@redenigma I think they're generally less selective than 4 year schools. When I was graduating HS the local CC was often referred to as '13th grade'.
@redenigma Which did not prevent me, nor my siblings from earning AA degrees from Nassau Community College. My bro & I both went on to earn Bachelors' and then advanced degrees (MA, JD in my case, MD, PhD in his).
@rpardee my dad always said where you get your undergrad degree doesn't matter. you can save money & go to CC for 2 years, then transfer to a degree program at a state school for example, then when/if you go for a master's &/or Phd, you can look into snotty, er expensive schools because where you get those matters more, as far as future payscale/ employment prospects
@redenigma oh man you got me crying in my beer over here. I made this exact argument to my youngest, who proceeded to get a BA at a spendy private school (aren't they all?).
She is right now as I write in her bio class at the local CC re-thinking the direction of her academic career... 🙄
@redenigma (I'm not really upset about this BTW--she got an excellent education & is a smart cookie. She'll be fine no matter what.)
@redenigma And relatedly, I am persuaded that if your HS offers both AP classes and running start, you're better off w/the latter. AP credits may or may not transfer to a 4-year school, but if you can manage to get an Associates degree, that's almost always going to be honored.
@redenigma oh dang--that's a heck of a straightjacket...