Community colleges are willing to give all applicants an opportunity to succeed regardless of their history. That does not mean that an unprepared student will be admitted into a very challenging program such as nursing or engineering technology. Instead, through assessment and advising, students who are not prepared for more challenging work will be guided into developmental education programs where they will receive special tutoring and courses in which they can develop the skills for more advanced work.
The focus of the community college—through its faculty and innovative programs and practices—is to help students succeed, regardless of their level of achievement when they enter.
—TERRY O’BANION, former president of the League for Innovation in the Community College
What to Look for in a College
When you start your college search, you have to find a happy balance between being optimistic and realistic. Look at the GPA and ACT/SAT scores that each college lists and analyze those numbers in relationship to yours. If a college's cut-off on the SAT verbal score is 510 and yours is 520, go ahead and apply—it's a “safety” college. What if your score is 480? Give it a try—it's a “fairly good chance” college. How about a score of 410? Not likely—but you could still apply to this college; just don't hold your breath. Be willing to stretch a little and know that those numbers are not carved in stone but are general guidelines.
The colleges profiled in this book do more than just accept B students. They are dedicated to helping them. They may offer a first-year general studies, remedial or transition class to help get you started. Many offer on-campus writing clinics and tutoring services. When you get in touch with the representatives from these colleges, be prepared to ask them what services they might offer. Can you record lectures? Are there faculty advisers for each student? Are classes offered to help with the transition to college? Even if they don't have any plans in place (which is unlikely) your request might be just enough to implement one.
Let's take an up-close look at each of these options for a moment. It's important for you to think about which of these features is important to you and will help you succeed in college. Take notes so that when you contact a college rep or admissions officer, you can ask if these choices exist at the school:
TUTORING: A variety of types of tutoring are available on virtually every campus. The only question is what format you prefer. You can check into peer tutoring from either a classmate or friend; faculty tutoring from a willing professor; in-depth tutoring from a teacher's assistant or at special on-campus centers and clinics. While some tutors may charge a fee, most services tend to be free. When you speak with a college rep, ask what might be available if you should need extra assistance.
COUNSELING: While tutoring is helpful to understanding a certain assignment or class subject, counseling is a wider scope. A counselor will help you make bigger decisions like what major to choose, what classes to take and in what direction you should go to achieve your goal. An academic counselor will not only help you reach academic goals, but he or she also will often help you with emotional and mental stress. To do your best academically, you need to be in good shape mentally. Counselors can recommend resources, give suggestions and tips, connect you with helpful mentors or organizations and much more.
“Getting the right college is not a game to be won, but a match to be made.”
—David Miller, director of college counseling at Stevenson School, Pebble Beach, California
CLASS SIZE AND PROFESSOR/STUDENT RATIO: One of the biggest advantages of small colleges is their small class size. While many universities, even the really large ones, state that their average class size is between 10 and 30, a number of small colleges have fewer students per class. Instead of 22:1 student to professor ratios, they may have 5:1. This can be good because your professors are much more likely to be aware of you; if you are struggling or having a problem, they will be more apt to recognize it and reach out. Small classes mean you can ask more questions and discuss things on a deeper level. It also frequently means that participation will play a role in your overall grade.
There are many positive things about small classes, but some students might say that small classes have a negative side as well. For example, if you miss class, professors know (in a class of several hundred, it is a lot less noticeable, believe me!). If your homework isn't turned in, it will be observed right away as well. Truthfully, these can be good things. Professors who notice you are getting behind can remind you to catch up before you've dug your hole so deep that it takes a miracle to pass the class.
Overall, small classes can make the transition from high school to college easier. You will not feel so much like a minnow floundering in a huge ocean. You will get to know your fellow classmates much easier and quicker if there are a half dozen in your class rather than hundreds. Smaller classes often create more of a sense of cooperation between students rather than competition. Instead of trying to do better than another person, you will only be trying to do better than you have done before—and that is the best kind of competition there is.
It's important to go beyond the statistics when you look at the numbers you find for professor/student ratio. Ask students who attend the school how much they interact with their professors and how much of an effort the professors make to help their students. More important than the ratio of professors to students is how involved the professors will be in your studies.
TEACHING STYLES: Another question to look into when choosing your college is what different teaching styles the school may offer. What emphasis does it have on lab time? Is there a period of internship? How much of class time is comprised of hands-on activities for kinesthetic learners? How much is pre-printed or written in forms that are student-friendly for visual learners? How much can be taped for auditory learners? Are there many field trips? All these options can make learning easier for many students. They are alternatives to the typical lecture/listen teaching format that has dominated your education up until now. Colleges offer new ways to learn and excel.
PASS/FAIL or CREDIT/NO CREDIT CLASSES: Not all colleges offer classes with pass/fail grading systems but a number of them have used it effectively, including the following: Millikin University, University of Iowa, University of Illinois, Ohio State University, Stanford University, Tufts University, University of California (Berkeley), Syracuse University, Pennsylvania State University, Pomona College and Grinnell College.
There are certainly a number of perks to this type of grading system. It often encourages students to explore classes that they might otherwise have ignored. For example, if you are an English major, you may not be brave enough to take an advanced math class because you will be surrounded by students who excel in math and competing with them might be overwhelming. However, if you know that you are only going to have to achieve a passing grade, you might be willing to go for it. With pass/fail, there is often less pressure on you; conversely, you may mistakenly think that you don't have to try at all (then you are just wasting everyone's time!).
In addition to regular classes, some types of learning fit the pass/fail system better than the traditional A, B, C, D and F. This is especially true for laboratory experiments, hands-on activities, thesis work and research.
Is there a downside to this type of grading system? Naturally. Some of these courses can't be counted toward your major. While taking a class that doesn't count toward your major may seem unwise, it can be a smart move. You might discover a new passion, interest or direction for your education. You might also discover that you are better at a subject than you had imagined. Pass/fail classes might even lead you to decide on a supplemental course of study, a double major—or you might even consider changing your major. Think of the pass/fail credit simply as an invitation to go down another new college pathway.
THE EMPHASIS ON FINAL EXAMS: Another option to explore is how much influence final exams have on your overall grades. If you