What to Expect Your First Semester of Community College

Why Accreditation Matters: Securing Your Educational Investment and Future Career

The options abound when choosing which college is right for you. Many students choose between a community college, a technical college, or a four-year institution. Although all these institutions can provide a solid education, not all colleges are created equal. Accreditation is one of the main elements that differentiate between colleges’ levels of scholarly quality.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is an important distinction in the realm of colleges and universities. According to the US Department of Education, the purpose of accreditation is to certify that the education given by institutions meets national quality standards. Therefore, if a college you are considering has national accreditation, then this demonstrates that the institution has met the standards of quality set forth by the US Department of Education.

This video explains accreditation.

Fundamentally, accreditation ensures that you are obtaining a quality education – and for your future employers and graduate programs to recognize your education. If the college does not have accreditation, you may want to think twice about enrolling.

Why accreditation is important

When choosing a college, accreditation is essential for many factors – including the financial aid you can obtain and even the job you will get upon graduating. Subsequently, accreditation is an element of your college decision that cannot be taken lightly. If the institution you attend is not accredited, then you are subject to

It is no secret that college admissions are becoming more competitive. As the children of the baby boomer era enter their college years, the sheer number of applicants is overwhelming.

Since 2000, each year, we have seen record numbers of applications. For example, the University of California in 2007 saw more than 110,000 applications – a historically record-breaking statistic. According to NYU, their 2007 applications increased by 8.5% in 2007, which also marked record highs.

How can you stand out from the crowd of 4.5-wielding valedictorians, speech and debate captains, and decathlon champions? The answer is quite easy: get competitive with a college edge – a community college edge, that is.

Using community college classes to strengthen your application

College admission committees evaluate your application to answer one looming question: will this student be at our esteemed institution? Demonstrating your academic skills in high school classes, whether you are taking regular, honors, or AP courses, is undoubtedly essential. However, excelling at high school courses does not guarantee your ability to stay competitive at the college level.

Standing out from the crowd of applicants means demonstrating your academic prowess at a college level. You can easily make your application shine by taking courses at your local community college. With the variety of classes, you can take courses at night, online, or even on the weekend – making it easy to fit into your schedule.

You should speak with your

High School Diploma vs. GED

The lack of a high school diploma, or its equivalent, precludes a college education and is a substantial barrier to competing successfully in the workforce.

• For students in high school, it is essential to see it through until graduation.
• Those who have already dropped out of high school must obtain a GED to put their best foot forward in the workforce.
• This article compares high school diplomas and GEDs regarding their acceptance by colleges and universities, the business world, and the military.
• We also discuss how homeschooled high school graduates show that they have obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Canva generated this picture of a young man studying for his GED exam.

Regular High School Diplomas

A high school diploma from a traditional brick-and-mortar school that requires attendance in a classroom is the gold standard in demonstrating high school completion and mastery of conventional high school skills.

• A high school diploma signifies that the holder has attended and completed all the courses required by the applicable school district.
• A transcript of the courses taken and grades issued, a common requirement for college and job applications, can be furnished upon request.

Colleges, universities, businesses, and each branch of the United States military accept a regular high school diploma.

• To attend college, a high school diploma or GED is required for admission.
• Students with a

With the dramatically rising tuition costs, many families are turning towards the financially savvy decision of starting on the higher education path first at a two-year community college. Many public and private universities have articulation agreements with local community colleges. Therefore, attending a community college for two years before transferring to a four-year institution can save significant money – while still providing you with an excellent bachelor's degree.

According to the College Board, for the 2007 – 2008 school year, community colleges' average tuition and fees were $2,360. This is in contrast to $6,185 at a public four-year institution or $23,712 for a private four-year institution.

This video looks at ways you can lower college costs.

Calculating the specific academic savings

For example, let us calculate the savings if you begin your academic career at Pasadena City College, which has articulation transfer agreements with the public UC campuses and the private University of Southern California.

If you are a resident of California and attend Pasadena City College full-time, which is based upon 12 units, then you have the following annual academic costs:

- Tuition and Fees: $508

- Books and school supplies: $1500

In contrast, at the private University of Southern California, you have the following full-time annual academic costs:

- Tuition and fees: $30,850

- Books: $1,000

At a public University of California campus, the annual full-time academic costs for a California