Question

[Superclub]

Hey, I am graduating this month and was planning on enlisting, I am now starting an app for ROTC on advice from people on this site, obviously I could not get the scholarship until next year, my question is: if I get the scholarship and have a year to wait until fall 2007 can I get college credits out of the way at a JC and not have to use all four years of the scholarship? Or do you have to complete four years of ROTC?

 

[Steve Wilkins]

You can take classes at the JC and transfer those credits to the university. You don't have to use all four years of the scholarship to be eligible for the scholarship. They even have 2 and 3 year scholarships available.

What level of math and science (specifically physics) are you at?

 

[Crowbar]

I always recommend taking classes at JC/CC. They're cheap (with TA I believe now they're either free or pretty close), often available at night, and are for the most part easier than the same class taken at a mainstream university. Obviously if you are going to be an engineer, you may want a solid base in math and sciences, but for your GE requirements, community college is the way to go. Knock out a few and pad your GPA.

 

[Superclub]

I took AP Calculus AB and Honors Physics, which was run as an AP class with the same book and took the AP test.

 

[Thisguy]

I took AP Calculus AB and Honors Physics, which was run as an AP class with the same book and took the AP test.

Which AP Physics exam did you take? Taking AP classes is money, I wish I worked a little harder in high school, (because between BC Calc and AP Physics, there's the potential to place out of Calc I, II, and Physics I, II )then I coulda slacked that much more in college, and that's really what it's all about

 

[Superclub]

Haha, I took AP Physics B, won't know if I passed it until July. But I took 4 other AP tests as well and so "crosses fingers" I will be able to have plenty of slack time.

 

[Thisguy]

Haha, I took AP Physics B, won't know if I passed it until July. But I took 4 other AP tests as well and so "crosses fingers" I will be able to have plenty of slack time.

That's good. Something that may affect your decision is what minimum score the school will accept for credit. For instance, I got a 4 in AB calc which was good enough to place out of calc I, but some schools are snooty and will only grant credit for a 5.

 

[eddie]

but some schools are snooty and will only grant credit for a 5.

Or not give you credit at all...

 

[navychick]

Go the JC route if you can. It will save you money and will count for your graduation. I got a 3.5 year scholarship...very nice since I am using that .5 for my study abroad this fall.

 

[pdx]

Haha, I took AP Physics B, won't know if I passed it until July. But I took 4 other AP tests as well and so "crosses fingers" I will be able to have plenty of slack time.

Even if you don't take or don't pass the AP classes, most colleges will let you challenge out of 100 & 200 level classes. I got credit for Calc AB and English Comp, but my HS didn't offer AP Physics or Chem. So, I just tested out of them my freshman year. It definitely lightens the workload if you are taking a packed curriculum like engineering.

JC's can be a great deal, but make sure you have a plan and you stay in contact with the college you are going to transfer into. This keeps you from wasting time and money on classes that won't transfer. Sometimes these policies seem totally arbitrary (Modern Western Civ counts as a history credit but Early American History doesn't?? WTF).