Copyright © 2013 by Diane Elizabeth Melville Cover and internal design © 2013 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover design by William Riley/Sourcebooks, Inc. and Christopher Tobias Cover images © shutterstock/Anton Todrov, shutterstock/vovan, istockphoto/A-Digit Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.—From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410 (630) 961-3900 Fax: (630) 961-2168 www.sourcebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Melville, Diane Elizabeth. Community college advantage: your guide to a low-cost, high-reward college experience / Diane Elizabeth Melville. pages cm Includes index. 1. Community colleges—United States—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Community college students— United States. I. Title. LB2328.15.U6M46 2013 378.1’5430973—dc23 2012044248 Printed and bound in the United States of America. VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS AUTHOR’S NOTE GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME SECTION 1. WELCOME TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE Chapter 1. Realities and Amazing Opportunities Chapter 2. Secrets to Making the Most of Your Classes, Teachers, and Peers Special Note: AA and AS—What’s the Big Difference? SECTION 2. GETTING INTO YOUR DREAM SCHOOL Chapter 3. What is Transferring and Who Transfers? Special Note: Transferring for Developmental Students Chapter 4. Knowing When and Where to Transfer Chapter 5. Taking the Courses That Matter Semester Checklist: The Ultimate Transfer Guide SECTION 3. TRANSFERRING: IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS Chapter 6. Getting into the Top Schools Chapter 7. The Transfer Resume: Looking Good on Paper Chapter 8. Applying to Transfer: How to Outsmart the System Cheat Sheet: The Transfer Application Worksheet Chapter 9. The Super Simple Guide to Financial Aid Special Note: How to Use a Scholarship Search Engine Chapter 10. Financial Aid after Transfer Chapter 11. Accepted! Now What? SECTION 4. LANDING THE DREAM JOB Chapter 12. Thinking about Employment during College Chapter 13. Get Hired! Two Techniques to Increase Your Chances Chapter 14. Preparing to Apply for the Job Chapter 15. Being a Professional Is Easier Than You Think Afterword RESOURCES FAQs Financial Aid Glossary Online Resources ABOUT THE AUTHOR Thanks to the great Dr. E. Carter Burrus for convincing me to take a chance on Miami Dade College and for supporting me the whole way through. To Nerry Louis for giving me the space to write and succeed (or fail) on my own terms. To my mother, Beverly Melville (who had better read this book), for supporting me through all of my crazy ideas! And finally, to the Kuthy family (Dan, Allie, Tom, and Nancy)... You’ve helped me to grow in more ways than I can count. AUTHOR’S NOTE Dear Reader, Before taking advice from anyone, I like to ask two questions: Who are you? Why should I listen to you? It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t attempt to answer those questions for you as well. So, here we go: My name is Diane Melville, and I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. I was absolutely thrilled when I was asked to write a guidebook for community college students. Given the current state of academia, I believe that there is no better decision a student can make than to attend community college. However, making that decision isn’t always an easy one. I grew up in a fairly bad part of town, and my family’s income was well below the poverty line. My father, who passed away recently, was the sole breadwinner of our family. When he was diagnosed with severe diabetes that resulted in a leg amputation, he could no longer work. The responsibility of putting food on the table now rested with my three brothers and sisters. College really wasn’t an option for them. I, however, wanted to be the one who would earn a degree and change the path that my family was on. I worked hard in high school, but I was still denied admission to all but one university that I applied to, and that university offered me little financial aid. At the time, my decision to attend community college was a hard blow. I listened to my friends gush about which colleges they were going to and how excited they were to move away from home. Even though I planned on transferring after two years of community college, I didn’t quite believe in the process. After being denied by most of my college choices, why would community college raise my odds of acceptance in any way? My life was profoundly changed by my experiences as a community college student. The people I met, the opportunities I received, and the confidence I gained are irreplaceable. The schools that once flat-out denied me admission (Cornell, Harvard, Tulane, and others) were now flooding my mailbox with offers of acceptance. My peers, students from every walk of life, were having similar experiences. Clearly, anyone with the right guidance could do the same. Attending community college didn’t just help me to get into good schools. Having two years to reflect on my life and potential career gave me the clarity and confidence I needed to pursue the things I was passionate about. Shortly after transferring to Babson College, I decided that I was going to start my own company. I had won thousands of dollars in private scholarships to pay for my education, and I wanted to give back. Thus I started ScholarPRO, a company to help students apply for scholarships, right out of my dorm room (or Office Suite 212 if you were a potential customer). What initially began as me sitting in my Boston dorm room grew into a small business with seven employees and a Chicago office. We’ve worked with hundreds of scholarship providers to make the scholarship application process easier. In 2010, the company was accepted into a highly competitive business program in Chicago, Excelerate Labs, where I met the most amazing mentors and advisors. Even though I chose to transfer to Babson College over Cornell University, I did eventually realize my Ivy League dreams when I attended Harvard’s Summer Venture in Management program in 2010. A counselor for the program told me that my community college background would add the kind of diversity to the program that they were looking for. Now that’s a community college advantage! Today, I am still an entrepreneur, a consultant, a speaker, and an author. I am currently working on a new startup specifically aimed at helping community college transfer students, and I will be speaking to thousands of students and college presidents this year alone about the opportunities of community college. I can proudly say that, yes, anything is possible coming from community college, even writing a book! The lessons that I’ve learned along the way and the opportunities that I’ve uncovered wouldn’t mean much if I didn’t share them with others. I hope that this book is truly a go-to resource for you, and that it will give you a totally new perspective on the academic world around you. I will offer a caveat to these promises by saying that I worked hard and I worked smart. I was handed a phenomenal opportunity and I persevered to seize it. I want to offer you that same opportunity by showing you everything that is possible. Ultimately, though, it is up to you to seize these chances and pursue your college dreams.