Many applicants to the most selective university programs share high grades, high test scores, solid recommendations and generous doses of community service and volunteer activities. Yet, if they want to set themselves apart from the pool of exceptional students, a significant research experience in STEM or the social sciences helps.
At the end of December of last year, Alex Roa, an undergraduate researcher at UCLA, pulled together a well-reasoned set of arguments as to why one should never be shamed by attending a community college. In fact, from a standpoint of return on time and money and personal growth, community college might just be the best payback.
Some students are skeptical about attending community college. They shouldn’t be. The Regents of the University of California report that almost of third of those graduating from the UC System transferred from a community college: this trend will probably become even more pronounced in the years ahead as the UC tuition continues to soar and community college tuition maintains its value.
