Applied for college. so many questions.

[Radical Edward]

I applied at my local community college for an associates program in Manufacturing Plastics and plasyic technology.
I also applied for financial aid.
So here is my list of questions:
How long does it typically take before I'll know if I'm approved for either?
Does anyone know how quickly i can get the degree if I'm very involved in my classes?
Any advice?

Also, i need to add, im oh so excited!

[Lonesomedave]

man...good for you! those sound like really good programs with an unlimited future upside.

no, i don't know how long it takes to hear about the things you asked...but...let me ask you this.

do you know if your school has any summer school classes...because if it does, and you take the maximum classes you can take, both in the school year and at summer school, you can easily complete your degree at least a semester before everybody else.

good for you...i predict if you apply yourself (unlike me!....), you will go far...those courses you mention seem to be ones that will be in great demand...and who knows...after your associate degree, you may find scholarship opportunities for a full blown degree. grab this chance and make the most of it.

[jmattbassplaya]

Well, for UT it took them (not lying) 6 months to get back to me. UofM took 3 days. Financial aid was pretty quick and only took a month at most, but you need to remember that you have to reapply for it after every semester. Also, check with your insurance company (if you have one) because they can give you some sick discounts if you're a student (especially if you're one in good standing).

As for how quickly it'll take you to get your degree, that's up to you. One of my ex's got through her undergrad in two and a half years. That said, she had over a semester's worth of classes taken care of thanks to AP courses in high school, and she took a lot of classes during the summer months, too. However, for most people college seems to take around 5 years unless you go in knowing exactly what you want to do and you know you're willing to put forth all the time and dedication that's needed not to fail a class.

Which reminds me, failing or dropping a pre-req class can put you a whole semester behind, so be VERY familiar with what classes you need to take before you can take something else. DO NOT expect your adviser to know this stuff for you because you'll likely get screwed over if you do. I'll write more when I think of things.

[Ziltoid]

Can't say as it seems to vary from place to place, I applied on two programs at my current U, one answer came two weeks after the other. Go figure. General rule of thumb I'd say late Feb or March.

Totally no clue for the financial aid.

[darius8]

An A.S. requires 30 - 36 units completed here in Cali. If you take the summer classes you can apply for your A.S. in one and a half years.

[TOOL460002]

+1 1.5 years provided you max out every semester and every summer. If you can handle it, consider asking your school if they will let you take more than the standard maximum amount of units. It isn't common, but it can be done, especially if you have one or two easy classes on your schedule. You could add another.

Make sure you have it all planned out if your degree requires courses with prerequisites. Also, not every class is offered every semester (typically), so you want your degree planned out as soon as you can, since you know what you want and you seem quite driven.

As for financial aid... prepare to wait. Just make sure you know when the absolute latest is that you will get the yes or no. If they have three months to get back to you, you have to assume they will take their sweet time, so have another plan. I know that can be tricky and stressful.

Other than that... good luck! I wish you all the best. If you stay as motivated as you are now, you will have great success.

[jp58]

It could take a month or so to hear back about either. Admissions will likely be quicker than fin aid, because fin aid has to know that you're admitted. Financial aid will be a pain in the arse, so be ready for that. If either department needs additional info, the sooner you get it in, the faster your response will be.

Also, take as many classes as you feel like you can handle with A's or B's. Everyone goes at their own pace, but you should want to graduate within 3 years, or 2 or less if you apply yourself.

Also, good luck!

Edit: Awesome job going back. Hopefully you end up with a lucrative job and not a lot of debt. Keeping your student loans down is something I wish someone would've told me when I started.

[Factor88]

If your Community College limits you on the number of courses you can take per semester, you might be able to do an end run around that by taking elective-type courses from some other local college, or even an accredited on-line College, then transfer those credits. The trick is you have to be 100% sure the course credit will transfer, and also you may have to pay out-of-pocket for those elective classes. Stil, even if you do that AND take summer classes one summer you would still probably be looking at 1.5 years.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Can't say how long it'll take to heard back, varies from institute to institute!

One thing to keep in mind, while it may seem like a good idea to try and get finished as quickly as you can (something you can't do here all that often), you also don't want to over burden yourself and have your work suffer because you tried to do too much too quickly.

[tplyons]

I've been notified anywhere from same day to about 3-4 months later.

Being that you're looking at a community college, should be much quicker, in my experience.

[Unprofessional]

When you are admitted, get a copy of the college catalog in effect at that time. This is your rulebook until you graduate. Study the list of courses required to finish your degree and the pre-requisites and co-requisites that go along with them. Realize the possibility that not all courses will be taught every semester. Schools tend to teach certain courses during certain semesters. This information is revealed in old course schedules. All of this information is probably on the school's website.
Try to lay out a Plan of Study which shows which courses you will take in which semesters keeping in mind all of the above. That will give you a realistic idea of how long it's going to take to finish.
As others have said, be your own advocate and know exactly what you need and when you need it. The college catalog you were admitted under is your backup documentation.

[A-Step-Towards]

The amount of credits you can take per term is limited but you can get around this by meeting with an adviser, do not try to take a bunch of courses your first term. Your first term is learning how college is and time management.

Your just wanting to complete this Associates and not transfer to a University? if so then just look at the requirements for your degree at the Community College level,but if you plan to transfer you will want to transfer before even completing your Associates and you will want to transfer to a University that has a compatible program or dual enrollment options.

When I registered at a Community College I just paid $30 and took a few tests and was in. Your going directly into a program thus I am not sure how long it will take.

Good luck! College is a journey. It took me 51 months to get my Bachelors and I started at a Community College and transferred to a University after 2 years. It seems like there is no end at some points but it will happen if you stay focused.