Students who missed college application deadlines will be happy to know that California community colleges are still accepting applications for both summer and fall. While it’s not often that I think our state legislatures have mapped out things well, I think the California community college system is one of the best deals ever designed.
California is one of the few states that mandates equal access to college for all students. This means that regardless of how you did in high school, what choices you made immediately after leaving high school or if you even went to high school, you can still attend a California community college.Please note that while access to college is mandated, community college courses are not easy.
After applying for admission to a community college, the first step is taking the assessment test. Students who are not academically ready for the rigors of college level courses, will be required to take remedial classes to bring their readiness level to the expectation of college professors. For some students this may be one or two courses. For others, it may take a semester or two.
Most of our California community colleges have application deadlines. All of our state community colleges are all impacted, meaning there are fewer classes offered to an overcrowded applicant pool. This is why future students should follow the admission protocol well in advance of registration day. This includes on-line applying, on-site assessing, on-site counseling, on-line orientation and finally on-line class registration. These steps are outlined in detail on the C&CC website under “Sierra College Admissions,” and can be applied to any community college in our region.
A California community college offers the best of both worlds for students in a wide variety of interests. Students who wish to pursue a four year degree at the CSU, UC or any number of private colleges will find preparation at community college that provides transferring options. The UC and CSU consider an upper division transfer from a California community college to be the number one priority for admission. Students who graduate from a CSU or UC with credits from a community college are pleased to see that their degree is the same as a student who has attended the four year school for the entire academic career.
Not everyone needs a four year degree to secure a lucrative career. A California community college offers students seeking training for jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree, hundreds of options. Anything from radiology to candy making; or welding to nursing can be learned at a community college where certificates, licenses, or associates degrees can be earned.
