Confused CCCollege Freshman -- Help is Appreciated

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DoctHouse

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Hello. I've it's been a little while since I've posted here. I recently just enrolled in a California community college, starting in two weeks.

I've attended a new student counselling session and I told them my career goal and pretty much chose my major for that college. They went through what courses I need to transfer AND what courses I need to graduate that college. From what I saw, it seems as if I'm bound to stay here more than 2 years to complete the requirements.

I just have a few questions that I still don't understand.

First question: So essentially, we had to choose 3 paths. A, B or C. A was for non transfer. B was for CSU transfer. Then C was for CSU/UC transfer (IGETC). I chose C. My question here is.... does it really matter that I attend a CSU vs UC (or vise versa) and would it affect my chances of getting accepted into medical school?

Second question: The major they gave me includes the prereqs for most med schools (BCPM). I've heard that you should probably complete the medschool prerequisites at a 4-year instead of a community college. Is this what I should do? (BTW, I do plan to major in Biochemistry in the four year college).

Third question: Given that I should take the med school prerequisites at the four year school, how can I get through the CC school transfer requirements(IGETC) and a typical UC Biochemistry prerequisites without it hurting my chances for med school?

I'm just afraid that since I have to take the prereqs for my desired major AND I have to satisfy the CC general ed, that the coursework would require me to stay more than two years. I also apologize if I sound stupid, I'm extremely confused and I'm not really looking forward to attending here but it has to be done.

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The community college requires you to pick a major and graduate in that major before you transfer to a 4 year and there's only two options for you to transfer to?

Am I understanding you correctly. I went to a community college and transfered to a 4 year after. I did pick a degree plan but never graduated with my Associates degree but was able to transfer with no issues and got credit at my university.

Is this some kind of automatic admission if you fulfill the requirements?
 
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Well I'm not familiar with California schools, but I did transfer from community college in Texas to a university.

Ideally you would want to complete 30 credits at CC and then transfer. The university that I transferred to requires that a minimum of 60 credits be taken at said university to be able to graduate. So, if your potential schools are anything like that, then you wouldn't want to be spending anywhere near 2 or more years at community college.

You might want to just consider taking core classes at CC (government, history, humanities, etc.) and save your sciences (prerequisites and major classes) for university.


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The community college requires you to pick a major and graduate in that major before you transfer to a 4 year and there's only two options for you to transfer to?

Am I understanding you correctly. I went to a community college and transfered to a 4 year after. I did pick a degree plan but never graduated with my Associates degree but was able to transfer with no issues and got credit at my university.

Is this some kind of automatic admission if you fulfill the requirements?

No. My degree for here was labelled AA-T. Meaning Associates of Arts - Transfer. I'm saying the major I want for the four year is Biochem. For a certain UC, such as UCLA, they have their own prerequisite classes that I can do at my current college to satisfy the Biochem requirements before I transfer.
 
Hello. I've it's been a little while since I've posted here. I recently just enrolled in a California community college, starting in two weeks.

I've attended a new student counselling session and I told them my career goal and pretty much chose my major for that college. They went through what courses I need to transfer AND what courses I need to graduate that college. From what I saw, it seems as if I'm bound to stay here more than 2 years to complete the requirements.

I just have a few questions that I still don't understand.

First question: So essentially, we had to choose 3 paths. A, B or C. A was for non transfer. B was for CSU transfer. Then C was for CSU/UC transfer (IGETC). I chose C. My question here is.... does it really matter that I attend a CSU vs UC (or vise versa) and would it affect my chances of getting accepted into medical school?

Second question: The major they gave me includes the prereqs for most med schools (BCPM). I've heard that you should probably complete the medschool prerequisites at a 4-year instead of a community college. Is this what I should do? (BTW, I do plan to major in Biochemistry in the four year college).

Third question: Given that I should take the med school prerequisites at the four year school, how can I get through the CC school transfer requirements(IGETC) and a typical UC Biochemistry prerequisites without it hurting my chances for med school?

I'm just afraid that since I have to take the prereqs for my desired major AND I have to satisfy the CC general ed, that the coursework would require me to stay more than two years. I also apologize if I sound stupid, I'm extremely confused and I'm not really looking forward to attending here but it has to be done.

Current cali CC attendee here

1. Nah fam UC and CSU are just a name at the end of the day. It is about what you make of your time at UG. There are ppl going to UCB who don't get into med and ppl going to SFSU who get into UCSF. This is purely anecdotally and not always the truth though. Certainly there are certain factors that may affect your competitiveness related to your choice of campus. Research your intended transfer school and troll around to see if they fit your goals, geography, grading, curriculum, research etc... It's good training in my opinion for when you start reading on Med Schools.

2. A: See I don't know if this depends but in my CC you only need communications and like 1 or 2 US History and Culture classes that differentiate between the two requirements of csu and uc igetc. I must stress igetc is just used to fulfill GenEd requirements but it can be used also to knock out pesky General ed before you transfer. I recommend assist.com if you haven't used it before. I have found some CC counselors can be ill trained/ in a hurry (there are also great ones), so really hit or miss... Definitely, make sure what they hand you is what helps your goals and doesn't have you stuck at CC for 4 years! Use el google to read over requirements. aAssist.com to see articulations between CC and 4-year school. I mean you save w/o spending lotsa cash and you can knock them out by my opinion. CC profs can be hit or miss but if you are diligent and make measured educated choices you can gain a lot from completing your cc prereqs. I know a good decent of UC schools that require you to finish those requirements in order to even be considered for admission. I think some CSU do too but don't quote me on that (again use assist.com). I know I have the same requirements since I want to transfer to UCD/SD/BERK for biochem/microbio and basically, there were some on the forum who said retake them once I transferred but that is just absurd (its not even allowed I don't think and I needed to finish them in order to be allowed to transfer). Those BCPM courses are important nonetheless so don't lack in performance definitely coming from CC there may be some form of stigma but CC credit for the important requirements is accepted at a very decent amount of MD schools. Check out the MSAR it shows which ones who do or don't. Just be good numbers wise. Find meaningful EC's bc it's not always superficial. Fight for those A's (use rate my professor to find the quality professors my friend) and do the same once transfer occurs. (Thank you SDN folk for facilitating my understanding of my place as a CC attendee)

3. A. I really don't know how to answer this. It is entirely dependent on whether you transfer as an undeclared but be warned there can be some trouble. UC's have varying rules on the IGETC requirements for some majors/ schools so definitely look that up before you plan on doing a full igetc. It can be counter productive to

I don't want to tell you what to do because ultimately it is your life but if you want my biased recommendations.

-Finish the BCPM (CHEM, BIO, ORGO(OPTIONAL at some 4 years), English, PHYSICS(Again Optional at some campus), Definitely Calc/Stats reqs in 2-3 years(fairly regular at CC actually to stay 3 years so don't feel bad about it although 4 years idk man that's pushing it) and finish IGETC but try to take meaningful and useful classes that overlap with CSU/UC/MED/IGETC requirements/ Again research is Key and maybe try and see if your counseling office has a sheet that outlines IGETC requirements, courses, and CSU requirements.

-Don't stress but be the best buddy but when you get to the top nobody will care if you came from CC or not.

Hit me up if you need more help, always willing to share the info. But again be warned always make measure and educated decisions. Don't trust me fully
 
No. My degree for here was labelled AA-T. Meaning Associates of Arts - Transfer. I'm saying the major I want for the four year is Biochem. For a certain UC, such as UCLA, they have their own prerequisite classes that I can do at my current college to satisfy the Biochem requirements before I transfer.
Gotcha.

My honest advice would be to transfer to the 4 year where you feel the most comfortable. As the poster stated above, you want to go somewhere that will foster an environment that will allow you to be successful. This will allow you to achieve the best grades possible, which is very important for medical schools. A 3.2 from Harvard will have a harder time getting in than a 3.7 from a state school, assuming all other factors are comparable.

You also want to pick a major that you will enjoy rather than what will simply allow you to complete your pre reqs fairly easy. If you are passionate about biochemistry then by all means go for it.

As far as taking pre reqs at a community college, I say mix it up. Maybe take half the medical school per reqs at the CC then the other half at the 4 year. I actually advise AGAINST taking only non science classes at CC for two reasons. One, you don't want to start off with a high GPA from a CC (only taking govt, English, arts, etc.) then follow up by taking all of your science lower and upper level classes at the 4 year. You want to leave room for improvements if you ever come to that point. Upwards trends in grades throughout the years are looked upon favorably by medical schools. Two, you want to enjoy your college years for ALL years. Having nothing but science courses your last years at the 4 year can cause you to burnout. Mix it up a little.

I suggest taking bio 1 and 2, and maybe physics 1 and 2 or General chem, English, and govt at the CC. Then leaving organic chem, history, arts, and upper level science courses at the 4 year that way your load and combination of your load isn't brutal.

These are all just recommendations from someone who took courses at a CC then transfered. Don't worry about if the medical schools will look down on your plan. As long as you pick a major you're passionate about, can make good grades in, and follow up with upper level science courses at a 4 year, everything else should fall in place.
 
Current cali CC attendee here

1. Nah fam UC and CSU are just a name at the end of the day. It is about what you make of your time at UG. There are ppl going to UCB who don't get into med and ppl going to SFSU who get into UCSF. This is purely anecdotally and not always the truth though. Certainly there are certain factors that may affect your competitiveness related to your choice of campus. Research your intended transfer school and troll around to see if they fit your goals, geography, grading, curriculum, research etc... It's good training in my opinion for when you start reading on Med Schools.

2. A: See I don't know if this depends but in my CC you only need communications and like 1 or 2 US History and Culture classes that differentiate between the two requirements of csu and uc igetc. I must stress igetc is just used to fulfill GenEd requirements but it can be used also to knock out pesky General ed before you transfer. I recommend assist.com if you haven't used it before. I have found some CC counselors can be ill trained/ in a hurry (there are also great ones), so really hit or miss... Definitely, make sure what they hand you is what helps your goals and doesn't have you stuck at CC for 4 years! Use el google to read over requirements. aAssist.com to see articulations between CC and 4-year school. I mean you save w/o spending lotsa cash and you can knock them out by my opinion. CC profs can be hit or miss but if you are diligent and make measured educated choices you can gain a lot from completing your cc prereqs. I know a good decent of UC schools that require you to finish those requirements in order to even be considered for admission. I think some CSU do too but don't quote me on that (again use assist.com). I know I have the same requirements since I want to transfer to UCD/SD/BERK for biochem/microbio and basically, there were some on the forum who said retake them once I transferred but that is just absurd (its not even allowed I don't think and I needed to finish them in order to be allowed to transfer). Those BCPM courses are important nonetheless so don't lack in performance definitely coming from CC there may be some form of stigma but CC credit for the important requirements is accepted at a very decent amount of MD schools. Check out the MSAR it shows which ones who do or don't. Just be good numbers wise. Find meaningful EC's bc it's not always superficial. Fight for those A's (use rate my professor to find the quality professors my friend) and do the same once transfer occurs. (Thank you SDN folk for facilitating my understanding of my place as a CC attendee)

3. A. I really don't know how to answer this. It is entirely dependent on whether you transfer as an undeclared but be warned there can be some trouble. UC's have varying rules on the IGETC requirements for some majors/ schools so definitely look that up before you plan on doing a full igetc. It can be counter productive to

I don't want to tell you what to do because ultimately it is your life but if you want my biased recommendations.

-Finish the BCPM (CHEM, BIO, ORGO(OPTIONAL at some 4 years), English, PHYSICS(Again Optional at some campus), Definitely Calc/Stats reqs in 2-3 years(fairly regular at CC actually to stay 3 years so don't feel bad about it although 4 years idk man that's pushing it) and finish IGETC but try to take meaningful and useful classes that overlap with CSU/UC/MED/IGETC requirements/ Again research is Key and maybe try and see if your counseling office has a sheet that outlines IGETC requirements, courses, and CSU requirements.

-Don't stress but be the best buddy but when you get to the top nobody will care if you came from CC or not.

Hit me up if you need more help, always willing to share the info. But again be warned always make measure and educated decisions. Don't trust me fully

Thanks a lot for this post, I read it all. Very informative. But yes, I do use assist.org and that was what I was using to compare my cc to a targeted UC I'd want to go to, to find the courses I can do there and their equivalents. Also, yes I do have an IGETC sheet and have been referring to it a bit. I'll take your advice, thanks a lot.
 
Gotcha.

My honest advice would be to transfer to the 4 year where you feel the most comfortable. As the poster stated above, you want to go somewhere that will foster an environment that will allow you to be successful. This will allow you to achieve the best grades possible, which is very important for medical schools. A 3.2 from Harvard will have a harder time getting in than a 3.7 from a state school, assuming all other factors are comparable.

You also want to pick a major that you will enjoy rather than what will simply allow you to complete your pre reqs fairly easy. If you are passionate about biochemistry then by all means go for it.

As far as taking pre reqs at a community college, I say mix it up. Maybe take half the medical school per reqs at the CC then the other half at the 4 year. I actually advise AGAINST taking only non science classes at CC for two reasons. One, you don't want to start off with a high GPA from a CC (only taking govt, English, arts, etc.) then follow up by taking all of your science lower and upper level classes at the 4 year. You want to leave room for improvements if you ever come to that point. Upwards trends in grades throughout the years are looked upon favorably by medical schools. Two, you want to enjoy your college years for ALL years. Having nothing but science courses your last years at the 4 year can cause you to burnout. Mix it up a little.

I suggest taking bio 1 and 2, and maybe physics 1 and 2 or General chem, English, and govt at the CC. Then leaving organic chem, history, arts, and upper level science courses at the 4 year that way your load and combination of your load isn't brutal.

These are all just recommendations from someone who took courses at a CC then transfered. Don't worry about if the medical schools will look down on your plan. As long as you pick a major you're passionate about, can make good grades in, and follow up with upper level science courses at a 4 year, everything else should fall in place.

Very good advice, I see what you mean. Especially when you mention that I should mix up science classes a bit. Yeah I'll focus on upward trends through these next years. Thanks for clarifying, I always remembered people saying that sciences should be purely taken at the UC rather than CC. This will make it easier for me and get me used to the content so that way I can focus on improving if I need to. Thanks!
 
My question here is.... does it really matter that I attend a CSU vs UC (or vise versa) and would it affect my chances of getting accepted into medical school?


Supposedly, it shouldn't matter. However, the UCs have long been traditionally the premed schools. The UCs probably have more developed advising offices and premed groups/clubs than the CSUs.

If I were you, I might not target a transfer to UCLA or UCB as a premed, but maybe one of the others. Does UCR give any med school acceptance preference to their transfer students?

Just look at the numbers...the CSUs just don't send that many students to med school.
 
Make Assist.org your friend. Check out other majors and course articulation to UC/CSU from your institution.

1.
Nope. What do you want to study? If your goal is to go to Medical school, it doesn't matter which UG you've went to. It does say that Private Medical Schools take "Selectivity of Undergraduate Institution" into consideration, but I don't think it really matters. If you can get >3.5 from CSU, then it's all set. Getting above average GPA is more important than getting a 3.0 from Berkeley.

Just a side note:
From what I've seen, people who majored in Accounting/Nursing/Engineering aimed for CSUs and people who majored in something else, aimed for UCs. Most people see CSU as a place to get your Bachelor and work right off. I've made a wrong statement in the past that CSUs discourage students from their entrance to the Graduates. This isn't true, CSUs encourage their students to go to Graduate schools. What I wanted to say was- people do go to Med schools and other Graduate institutions from CSUs, but not as much as UC send theirs.

Conclusion:
Go to the institution that you can earn >3.5 GPA (doesn't matter if it's UC/CSU).
Study what you want, no matter what school. If the CSU do not have a major that you want to study, go to UC. Vice versa (if UC doesn't have it, go to CSU).

2&3
If it's Bio Chem, then it's expected that you finish all the streamline BCP requirement prior to transfer. I think adcoms aren't that stiffy about taking pre-reqs at CC if your major is Biochem. What's no-no is taking BCP's at CC while enrolled at 4 years. If it's first CC then 4 years, not much of a problem.

The caveat here is though:
Do well in Upper Division if you plan to take them at CC. If you don't do well in Upper Division after you transfer, it would give off the impression that your CC was "e-z A" galore.

Another thing to think about:
It's good to have a plan B. Before majoring in biochem, make sure to know what you want to do with it. Don't do Biochem just for the sake of getting into Medical school :p Study what your heart tells you. Doesn't matter if it's Basket Weaving Production Studies :)
 
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Make Assist.org your friend. Check out other majors and course articulation to UC/CSU from your institution.

1.
Nope. What do you want to study? If your goal is to go to Medical school, it doesn't matter which UG you've went to. It does say that Private Medical Schools take "Selectivity of Undergraduate Institution" into consideration, but I don't think it really matters. If you can get >3.5 from CSU, then it's all set. Getting above average GPA is more important than getting a 3.0 from Berkeley.

Just a side note:
From what I've seen, people who majored in Accounting/Nursing/Engineering aimed for CSUs and people who majored in something else, aimed for UCs. Most people see CSU as a place to get your Bachelor and work right off. I've made a wrong statement in the past that CSUs discourage students from their entrance to the Graduates. This isn't true, CSUs encourage their students to go to Graduate schools. What I wanted to say was- people do go to Med schools and other Graduate institutions from CSUs, but not as much as UC send theirs.

Conclusion:
Go to the institution that you can earn >3.5 GPA (doesn't matter if it's UC/CSU).
Study what you want, no matter what school. If the CSU do not have a major that you want to study, go to UC. Vice versa (if UC doesn't have it, go to CSU).

2&3
If it's Bio Chem, then it's expected that you finish all the streamline BCP requirement prior to transfer. I think adcoms aren't that stiffy about taking pre-reqs at CC if your major is Biochem. What's no-no is taking BCP's at CC while enrolled at 4 years. If it's first CC then 4 years, not much of a problem.

The caveat here is though:
Do well in Upper Division if you plan to take them at CC. If you don't do well in Upper Division after you transfer, it would give off the impression that your CC was "e-z A" galore.

Another thing to think about:
It's good to have a plan B. Before majoring in biochem, make sure to know what you want to do with it. Don't do Biochem just for the sake of getting into Medical school :p Study what your heart tells you. Doesn't matter if it's Basket Weaving Production Studies :)

Got it, thanks for your reply. Just a bit weird how I always get mixed responses on CSU vs UC. Thanks for your input!
 
Hello. I've it's been a little while since I've posted here. I recently just enrolled in a California community college, starting in two weeks.

I've attended a new student counselling session and I told them my career goal and pretty much chose my major for that college. They went through what courses I need to transfer AND what courses I need to graduate that college. From what I saw, it seems as if I'm bound to stay here more than 2 years to complete the requirements.

I just have a few questions that I still don't understand.

First question: So essentially, we had to choose 3 paths. A, B or C. A was for non transfer. B was for CSU transfer. Then C was for CSU/UC transfer (IGETC). I chose C. My question here is.... does it really matter that I attend a CSU vs UC (or vise versa) and would it affect my chances of getting accepted into medical school?

Second question: The major they gave me includes the prereqs for most med schools (BCPM). I've heard that you should probably complete the medschool prerequisites at a 4-year instead of a community college. Is this what I should do? (BTW, I do plan to major in Biochemistry in the four year college).

Third question: Given that I should take the med school prerequisites at the four year school, how can I get through the CC school transfer requirements(IGETC) and a typical UC Biochemistry prerequisites without it hurting my chances for med school?

I'm just afraid that since I have to take the prereqs for my desired major AND I have to satisfy the CC general ed, that the coursework would require me to stay more than two years. I also apologize if I sound stupid, I'm extremely confused and I'm not really looking forward to attending here but it has to be done.
If you will be taking higher level science courses at the university, taking the prereqs at CC will be overlooked. Try to take OChem and biochem at university, as these courses tend to be higher yield at the university level and the experiments tend to be of higher quality. You will be able to get into a medical school from CC. Also remember that you can transfer earlier or even if you don't complete your associate's degree, you'll just have to do it through non-automatic means.
 
Hi there!

I'm a fellow California community college attendee! Going on my 2nd year now.

I agree with Geo16, Assist.org is your new best friend! If you aren't already using it, RateMyProfessor as well is important to choose classes. Be aware though that a lot of students give bad reviews because they don't put in the effort. One of my favorite professors has been one who most said was terrible, and few said was outstanding.

To clear something up for other people, in order to transfer to most UC's here, just for a biology major, you are *required* to have gen chem 1 and 2, bio 1 and 2, calculus 1 and 2, 1 semester of organic chem completed, and either a year of calculus based physics *or* a 2nd semester of organic chemistry to be competitive. For a biochem major, I believe you are recommended to have biochem completed, or required to have the full orgo chem sequence completed as well. There is no way to transfer as a bio/chem/bio chem major without completing most if not all prereqs.

To answer your questions:
1) This is one of the most debated topics on here. To quote gyngyn "CSULA produces very few candidates for medical school. Last year there were only 25. However, those with a strong application are highly sought-after." And in response to me saying that "I know CSULA isn't recommended" they said "on the contrary, it can be a great choice as long as you perform well." My advice to you is to plan to transfer to whichever school you think you'd do best at. Visit the campus in person, look at the clubs, volunteer opportunities, etc. There is no point in going to UCLA for the preconceived rigor it has if you do not want to go there. Keep in mind that the UC's are really competitive as well to transfer into, so make sure when the time comes, you apply to multiple schools. There is the UC TAG? or TAP? (I can't remember which) guaranteed admission program that you should look into, but keep in mind it only guarantees admission into A UC, it might not be the one you want.

2/3.) I believe I touched on this question above. My understanding is that there are a few medical schools that only accept certain prereqs from CC's or won't accept any at all, BUT that is not all medical schools. They might have changed their policies too. They saw on their admissions website what their policy on CC coursework is. Most won't blink an eye as long as you do equally well in upper division (science) coursework at the 4 yr. What they don't want to see is someone who is at a 4 year, taking the prereqs at a CC. Going from CC--->4 yr is not as a big of deal as it is sometimes made out to be. It is not like you have a choice anyways, unless you change your major to a humanities/social science/etc. major.

4) (I know you didn't ask a 4th question.) Do not feel bad about having to be at the CC for greater than 2 years. I will have been at my CC for 3 or 3.5 years total before transferring, due to having to take so many prereqs before taking my classes as I did not place in higher level classes from the start and poor class choices my 2nd semester. A lot of people are at CC's for longer than 2 years before transferring, so do not feel that you have to cram in 18 credits a semester so you can transfer sooner. It doesn't matter. I'm personally taking all the classes I need to at the CC, because it is a lot cheaper than a 4 yr.

Another note, you don't need to obtain an AA-T in biochem before transferring, although you might end up with one just from the classes you have to take. IGETC and the CSU plans are really similar as well. The main differences for CSU is you need to take a communication studies class, and then two specific history/us constitutions type of courses, and for IGETC, you are required to have higher levels of some classes in order for it to count (ie. CSU takes spanish 1 and spanish 2, IGETC only takes spanish 3+, etc)

Also, don't feel pressured into biochem as a major because you think it'll look good for med schools or what not. If you love biochemistry, and therefore will do excellent in it, then go ahead and major in it! Otherwise, major in something else. Medical schools DO NOT CARE what you major in. Be aware that some of the advisors and even staff are not aware of this, I have been told twice now that you have to major in biology or chemistry only by an advisor and my professor. It is smart to think about what you will do with your major if you decide medical school isn't for you or you don't get in as well.

Last thing, you seem to have a negative attitude about attending a CC. I'm not sure why, community colleges can be great places! I've had some amazing professors, love the small class sizes as it makes it easier to develop a relationship with your professors, and it is a heck of alot cheaper. The classes are extremely flexible as well in regards to times they are offered at, allowing you to work, volunteer, etc. I have had fairly bad luck with academic advisors/counselors though, but that could happen anywhere.

Good luck for your first year! Feel free to PM if you like :)
 
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