot of really sensitive people here!

Obviously there are people with different opinions about what is best. Good grief!

 

[Schmeck]

Yup, because no one successful has ever gone to a community college. After all, you have never heard of Tom Hanks, Ross Perot and George Lucas.

Oh, and to tie in with Disney, Al Weiss and Walt Disney.

Actors - good ones don't even have to go to college.

Ross Perot - came from money, family had connections, that's why he was successful. I question why he went to a junior college? He was plugging for the naval academy (which he finally got)

George Lucas - impressive, but he didn't get into film studies until after he transferred from junior college and made lots of connections through his interest in car racing, not from junior college.

I think junior or community college is a great place for some students - they can have specific certification programs that other schools do not, are cost effective for those without the ability or desire to have loans, etc. If you are not sure what you want to do, then it certainly makes more sense to pay a little bit for some general courses than spend $$$ and still have no clue as to what to do with your life.

But to think that two years at CC is always equal to 2 years at a university is not true. Not all schools accept CC credit, nor should they. Not all community colleges are equal in their standards of education.

For scholarships, it's best to start at home - the school should have a master list of ones awarded at the school, and ones given by local businesses, churches, etc. Both of my daughters got huge "outside" scholarships from a local foundation in our town. Also, don't be shy at work, ask at your local bank (if you do banking there), go to the chamber of commerce and the rotary club too.

 

[dragonrider2014]

I used names that people would know but many successful business people and lots of politicians started in community college also.

Yes, not all community colleges are equal and not all states have made it easy for students to transfer to a four year institution. But I have worked at community colleges for years and know many students who have planned out their education and transferred with no issues and no extra time.

And community colleges do not equal a lesser education as some have inferred on here (and again, I will admit, it varies with institutions). In fact, the community college I where I work often has students referred to us for their math courses, not because they are easier but because the class size is smaller, allows for more interaction with the professor, has supplemental instruction and free tutoring.

 

[declansdad]

Not-a-One will ask if you stayed on campus

I am sure Happy Snowman just is confused.

She probably heard it on the golf course.

 

[Missy1961]

A lot of really sensitive people here!

Obviously there are people with different opinions about what is best. Good grief!

Of course not. But some posters will never see any other view but the view they think is best, and that's what people are reacting to.

 

[luvsJack]

That's a lot of bravado considering that your older son dropped out after a semester and your twins go to a mid-tier Midwest liberal arts school of absolutely no distinction. Before you judge people and make disparaging comments based on their child's choices, I'd suggest you think about how your children's lack of accomplishments reflect on you according to your own standards. Or to put it simply:

You're pointing your fingers at other, and 3 fingers are pointing back at you.

How do you know all this? The pp and I have disagreed many times about many things but this is a bit personal. And not really fair to her kids. They can be quite successful with no college or with a degree from a "mid level" school. Imo, insinuating otherwise is stooping to her level.

 

[disykat]

How do you know all this? The pp and I have disagreed many times about many things but this is a bit personal. And not really fair to her kids. They can be quite successful with no college or with a degree from a "mid level" school. Imo, insinuating otherwise is stooping to her level.

Much lower actually. Someone dares to have an opinion that unspecified community colleges that may be attended by unspecified posters aren't a good idea so it becomes okay to stalk her and very specifically insult her and her children?

 

[EMom]

I know a lot of people who went to a community college, then transferred to a 4 year university and are doing just fine. My best example? I know a self made billionaire who did just that. Yes, with a B.

BTW, no one asked him (or anyone else) whether he lived on campus when deciding to hire him. That is laughable.

 

[IDoDis]

One point I did want to also make is that I do think it is important to keep the end point in mind....getting a degree. Earning that degree will, hopefully, help them begin a long and successful (both monetarily and intrinsically) career.

If a kid comes out of college buried in debt to start it is very hard to start off their adult life on a strong financial footing.

Unfortunately, we know SO many families who insisted their was no other way to have a successful college career without living away. Well their kids have now graduated and moved BACK home because they can't afford to live on their own due to their loans.

People really need to take all this into consideration. There is a big difference in taking out a$20,000 loan versus winding up with $100,000 plus in debt when they graduate.

I literally just had a conversation with a friend who also has a DD graduating this year. She was so excited to tell me her dd received a scholarship to a private college in the next state. Her scholarship was for $6000 a year...but the school is $53,000 a year. She then tells me she will just have to do loans since nothing was saved. That is $180,000 in loans this kid might have...and she doesn't even have an idea of a major yet.

If they had a lot of money saved and could afford it, I say go for it if they want. But they don't and I actually feel bad for this kid. Not so sure that at 17 she really understands...since her mother doesn't seem to.

Well, that parent will be in for another surprise when she finds out her DD can only borrow $5500 in subsidized and unsubsidized student loans for her freshman year. The parent then has to apply for a Parent Plus loan for the rest. She must be credit-worthy and starting next year, parents have to go through "loan counseling" before they are approved. The parents will be on the hook for repayment of the Parent Plus loan should their DD not have the means to pay it back.

 

[NewRVLady]

I believe the OP of THIS thread, said on another college thread that she (the Mother) has a lot of college debt (recent)-wouldn't that effect the ability to take on more debt for her DD???

 

[SMD]

How do you know all this? The pp and I have disagreed many times about many things but this is a bit personal. And not really fair to her kids. They can be quite successful with no college or with a degree from a "mid level" school. Imo, insinuating otherwise is stooping to her level.

I was responding to a sock puppet for a previously banned user. She was also banned from another board I used to post on, and has a new sock puppet there too. I remember her personal details because she's been aggressively sharing them for years. I think she's playing dumb now to avoid getting banned again, but it's her.

 

[SC Minnie]

If you go to CC then transfer your degree does not have an asterisk. Your degree will say from XYZ University. Most people list on their resume the school where they graduated and their degree. Unless you told them there is no way a potential employer would know, or care for that matter, that you went to another school before the one that gave you the diploma. All the employer cares about is the degree and which school is came from.

I've interviewed a number of recent grads for jobs here and we've never asked if the person lived on campus or at home with mom and dad. Maybe we should add that to the interview questions since it seems to be so important.

 

[luvsJack]

I was responding to a sock puppet for a previously banned user. She was also banned from another board I used to post on, and has a new sock puppet there too. I remember her personal details because she's been aggressively sharing them for years. I think she's playing dumb now to avoid getting banned again, but it's her.

Oh, yes, I know who she is. The. . . uhmmm. . . let's just say "style" of posting is very much the same as it used to be. I see, she gave the information on another board. That makes sense and really makes me feel better. I was thinking like major detective work or something, LOL! I guess if she is sharing the information, then the fact that its brought out is on her.

 

[SMD]

If you go to CC then transfer your degree does not have an asterisk. Your degree will say from XYZ University. Most people list on their resume the school where they graduated and their degree. Unless you told them there is no way a potential employer would know, or care for that matter, that you went to another school before the one that gave you the diploma. All the employer cares about is the degree and which school is came from.

I've interviewed a number of recent grads for jobs here and we've never asked if the person lived on campus or at home with mom and dad. Maybe we should add that to the interview questions since it seems to be so important.

I just applied for a job, where they gave me an application and asked for all schools attended and units earned. It was kind of awful, because I did concurrent enrollment at the local CC in high school. And I went to a local school for summer school 4 times so that I could come home for the summer. I also had both quarter and semester units. Meanwhile they only wanted a 10 year work history. I did get all of the info together, but I was kind of grumbling to myself that they should be more interest in my work history that's 12-13 years ago instead of some classes I took almost 20 years ago.

Edited to add:
And I didn't even get an interview out of that application. I supposed I could be happy that I at least have everything collected now, but I can't imagine I'm ever going to be asked for all of that again.

 

[Koh1977]

Most scholarships are for those in the 4.0 and higher....would not count on it

I was slightly exaggerating
OP's DD has almost a 3.2-to me that isn't in the leagues of top kids all applying for scholarships


My brilliant nephew attended a High School for gifted kids 10-12th grade-all started with 4.0-all got into Ivy Leagues & Top Tier Universities, and even he only got a little scholarship $$ (he was one of the top 5 grads and had 35 out of 36 on his ACT)...now at Carnegie Mellon studying computer robotics and artificial Intelligence


Has she taken the ACT or SAT? This should be done THIS SPRING!!

I hate to say it, but your brilliant nephew was competing with all those other 4.0 kids to get into an Ivy League school so no, there probably wasn't a whole lot for everyone. But I'm assuming the OP DD is not planning on an Ivy League school. Local scholarships are probably the best bet. Talk to the guidance counselor at the school. If she knows what she wants to major in or do as a profession, they have a lot of organizations that give scholarships for those things. Where you work, where she works (if she has a part-time job), your church, if she's a minority, etc. Yes, they are based on test scores and GPAs, but the essay that most require is just as important, as is being well-rounded and NOT just about the books, but also involved in school, community, church, etc.

 

[NewRVLady]

I just applied for a job, where they gave me an application and asked for all schools attended and units earned. It was kind of awful, because I did concurrent enrollment at the local CC in high school. And I went to a local school for summer school 4 times so that I could come home for the summer. I also had both quarter and semester units. Meanwhile they only wanted a 10 year work history. I did get all of the info together, but I was kind of grumbling to myself that they should be more interest in my work history that's 12-13 years ago instead of some classes I took almost 20 years ago.

Edited to add:
And I didn't even get an interview out of that application. I supposed I could be happy that I at least have everything collected now, but I can't imagine I'm ever going to be asked for all of that again.

Can I ask who that employer was -just generally-a retail store, accounting office etc?
I have never heard of such detailed questioning on your college classes!wow

 

[Colleen27]

Yes, not all community colleges are equal and not all states have made it easy for students to transfer to a four year institution. But I have worked at community colleges for years and know many students who have planned out their education and transferred with no issues and no extra time.

And community colleges do not equal a lesser education as some have inferred on here (and again, I will admit, it varies with institutions). In fact, the community college I where I work often has students referred to us for their math courses, not because they are easier but because the class size is smaller, allows for more interaction with the professor, has supplemental instruction and free tutoring.

It really depends on the school. Our CC is excellent at what it does, serving mostly kids who wouldn't otherwise go on to higher education and displaced blue collar workers training for a career change, but I wouldn't consider it a good alternative for a bright kid capable of going directly to a four-year university. The courses simply aren't on the same level (and if they were, that would undermine the school's success with less academically talented groups) and the financial aid issues others have raised are real. There is no merit aid for transfers at many schools, and even with two years at the CC it can take more than two to finish a four-year degree after transfer if the university imposes requirements the CC doesn't or if the pre-req structure limits the usefulness of the first semester post-transfer. I ran into both of these situations myself - I needed a fine arts and a foreign language course for my BA that my CC didn't require for an AA so I am stuck paying upper-division tuition rates for two freshman-level courses, and all of the coursework in my major and related minor share a common pre-req that can't be transferred in. I guess that dovetailed okay because having the additional gen-ed requirements still to complete kept my first semester from being a choice between making the commute just for one class vs taking classes I didn't need, but either way it means I'm going to need five semesters, not four, to finish.

I think community colleges fill a real need, but that the promotion of the CC path as a universal solution for every family concerned about paying for college is a bit short sighted and dismissive of some important aspects of making a good college choice.

 

[luvsJack]

It really depends on the school. Our CC is excellent at what it does, serving mostly kids who wouldn't otherwise go on to higher education and displaced blue collar workers training for a career change, but I wouldn't consider it a good alternative for a bright kid capable of going directly to a four-year university. The courses simply aren't on the same level (and if they were, that would undermine the school's success with less academically talented groups) and the financial aid issues others have raised are real. There is no merit aid for transfers at many schools, and even with two years at the CC it can take more than two to finish a four-year degree after transfer if the university imposes requirements the CC doesn't or if the pre-req structure limits the usefulness of the first semester post-transfer. I ran into both of these situations myself - I needed a fine arts and a foreign language course for my BA that my CC didn't require for an AA so I am stuck paying upper-division tuition rates for two freshman-level courses, and all of the coursework in my major and related minor share a common pre-req that can't be transferred in. I guess that dovetailed okay because having the additional gen-ed requirements still to complete kept my first semester from being a choice between making the commute just for one class vs taking classes I didn't need, but either way it means I'm going to need five semesters, not four, to finish.

I think community colleges fill a real need, but that the promotion of the CC path as a universal solution for every family concerned about paying for college is a bit short sighted and dismissive of some important aspects of making a good college choice.

Again, you have to keep in mind (and so should any high school senior and his/her parents) that not all community colleges are the same and every state has their own community college system. So they need to check out the one THEY will attend. We have students that transfer from here every year and do received merit scholarships. According to US News, 75% of 4 years schools do give merit aid to transfer students. We have a student that graduated last year (from our small campus) and is now at Columbia on scholarship. This young man started in our free GED program (we are quite proud of him).

Community college students do not need to just look at "what it takes to get an AA". They need to look at their Bachelor's program and work from THAT. That eliminates part of the issue you had. Not all transfer students have to actually graduate with an AA, (shhhh, don't tell our students, we WANT them to actually graduate) they can just take what they need to and transfer on. Or they can take more than the AA requires and then transfer. Or they can simply get their AA and transfer. They just have to know what is best for their route of education.

You are right that its not a universal solution but it is one that many should look at.A huge number of our students (mostly on our main campus) are kids that can and do get accepted into many 4 year schools. Some don't feel ready, some want to be a part of the school's athletics or theater/choir programs. Some get more aid at a cc so its financially the better choice. In many, many places CC is not just vo-tech or a place for kids who don't get in to a 4 year and its sad that too many dismiss it as such and spend 2-3 times the money on classes that can and do transfer.