Can I afford University Park/HPSID? (Hamilton: preschools, living, moving)

[jelf]

Community college wouldn't be my first choice, but some of them are decent enough. I don't know DFW community colleges.

I did go to one in the Chicago area for a year and a half after I didn't like my college of choice. I finished my degree from a top tier liberal arts school in three semesters, then got a masters at the University of Illinois and a law degree from SMU. I took mostly honors classes at the community college. The students were decent enough and the profs were good.

I personally know two students who transferred to Georgetown and one who transferred to Duke. A student who was there a year or two before graduated with her AA or AS degree, then became a Rhodes Scholar after finishing U of Chicago with a triple major.

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I went to a good state school- one of our 2 main flagships. The students who came in as juniors from community colleges (at least the ones I ran across either in class or my sorority) were sooooo far behind that I'd guess half dropped out and the other half graduated with a 2.something GPA. Community college is NOT rigorous enough to prepare a student to jump in as a junior.

Community college is good if you're not 4-year college material and want to become a paralegal or any other vocation that requires 2 years past high school. It's also good for a state school student to knock out some "core curriculum" classes during the summer at a much cheaper rate. I took 1-2 classes each summer at Richland, Brookhaven, or Eastfield and it was ridiculous how remedial the classwork was compared to what I was doing in college (or at HPHS for that matter).

Also, some people who did 2 years at community college end up having to do 3+ years at state school because the transfer credits don't line up perfectly for every major. If the goal is to go to state school, the student should START there as a freshman and knock out as many basic credits cheaply at community college on breaks. That is a cheaper, more effecient route to take that allows for confirmation cc courses will transfer & count, plus allows student to acclimate to college level work and build a social/future career network for 4 years.

[racehorse]

None of the anecdata means much. Probably it would be best to chat with counselors at the target schools the kid wants to transfer to, to see what it takes to transfer CC credits as well as the feasibility of doing so.

[Jasmine658]

Originally Posted by jelf

Community college wouldn't be my first choice, but some of them are decent enough. I don't know DFW community colleges.

My best friend, my brothers, and I all did community college at DFW @ Richmond, UTD, & Brookhaven Colleges. I did community college while still in high school, then transfered into SMU and my brothers to UT, and I entered SMU as a Junior by age 19. Community College helped us get a head start, and saved my parents a lot of money. We did it in consideration of them although they didn't ask us to do this, as they were retired aged and didn't want to be asking for a lot of money from them, and thought it was a practical solution, all while living at home. My brother and I thought we could get a lot of basic course requirements out of the way. I have no regrets attending community college, and thought it provided an equivalent great education, with far less expense.

Besides, my focus was to get to graduate school anyway which I ended up doing in NYC on scholarship at that point.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Jasmine658

My best friend, my brothers, and I all did community college at DFW @ Richmond, UTD, & Brookhaven Colleges. I did community college while still in high school, then transfered into SMU and my brothers to UT, and I become a Junior by age 19. Community College helped us get a head start, and saved my parents a lot of money. We did it in consideration of them although they didn't ask us to do this, as they were retired aged and didn't want to be asking for a lot of money from them, and thought it was a practical solution, all while living at home. My brother and I thought we could get a lot of basic course requirements out of the way. I have no regrets attending community college, and thought it provided an equivalent great education, with far less expense.

Besides, my focus was to get to graduate school anyway which I ended up doing in NYC on scholarship at that point.

I'm not picking on you. What year did you attend Richland/ Brookhaven? 10 years ago? 20? 30? I think you'd be surprised to see the quality of students & instruction now....

UTD is not a community college by the way- it's the Dallas branch of the University of Texas system.

[atom]

I find picking on community colleges hilarious. Every year Richland sends students to Columbia, Cornell, Rice and UPenn. Not to mention the flagship state schools. Obviously there will be students who transfer who are mediocre, just like how there are some who enter as a freshman and are mediocre equally by their junior year (in fact, nearly 50% of students at UT and A&M dropout). That's more an indication of the state of our education as a whole, rather than community colleges.

[lh_newbie]

I only have a 2 year degree from a community college - and according to data I've read on from the IRS, I'm in the top 10% income earners in the United States. Heck, I don't even have a 4-year degree - so golly gee, I must not be smart.

With that said, if the goal is a 4-year degree, I would 100% agree with TC80, and suggest the student start at the college of choice. Many, many credits from a community college simply won't transfer and the student is being put on a path to get a 4-year degree in 5+ years. And for with it's worth, suggesting that the kid can work summers + breaks to fully pay for college? Clearly someone isn't aware of the costs associated with college.

Brian

[loves2read]

Brian for people who are moving into Highland Park--college costs aren't that important--that is what trust funds are for...

and I know it is easier to get into UT Austin as transfer student from UT Arlington than try to fight the masses of out of state students and top 10-percenters for a place in freshman year...

the diploma never says if your 4 (or 5) yrs were 100% at THAT college--afterall...

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by loves2read

Brian for people who are moving into Highland Park--college costs aren't that important--that is what trust funds are for...

Total & complete BS!!!!! Did you even read the OP? He is working with an "entry level" HPISD housing budget...whether he can spend $600k or $900k, he's basically looking at duplexes, small cottages < 2,000sf, or really outdated 2-story homes. Obviously you are soooo out of touch with the HPISD reality that many families (probably 1/4-1/3) scrimp & save to be in the district and college IS a big expense, NOT something some nonexistent "trust fund" pays for.

Get real, lady. I could send you a long list of HPISD graduates I know who are still laying back undergrad & grad school loans.

[loves2read]

JOKE!!! playing on the stereotypical thinking...

you are little hypersensitive sometimes TC

[Watchful]

I am a pastor in a small town in TX - this is a fascinating thread with lots of insights into the chase for happiness. It should be a book - whether or not you know anything about this particular area.