Which would be the best community college to attend to in Los Angeles?

Question

I would like to become a clinical psychologist, and I was wondering which community college I should attend. I heard PCC (Pasadena City College) was good, but I'm not sure. I heard LACC (Los Angeles Community College) was horrible, but I live nearby. Does one college have better courses towards my intended goal over the other? Your help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

Answer 1

I will first admit that I do not live in LA and do not know the CC system. However, I have worked for a community college and I am a clinical psychologist.

It honestly does not matter AT ALL which community college you attend, and, for that matter, it really doesn't matter where you get your B.A. from. As long as you do well and take the courses you need to get your B.A. when you transfer.

The big deal is where you go to graduate school, where you do your internships and what your work history has been (related to the field).



So, my suggestion, go wherever is easiest and cheapest for your A.A./A.S. When you transfer to a 4-year to finish your B.A/B.S. start looking for good graduate schools for clinical psychology. While you are working on the A.A. and B.A. degrees, just make sure you are taking as many psychology courses as you can so that you get a good variety. Otherwise, like I said, it really doesn't matter where you go. Some clinical psychologists actually have B.A degrees in totally unrelated fields, like drama, or art history (they do have to take a few additional psychology courses in order to be accepted to graduate school for psychology).



Hope that helps! Don't stress it at this level!

Answer 2

None of the above. Go straight into a Cal State or UC school. If you go to a CC anyway, it does not really matter which one but I hear that Pasadena and Santa Monica have better transfer rates to the CS and UC system than LACC.







Somehow it has become common for many schools to recommend that high school graduates go to a community college then transfer to a 4 year school for the rest of their bachelor’s degree. Even to get an associates degree first.



In reality, this path only makes sense in a few cases. It is not for the majority. Because from most community colleges, seldom more that 5% of their students will ever make the transfer. And some CCs do far better a job than others in making the transfer.



The normal way is to go to a 4 year school right from the start.



Going to a community college first is for when:



• You cannot afford all 4 years at the 4 year school and you really need to save money.



• Your grades are too low to get into the 4 year school right away



• You are immature and not ready to go away to college. That is, you have never been away from home and you are going to be homesick if you go too far away from home.



Otherwise you should only go to a CC if you are planning on only getting that much education.



As for getting an associates and transferring be aware that the courses needed to get as associates are rarely what you need to transfer. Then you end up taking an extra year at the 4 year school anyway.



The biggest issue is that universities do NOT coordinate their course requirement with what community colleges teach and it is likely in a lot of cases that upwards of half of your CC courses will not be accepted by the university. When a university updates a course, the CCs may not find out for years. Going to a 4 year school from the start is the best way to go unless you simply do not qualify.



If you get your general education requirements at a cc first, and you have the slightest hiccup in getting your courses for your major in the other 2 years, you will be doing an extra semester or two.

Answer 3

All of the local community colleges actually have similar transfer rates to 4 year colleges for students who attend intending to transfer, not all CC students intend to transfer. CC students have first priority over all other transfers, including CalState and other UC campus students in transferring to a UC. But it really comes down to that it's up to the student to do well at a CC if they want to transfer.



PCC would be my first choice, but LACC isn't far behind. (I've had my degrees for many years, but still take classes at local CCs for "personal enrichment." I've generally been impressed with the local CCs and I went to top colleges.) However, if you live close to LACC, that is something you should really consider. A big part of success in college is showing up, and the more convenient it is, the more likely you will. You won't feel like it on some days, but if the college isn't too far away, you have a better chance of going, especially if you must take public transportation.



If one CC has classes or programs you want to take, but another doesn't, that can be a deciding factor, like LACC has the Theatre Academy, and no other local CC has a similar program. Look at their class lists online to see if one has better classes, if you're in high school, ask your college counselor. If you're not a senior, be sure to look into other options like 4 year colleges.



If you decide to attend PCC (there is also Glendale Community College) you might consider attending summer school to maybe give you a little boost in class registration priority, in part it's based on your completed units at the college. I don't mention LACC, because last year they didn't have summer school due to CA economy problems. I'm not sure if they'll cancel summer school again, that was the first time I can remember that happening.



All of the local CCs have been quite full, and it's difficult for freshmen to get the classes they want/need. Register for classes asap on your registration date, have a written list of classes other than your first choices in case you need it, be flexible in your scheduling, become acclimated to the online registration process in advance, check out the class situation (Open/Closed) online the day before your registration date.



Good luck!