There is some important community college information that you should confirm before going to a community college. Taking the time to double check these attributes can save you plenty of time and money down the road. In fact, they could be the difference between an acceptance or rejection from an Ivy League university. So, they are very important attributes of any 2 year community college.
While the best community colleges have most of these attributes, some don't have them all and you'll have to decided what is most important for you. (Although, I will chime in with which I think are most crucial). Remember, by tracking down this information, you could be saving yourself a lot of stress, time wasted and money down the drain.
Information You Must Confirm
Before attending a community college, you'll want to verify that you community college is:
- An accredited community college
- Offerring honors programs
- Maintaing articulation agreements
- Creating industry partnerships
Without double-checking these attributes, you might be getting yourself into trouble. In the following sections, you'll get an idea of the importance for each one of these attributes that are so very important.
Community College Accreditation
If the college is an accredited community college, it means that it has been recognized by an accreditation agency that confirms that the community college education that is being provided is up to standards set by the Department of Education. In short, it means that the community college credits you'll be paying for are legitimate.
Can you imagine attending a community college and paying for credits that were not recognized nationally by other community colleges or universities? You don't have to actually imagine it. It would be pretty bad. So make sure that any community colleges you're considering are fully accredited.
Community College Honors Programs
If you're a poor student or a top student, be sure to check if the community college offers an honors program. Even if you don't meet the initially requirements to get in the honors program, most good community colleges will let you join the honors program after taking class your first semester (and doing well of course). Not to mention, having a community college honors program on campus means that:
- You'll have the option to get in (if you're not trying to, then what are you doing?)
- Quality of education is emphasized and provided at higher level
- Faculty are ready to challenge students
- The community college has better relationships with top universities
Checking for community college honors programs is important because some students don't realize they could have joined until it's too late! And they miss out on the chance to transfer from community college to Ivy League universities.
Community College Articulation Agreements
Articulation agreements are established agreements that the community college has with universities to ensure which courses transfer for full credit. The more articulation agreements the community college has, the better it is for you! Articulation agreements are especially helpful when you already know what university you would like to transfer to because it can tell you exactly which classes you should take in community college.
If you don't take out the time to investigate articulation agreements, you could miss the chance to transfer courses easily or save time to complete your bachelor's degree.
Partnerships With Local Business & Industry
The community college's relationships with local business is most important for students who are pursuing work directly after graduating from community college. If you're planning on going to community college then university, then this is only important if you're looking for internships in community college (or maybe a part-time job).
Community colleges that have partnerships will local business and industry will be able to offer you employment opportunities and make the job search process a heck of a lot easier.
Be sure to check out the programs and information available in the "career center" or job placement office at the community college. The department usually has their own section on the community college website too.
Now You're Ready
Using these four attributes, you should be able to choose a community college and get on your path to go from community college to Ivy League! If you're already at community college, you should be more confident if you school checks out against this community college information.
Do you think I missed any important attributes? Or did I get them all? Let me know in the comments below! And pretty please, share this post if it helped you 🙂