Community College with Dorms for 3.2 GPA?
My junior is likely going to Community College because of her low GPA (3.2). She does not want to live at home. I am looking for feedback on community colleges that have kids who live there (whether its dorms or private housing). I know there is SBCC (Santa Barbara) but we have heard it's a party school where kids can easily get distracted. My kid is very easily distracted.
What other options are there where she would get solid academic support AND can live there? She is a kid that will need a solid support system to succeed.
I know Diablo Valley CC is great for academics and support but you can't live there. Foothills is another one that is highly recommended for academics and support. (On a side note, none of the Peralta colleges are recommended from a friend who works in CC.)
Thank you!
Parent Replies
There might be more to the story than what you have summarized, but that's not a particularly low GPA for some of the Cal States or out of state equivalents, like Oregon State or Washington State. Does she want to go to a four year school? It's not out of reach. Most of the Cal States would take a student with that GPA if it's not for one of the impacted majors. Look at Monterey Bay or San Jose, perhaps, for a college that's not at home but not on the other side of the state either.
I know that at the California community college in my hometown, there are dorms that are mostly occupied by student athletes recruited to play there for their first year of eligibility. So I would definitely ask about that if you are seriously considering a community college dorm and don't fit that profile as this may be common and perhaps not super conducive to studying.
That is a low GPA for most UC's but Merced and Riverside are still an option. UC Merced accepted my high school senior and he didn't even apply. They accept anyone with a 3.0 and above. The CSUs outside of SLO and probably SDSU and Long Beach are well within that GPA. Sac State, Humboldt, Chico State, SF State ... she would be accepted at all of those. I wouldn't assume that CC is your child's only path, but many of these colleges would require your child to be proactive and seek out help should she need it. You might want to consult a college counselor who can help guide you in your search - we used Sharon Rudnick who charges hourly. She helped my son choose a list of colleges in one session.
Hi--
Santa Rosa Junior College has an on-campus dorm. My son is going there (he got into several CSUs with a similar GPA) and is thriving. We went to an open-house event before he enrolled and the overwhelming message was that everyone is welcome there and can get the support that they need. I highly recommend checking it out!
Agree with the previous respondent - that GPA would make her eligible for Cal State system - guarantee admission in the Bay Area for Sonoma State and SF State! My son started at Sonoma State - and while he did have to leave due to mental health, I think generally it was a good choice - everyone lives on campus first year, it's small in comparison to other Cal State options too (5k students), there's lots of support options esp if your kiddo had an IEP in high school, but even without, there's good tutoring programs...
I also agree that 3.2 isn't that low. My kiddo was accepted to SDSU, UC Merced, U of Hawaii and eventually off the wait list at University of British Columbia with a 3.4 GPA. Out of state tuition will be more expensive than in state (important to consider whether that is an option for your family); however, your daughter probably has a good chance of getting in out of state as well as to some of the CSU's. If your daughter is willing to work with you on applications, you can probably do it without a counselor. If she isn't terribly cooperative, a college counselor will help her decide what colleges to apply to and fill out the applications together with her.
If your daughter has issues with executive functioning, etc. then that might be a reason where a couple years at community college would be beneficial. Best of luck!
In my experience, as a student many years ago, and as the parent of an undergraduate more recently, 3.2 GPA is not at all out of reach for many CSUs. At the more populous CSUs, however, getting academic support may be overwhelming. In college, any college, students really, really need to be sure to advocate for themselves if they need support (actually this is true at all levels of education starting in elementary school!). I recommend that your child apply to a couple of the smaller CSUs. Also, here is the official list of community colleges that have on-campus housing: https://www.cccco.edu/Students/Support-Services/College-Dormitories-and-Housing (thanks google!)
There are extremely few CC’s with housing, as I’m sure you’ve found out. I want to put in a word for Cabrillo College, which is an excellent CC. When my kid attended they did not have housing (they VERY OCCASIONALLY have acshared housing with UCSC, but I understand that mostly doesn’t happen). Lots of kids from Berkeley attend Cabrillo, and I imagine that’s true for other nearby Bay Area cities too. It’s a great community college. Good luck!
Napa Valley Community College just built some dorms. A 3.2 GPA is high enough for some Cal States. In terms of support, if she had/has an IEP or 504 plan the colleges are obliged to provide support.
Your child could easily attend a CSU school with a 3.2 gpa. The application is fairly straightforward. It only includes coursework and grades with no essays which can be a barrier for some kids.on a side note I would however be aware with Sonoma State because due to plummeting enrollment starting g during the pandemic they have had severe budget cuts and many programs eliminated. That said the campus is really nice and calm. There are many other CSUs that could be a great fit for your kid and include housing. I would take a look at their website to see each school and talk with a high school counselor at their school for help with the selection process. The great thing with these applications is you can apply to a few with just 1 application!
Santa Rosa CC has dorms for regular students. I know a couple of kids who went there with 504s in school and did well. I've heard good things. BTW, 3.2 might be low for UCLA but it's fine for a lot of other schools. Good luck.
Santa Rosa Communtiy College has residence halls and is highly regarded in the area.
If your child wants to go to a four year Cal State East Bay has an average GPA of 3.2
SFState and Sonoma are close to that. Sacramento State is vibrant and diverse. Until their event financial troubles I would have also highly recommended Sonoma State. It’s a lovely friendly and personal campus - perfect for someone who could use help getting used to college. I’m not sure what is happening right now.
I’m a high school teacher but teach a college readiness class called AVID. We take a lot of field trips to colleges and many of my students have a similar GPA to your child.
Agree with previous responder that 3.2 is not a deal breaker for college in the least. There are plenty of 4 year colleges your daughter could thrive at! Have you looked at the Colleges That Change Lives? https://ctcl.org/ It sounds like a small liberal arts college that has a sold support system in place would be a good option for your daughter. Good luck!
My friend’s son had a good experience at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. Good luck!
Just to echo the previous poster, my son graduated high school with a 3.0 and was accepted at several Cal States, as well as a whole bunch of decently-ranked private and public schools in other states (some of them are looking for geographic diversity so that can help a low GPA). If you prefer a community college that’s great, but I just wanted to say that a 4 year school is totally feasible too.
Adding to my previous reply, my child has been accepted twice to Cal State East Bay, for undergraduate and for masters which will be followed by a teaching credential. A 3.2 GPA should be no problem toward acceptance. The dorms are relatively new. It is a lovely campus with a regular shuttle to BART. I recommend taking a visit!