Admissions Essay: My Journey To A Community College

The process of having to find a college or a university to attend is a huge challenge, and a stressful process. Even though I don’t have to worry about getting into a University for another four more years, I stress of the thought every day. Will I have a high enough GPA? What about my SAT scores? Do my parents even have money saved away for me and tuition? What do I want to do with my life? Thoughts like these run through my mind and stress me out all the time it seems, but I’m learning how to take things one step at a time. The first step to insure I have a good future for myself is making sure I have goals set and locked, once I know what I want to do with my future it helps me plan ahead better, but saying this is easier said then

Former baseball player Tommy Lasorda once said, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” The journey of our life is full of winding paths and concrete obstacles whose sole goal is to slow us down, and to attempt to block us from reaching our ultimate goal in life, whatever that may be. These barriers are there for several different reasons, whether it be mental or physical. Sometimes these obstacles are motivated by fear, other times they exist simply because we have to make a decision, and that decision can be life changing. But through our determination, and through our perseverance, we can achieve what these barriers told us was impossible, and can pursue the path in our life that leads us to our ultimate self. Throughout my life, I have had thousands of barriers stand in my path. And the only way I was able to defeat them was through conquering my fears, and breaking my limits in order to achieve excellence.

My most significant endeavor since attending community college has been has been protesting Capitol Hill at Washington, D.C. demanding congress to pass a clean Dream Act. As a member of the organization United We Dream, I went with them on a 16 hour long bus trip to the capital from Miami. Once we got to the capital, we went to a local church to practice how the protest was going to happen. At the church, I met many students like myself who all came to voice their demands to congress. During the lunch break, I met a student my age in the same grade. He noticed I was wearing a University of Southern California jacket and asked if I went there. I told him that I was a community college student at Miami Dade College planning on transferring there, that's when he told me he also attended a community college in Colorado and was planning to attend the same university.

Graduating high school was an exciting time, but I felt lost. I wasn't sure of my career goals or what I wanted to accomplish at University. When I first decided to attend community college, I felt hesitant because I did not take the traditional route like my other classmates. However, community college was cheaper and would give me time to figure out the career path I wanted to take.

To me college is like the next step of life to adulthood; it is where you get a taste of the authentic world and learn how to adjust and manage on your own. In addition, it can be a place of magnification and polished skills within a community that strives for a prosperous life with an effulgent vocation. Thus, attending college was compulsory for me in order to reach future goals, and North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT) transpired to be just right for me. The distance was within range and they have an outstanding mechanical engineering program that I could solemnly benefit from. Overall, attending this university has opened many doors of opportunities that arrange with my personal and professional goals through their culture and community. Furthermore, I endeavor to put myself first and review my precedent accomplishments to strive for better while exposing myself to incipient challenges and obstacles.

Ever since I was a kid I have always thought about what college I was eventually going to go to. I made the decision in high school that I wanted to be a special education teacher, so I thought about some schools that had that teaching program. My number one school I wanted to attend that had the best teaching program was East Carolina University. Having ECU as my number one choice lead me to apply there. Weeks after I applied I got a letter telling me some sad news that I was not accepted. Since I applied to ECU and did not get in, I was now thinking about applying to other schools like Methodist University or maybe a community college.

After high school, I chose community college to work on basic courses while I decided on my future bachelor degree. At Tompkins Cortland Community College, I maintained a 3.37 GPA, qualified for the Dean’s List in two semesters, and graduated with honors. As a reflection of my abilities at the time, I would say that despite my achievements, my GPA was not as high as it could have been. None of the classes were overly challenging and I was dedicated to my studies, but my job took up valuable time. On average, I worked thirty-eight hours a week in order to support myself in college. I often felt crammed for time, and cut corners in order to get assignments in on time. For the quality of work I was able to put in, my GPA is accurate. However, given better means, I know that I could have graduated with a more appropriate GPA.

When I was a senior in high school I was accepted to Penn State and a few other schools, and was really pleased with how I had done at the end of my four years at my school, Council Rock North. But after a few weeks of investigating the potential costs and realizing that my savings would not be able to cover the costs of attending a 4 year school without putting my family and myself in a lot of debt, I realized that I could instead go to the local community college. I really liked this option because it allowed me to explore many of my passions for Computer Science without making a huge investment and locking myself into a certain path. Having now spent the last 2 years at Bucks County Community College, I've really deepened my passion for

I am a first-generation, Chicano and will soon finish my last semester before I transfer to a four year university in the upcoming fall. Coming from a first-generation household, I have had to overcome many obstacles to be in the position that I am now in. Community college has been a valuable resource that has allowed me to pursue an amazing education at a low price which has eased the burden of high tuition on my parents. Sometimes it is the cost of education that impedes those that seek it and scholarships are one avenue in which they become easier to travel down the path to success. Coming out of Gilroy High School years ago, I was unsure of what I wanted to major in and devote myself to but I had the amazing opportunity of enrolling in University of California, Merced.

After a hectic first semester at the community college, I began to find myself. I realized that the four-year university I wanted to attend initially, would have not been a good fit for me. Being part of different student organizations and creating connections with my professors at the community college is what helped me find what I was really looking for. I wanted a place where I felt like I mattered and not a school with fifty thousand students where I would just feel like a number. The additional semester I got to stay home, I was able to do more research and find a university where I would fit in and connect with.

In the beginning of my college search I had no intentions of attending community college. I began having thoughts of not continuing my education past high school, but something was not right. This is the point in which I decided I still needed to continue my education, but was not prepared for a four year institution. It was one of the best decisions that I have made so far in my short life. The individuals I have met, the courses I have taken, and the opportunities I have had so far has allowed me to create a better self as well as preparing me to continue my education at a four year institution.

There are a number of reasons why more students are opting to enroll in their local community college, rather than going straight to four year institutions. Community College is better way to begin your college career than a four-year University because it is less expensive, better support at a small College, and smaller class size in Community College.

I had walked the halls of the hospital so many times; I knew it like the back of my hand. My mom was beside me attempting to keep me in good spirits. We sat down in the testing room and waited for the doctor to arrive. The test was rather short and painless compared to the dozens of others I had before. After it was over the doctor told us the same thing every other doctor had told me, ‘We’ll let you know the results in a few days.” The results came back and they had discovered a cist on my ovary. After that I was sent to the best gynecologist in the state and after a few visits we had finally discovered what put my life on hold for years. The road to relief was not easy or short, but at the end shaped me into the person I am today.

In the short semester this course happens to be, having assistance in deciphering what it means to be a wonderful writer is the goal. Along with this, I will have a clearer understanding on how to break down the information going into an essay; more importantly, this shall help essays flow together smoothly. Overall, it is thrilling to be able to take this course. Although, majoring in English remains to be something I am uninterested in. Thoughts of stepping into the dental field have come into play, but I happen to currently be undecided on what my plans are for after graduation. Attending a community college is more than likely the best bet. Interesting enough, during the school day generally I keep to myself, but I am an outgoing person.

What has my journey to graduation been like for me? My journey has been a crazy, fun-filled learning adventure. I met many goals and accomplishments I set for myself but I also faced some challenges on the way. For example, I finally met my goal of graduating with a 4.6 GPA and maintaining it. Also, I accomplished completing my last four years of grade school and now I am on the way to college. My last year has been interesting and there are many goals, accomplishments and challenges I can reflect on.