One secret to finding the right college is to look beyond the most popular schools that everyone you know is applying to and then to think outside of the box. Are there other colleges in your area? Before you start shaking your head because these “other” colleges aren't what you had in mind, at least do a little research. Look at their sites online, and check out the profiles at the end of this book. You can't say you don't like a place until you have enough information to know if you like it (otherwise known as innocent until proven guilty!).
Some schools that may be more open to B students include these:
career-oriented colleges
community colleges
all men's colleges
all women's colleges
very small colleges
Don't Overlook Community College
For many students, one of the best options remains the local community college. Yeah, you still have to live in your hometown, and most likely, still at home with your family, but you benefit from a good education while saving some big bucks for the future or for transferring to a four-year college. Community colleges are more open to students with B or C averages than some four-year institutions, so they can be a great solution for you.
But hey, you've heard some rumors about community colleges, right? You've heard them called everything from “Only Chance College” to “Harvard on the Highway.” Like everything else, community colleges have a few myths surrounding them, and—here's a real surprise—most of them just aren't true. For instance:
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACTS
Here are some of the current stats on community colleges, thanks to the helpful people at the American Association of Community Colleges (www.aacc.nche.edu):
| Public institutions | 992 |
| Private institutions | 96 |
| Tribal institutions | 35 |
| TOTAL | 1,123 |
12.4 million students currently enrolled
7.4 million for credit and 5 million for non-credit
| 46% of all U.S. undergraduates | |
| 41% of first-time freshmen | |
| 57% women; 43% men | |
| 61% part time; 39% full time | |
| 52% of African American undergrads | |
| 57% of Hispanic undergrads | |
| 43% of Asian/Pacific Islander undergrads | |
| 61% of Native American undergrads |
Average tuition and fees: $3,347, and 58% of students receive some kind of financial aid.
More than 750,000 associate degrees
More than 450,000 two-year certificates
A degree from a community college is not as good as a university degree.That just doesn't make any sense. An apple is an apple. A degree is a degree. You did the work and earned the diploma. Is it the same thing as a degree from Harvard? Okay, maybe not, but most of the time it will still get you through the front door and into the job.
The people who go to community college couldn't get in anywhere else.Not true. Students go to community college for a variety of reasons. Maybe it is more convenient and less expensive for some people because it allows them to keep working, giving them a chance to save money while providing a quality education that sometimes may even serve as a stepping stone to a traditional college.
The faculty at community colleges is inferior to that of four-year institutions.The faculties and staff at community colleges and other colleges are quite comparable. They both have their degrees and years of experience to share with you.
The credits from a community college will not transfer to other colleges.This is a myth. Credit hours from community colleges transfer in the same way that credit hours from four-year universities do.
Since community colleges cost so much less, they can't be any good.Community colleges are fine institutions. The difference in tuition can be due to many reasons, but it is mainly because community colleges do not have the incredible overhead that residential colleges have.
In 2004, the American Association of Community Colleges conducted a survey to see what the hottest programs at these colleges were. The survey found that the top five fields to study were allied health (46.6 percent), skilled trades/industrial, public services, information technologies and business.
The most important thing any student can do when searching for a college is to keep an open mind. When I make recommendations to students for a college, sometimes they say, “I haven't heard of that one so it must not be any good.” They have this concept that only the ones mentioned in the papers are decent. It drives me crazy! You have to take the time to decide what YOU want from a school and then start choosing possibilities. Find a school that fits YOU and not the other way around. Look outside the box.
Also, please take the time to really understand financial aid as part of the college puzzle. The topic is near and dear to me because I grew up with a middle class background and I could not afford the state school. You do not want to graduate with $50,000 in college loans.
—Todd Johnson, College Admissions Partners
Go, Team, Go!
Remember that choosing a college is not usually an individual choice. Instead, it takes a team of people all working together, including your teachers, advisers, guidance counselors, principals, coaches and family members. You need help with a decision this big, because it is a complex one.
There are so many colleges that accept B students that it is important for you to consider several different elements when you start your search. Ask yourself these questions:
What kind of student am I now, and what are my career plans for the future?
What parts of school do I like the best and least now?
What does the idea of success actually mean to me?
Where do I see myself in two years? Five years? Ten years?
What part of the country appeals most to me?
Do I want a small, intimate college or a bustling, exciting university?
What percentage of males and females would be ideal for me?
What is the cost and how much financial aid does each school offer?
What are the most popular majors and is mine on that list?
Do I want to be involved in a sorority/fraternity?
Will I have any scholarships or grants that affect where I can go?
Do I want a philosophical or religious college?
You may not know the answers to all these questions yet. Many of them will only come after you have taken some tours, read your research and talked to your team. Giving them some thought now, however, will give you a head start.
A COLLEGE WHOSE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN
The core philosophy of the community college in America can be captured in the phrase “access and excellence.” Community colleges, like all institutions of higher education, struggle to be excellent. But when it comes to “access,” there is no struggle at all; community colleges are the access institutions of the 21st century.
The community college has emerged as the institution of the second chance—even the third and fourth chance. Community colleges take great pride in their “open-door philosophy,” which means that any student who has graduated from high school or who has reached a certain age will be admitted. This philosophy and practice is remarkably different