All CA CC’s are in the same boat, though I suspect that the more “rural” ones (such as Lake Tahoe CC) have far less students attempting to sign up for the same core GE’s so they can eventually transfer to university. It is a shame that these community institutions can no longer “guarantee” an associate degree in two years for FT students.
They still serve a need for training in the trades (ROP) and administering certificate programs for those who want/need to work FT in a particular field ASAP. Free day care for children is provided for those parents who qualify.
For the university bound, CA CC’s are a crapshoot, at best. It is far better to get accepted to a university ASAP after HS. If the one your student got accepted to is not their first choice, then they can always reapply to their preferred campus ONLY AFTER they finish the core GE’s (60 units for semester schedule or 90 units for quarter schedule) at their current university campus but NOT BEFORE! If they don’t get in at that late date, they should STAY WHERE THEY ARE. They are already “in.” No harm done.
I think too much attention is paid by freshman applicants for UC/CSU to location (often those campuses located at or near the coast) causing severe impaction of all degree programs offered on several campuses.
Here’s an interesting CSU “service area” recruitment list. Note that there is no mention in it of the “Compact for Success” program in SUHSD (for SDSU). Several other CSU campuses seriously consider their local “service area” freshman applicants using lesser admission standards than the rest of their applicants (out of county, state and country). This is as it should be to ensure university affordability to all freshman (not be forced into pricey on-campus housing contracts).
Just like HS, IT DOESN’T matter where the kid gets his diploma/degree if a particular degree program offers the exact same 4 yr curriculum at several different local HS’s or CSU campuses. It’s really okay to graduate from an “inland” UC or CSU. The new bachelor’s degree graduate can accept their first FT job anywhere they wish (coastal CA or even another state).
