As the first semester comes to a close, many seniors have begun hearing back from the colleges to which they’ve applied. Be it Harvard or a public state school, the competition is cutthroat, and it is inevitable that many will have to face the dispiriting “rejection” email.
“College is just so competitive. You always want to apply to community college just in case. As confident as you may be, there is always the possibility that you get rejected and potentially left with no other options,” said senior Victoria Spencer.
Having a sense of security, a fallback, is just one of the countless reasons to consider enrolling in community college.
“My mom told me I should apply to community college, just in case. I’m only applying to a few schools, and if I didn’t get into any of them, then I’d be in some serious trouble if I didn’t have an alternative,” said senior Alexandra Eftimie.
Additionally, one might go to community college simply because it is much more affordable to attend than a four-year university. The average university cost of attendance is over $30,000, while the average cost to attend a community college is around $2,700. This alone incentivizes attending community college.
By choosing community college over a traditional four-year college, one is not “settling” regarding his or her education. Most regard saving money while deciding on a future an intelligent move.
“I applied to community college because it’s just so much cheaper. My family doesn’t qualify for financial aid, but I would still have to take out student loans to attend a four-year college or university. I also love that there are so many different community colleges to pick from. I love that you can go to a community college in virtually any community you imagine, whether down the street or across the country,” said senior Quin Yeager.
Enrollment has begun for the community colleges in our area, including Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College (IVC).
“I’m afraid of risking [being rejected by four-year universities]; I’ve already registered to take the matriculation tests for both Saddleback and IVC,” said senior Jacqueline Cenan.
Placement tests for English and math levels were held on Dec. 15 for IVC and are taking place today for Saddleback. Students had to register online before taking these placement tests. The respective colleges will then determine the appropriate level of rigor for each student based on the test results. The academic levels will push one towards either an advanced, intermediate or beginner class and give the community college a rough estimate of where the individual student is academically.
To encourage seniors to consider this route, LBHS has hosted a community college fair in years past; however, this year, LBHS has taken a new approach. Instead, this spring our school will be hosting a Job and Career Fair, which aims to give juniors a better idea of their future goals and the necessary steps they need to take to achieve these goals.
“This year, the Job and Career Fair will bring career-technical education opportunities from a variety of different places. It might come from an art college, a biotechnology program, an engineering program or even a multimedia design program,” said college and career specialist Ann Bergen. “We will do that sometime in the spring. It’ll be great timing because they will be applying for jobs in the summer. When students apply for a job, they often realize how little they have for their resume.”
Many colleges will come to help students explore job opportunities and find a path to where they ultimately want to go. This will also give students an idea of what they will have to do and what jobs they will have to take as steps toward their future goals.
“The Mission of LBHS is to maximize learning for every student in a supportive and caring environment to ensure that all students, upon graduation, are ready for college, career and global citizenship,” states the LBHS Mission Statement.
Our school’s mission is to prepare students for whatever lies ahead. Considering the vast array of possibilities (and lack of courses in the core curriculum to cover all these potential areas of interest), our school participates in the Regional Occupational Program (ROP) to provide students with additional resources that prepare them for study or work in their particular fields of interest.
“I can honestly say that I am in love with the ROP program our school offers. I have wanted to be a veterinarian for a long time now, but our school doesn’t offer any courses that allow me to pursue my passion. However, through the ROP program, I am now able to take vet courses that interest me and give me a better idea of what my career will be,” said Yeager.
Ranging from fashion to agriculture, ROP courses not only align individuals with the fields of their choosing, but they also give students a competitive edge on their college applications and resumes.
For those who are interested, Spring ROP courses are currently open for all students who are freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.