sure that there are many schools for everyone and there certainly are many choices for B students. Your statistics may make the search a little longer and a bit challenging but no less rewarding.
Nothing is as important to your educational success as finding a college where you feel comfortable. A key to success is being flexible and prepared to give the avenues open to you a fair chance. You have to be willing to look a little deeper and explore options, some of which you may not have thought of before. For instance, “Keep an open mind about going out of state,” encourages Lynda McGee, college counselor at Downtown Magnets High School in Los Angeles. It is McGee's personal goal to find schools for all students. “Some students fear leaving the area, especially those in sunny California,” she explains.
Judi Robinovitz, an educational consultant for more than 25 years, suggests that students be open to exploring colleges they may not already know about. “You have to dispel the notion that just because you have not heard of a college, it's a bad college,” she says.
“Community colleges are stepping stones to four-year universities, and they cost less, build skills and develop maturity. Students in the community college system gradually get into the college culture but with the security of home and familiar circumstances.”
—Patrick O’Brien, former admission officer and consultant-ambassador for the ACT
“There are no bad colleges,” explains Patrick O’Brien, former admissions officer and consultant-ambassador for the ACT. “Remember, the ‘best’ school is the one that is best for you, not necessarily the ones that are highlighted in the books,” says O’Brien.
But, why would a college be willing to take a chance on a student who doesn't have the kind of scores and grades thought to be required by a majority of colleges? It's simple: They have common sense.
First, a number of universities want a diverse student body roaming around their campuses. To achieve this, they have to broaden their ideas of what kind of student they will accept. Just as colleges accept people from all kinds of financial, ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds, they often will accept those with various levels of academic achievement.
Second, admissions officers often realize that while students may not have the most perfect numbers, they can still add greatly to the student body. They may be tremendous leaders, facilitators, speakers or organizers. They may exhibit strength in a variety of skills that can't be pinpointed with the average test score. For example, while a student may not perform well in math, he or she may excel in the humanities. These students can enrich the campus community in untold ways.
Last, colleges know that some students are genuinely working toward starting over, to changing their priorities and standards. Often this can be seen in school transcripts. Grades are improving with time; a new leaf has been turned over. Colleges recognize that some students really do go through difficult times such as the severe illness or death of a family member. Because of this, they are frequently willing to overlook some weak numbers and support that new dedication by accepting you into their college and giving you another way to continue your trend.
So the college that you assumed was out of reach because of your grades or test scores may actually be entirely possible if you can give them a reason for why you deserve to be there.
Looking Outside the Box
One secret to finding the right college is to look beyond the most popular schools that everyone you know is applying to and then to think outside of the box. Are there other colleges in your area? Before you start shaking your head because these “other” colleges aren't what you had in mind, at least do a little research. Look at their sites online, and check out the profiles at the end of this book. You can't say you don't like a place until you have enough information to know if you like it (otherwise known as innocent until proven guilty!).
Some schools that may be more open to B students include these:
career-oriented colleges
community colleges
all men's colleges
all women's colleges
very small colleges
Don't Overlook Community College
For many students, one of the best options remains the local community college. Yeah, you still have to live in your hometown, and most likely, still at home with your family, but you benefit from a good education while saving some big bucks for the future or for transferring to a four-year college. Community colleges are more open to students with B or C averages than some four-year institutions, so they can be a great solution for you.
But hey, you've heard some rumors about community colleges, right? You've heard them called everything from “Only Chance College” to “Harvard on the Highway.” Like everything else, community colleges have a few myths surrounding them, and—here's a real surprise—most of them just aren't true. For instance:
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACTS
Here are some of the current stats on community colleges, thanks to the helpful people at the American Association of Community Colleges (www.aacc.nche.edu):
| Public institutions | 992 |
| Private institutions | 96 |
| Tribal institutions | 35 |
| TOTAL | 1,123 |
12.4 million students currently enrolled
7.4 million for credit and 5 million for non-credit
| 46% of all U.S. undergraduates | |
| 41% of first-time freshmen | |
| 57% women; 43% men | |
| 61% part time; 39% full time | |
| 52% of African American undergrads | |
| 57% of Hispanic undergrads | |
| 43% of Asian/Pacific Islander undergrads | |
| 61% of Native American undergrads |
Average tuition and fees: $3,347, and 58% of students receive some kind of financial aid.
More than 750,000 associate degrees
More than 450,000 two-year certificates
A degree from a community college is not as good as a university degree.That just doesn't make any sense. An apple is an apple. A degree is a degree. You did the work and earned the diploma. Is it the same thing as a degree from Harvard? Okay, maybe not, but most of the time it will still get you through the front door and into the job.
The people who go to community college couldn't get in anywhere else.Not true. Students go to community college for a variety of reasons. Maybe it is more convenient and less expensive for some people because it allows them to keep working, giving them a chance to save money while providing a quality education that sometimes may even serve as a stepping stone to a traditional college.
The faculty at community colleges is inferior to that of four-year institutions.The faculties and staff at community colleges and other colleges are quite comparable. They both have their degrees and years of experience to share with you.
The credits from a community college will not transfer to other colleges.This is a myth. Credit hours from community colleges transfer in the same way that credit hours from four-year universities do.
Since community colleges
