There are many reasons students may choose to attend a community college before transferring to a four-year college, including career uncertainty and personal situations that require them to remain close to home. Another common reason students choose community college is to boost their likelihood of success when applying to more competitive colleges.
Finally, community college can be an excellent first step when returning to school after spending time in the working world. If any of these paths describe you, read on for tips about how you can use your community college experiences to strengthen your application to a top-tier university.
1. Set and achieve specific goals: Success in college depends on your ability to complete projects with minimal supervision. While at community college, work hard on your assignments, and focus on ways to best complete your projects. Set specific goals you would like to accomplish, and do you best to make these a reality.
When writing your admissions essay, consider emphasizing your workflow in completing one or more major assignments. Mention your grades on the projects, but primarily focus on the ways you broke the assignments down into manageable pieces or how you led a team in completing a group project.
Community college is more difficult than all but the most elite high schools, and outlining your ability to complete this significant challenge can be a major application achievement. You do not necessarily need to have an associate degree or certificate in hand, although that can certainly help. Simply demonstrating your ability to manage complex tasks can suggest just how serious you are about your education.
[Learn the seven steps to success at community college.]
2. Learn to overcome challenges: For many students, college is a new beginning. Enrolling and performing well in difficult community college courses can be an excellent way to demonstrate that you are not afraid to stretch yourself, especially because transfer admissions officers are often well aware that students do not always thrive in the strictures of high school. If you can prove that you are taking challenging classes and doing well, you can likewise prove that you are well suited for the rigors of a four-year degree program.
Many college courses will include lab reports, research papers and the like. Do not be afraid to reference these in your personal statement or to include them as supplemental materials in your application.
3. Seek help when necessary: Letters of reference are an important component of your transfer application. As such, it is critical to ensure that you are speaking regularly with your professors and forming personal connections that go beyond class attendance. A professor who can detail your ability to complete assignments on time, your interest in your chosen field of study, and your willingness to contribute to course discussions can build a case for your academic engagement.
Ideally, you will have been building these connections from day one. It is never too late, however, to begin attending office hours or to begin speaking up in class.
It takes surprisingly little effort to stand out, and you need not have the best grades to do so. Passion and dedication count for much more than grades when it comes to references, and a willingness to seek help is a trait that universities welcome in prospective students. When asking a professor for a reference, be sure to mention that you need the letter to emphasize your skills that will enable success at the next level.
[Read three student tips for getting great college recommendation letters.]
4. Embrace mentorship: Some community colleges have formal mentoring programs that match students with professors. Take advantage of this opportunity to gain valuable academic, career and networking advice.
Many professors at community colleges are either recent graduates of advanced degree programs or late-career professionals who enjoy teaching. The first category of instructor may have a great deal of insight into the inner workings of colleges and universities.
These instructors may be able to connect you to professors at your schools of choice. They also may be able to counsel you on what to look for — and what to avoid — when choosing a four-year college.
Late-career professors, in contrast, can offer advice on long-term success in your intended field. They can also connect you with internships and recruiters. If you find an instructor who balances book learning with a lifetime of practical experience, do everything you can to learn from this individual.
Even if your community college does not offer a formal mentoring program, most professors love to share their knowledge. Stay after class or visit during office hours to establish rapport.
[Get tips on transferring from a community college.]
Later, when you are writing your personal statement, mention your experiences as a mentee and how these demonstrate your willingness to improve yourself and to work with others to do so.
5. Learn to lead others: The opportunities for leadership in community college are ironically both harder to locate and easier to claim than in high school. Every college has student groups, and most have some form of student government.
But since community college students generally stay on campus for less time as well as commute to school, community colleges often have fewer well-defined groups and little or no Greek system. However, there is often less competition for the leadership roles that do exist.
Take advantage of these opportunities to become involved and use that experience to bolster your application. Even a semester of leadership can demonstrate your campus involvement, and it can also highlight your ability to manage multiple responsibilities.
Regardless of your purpose for attending community college, take stock of the opportunities you have to distinguish yourself. Then when you apply to transfer to a four-year school, be clear in emphasizing how you have grown as a person and as a student. This will significantly strengthen your application.
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Maximize Your Community College Experiences for University Admissions originally appeared on usnews.com
