BY ALISON CHURCH
Diablo Valley College (DVC) is right around the corner from Benicia High School, located in Pleasant Hill and the San Ramon Campus in Dougherty Valley. It is one of three “publicly supported two-year community colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District,” according to DVC’s website. The community college hosts around 28,000 students per term, and for good reason. The college has the number one transfer rate to four year colleges statewide. While DVC’s transfer rate to a four year college is at 34%, the national average transfer rate remains at 20%. According to dvcinquierer.com, “the graduation rate of all transfer students nationally is about 60%, while DVC’s rate is 66%.” With all this in mind, DVC is a great option for Benicia High Students and those in the Bay Area due to its high praise and consistent results of success in students who attend.
On March 11th, students who were interested in applying gathered during access period to listen to guest speakers from DVC’s administration. The guest speakers went over the application process and guided students along the way, often stopping by their desks to aid them and answer any questions they had.
In an interview with the Benicia Paw, Ysabella Hernandez stated, “I found the guest speakers and the presentation to be pretty helpful. It was a really informative meeting and they were really helpful as a guide for the registration process.” When asked what in particular about DVC was appealing to her, she stated, “I find DVC appealing to me because it gives me more time to think about what I really want to major in, and it’s also a money saver. I’ll be able to complete my GED for free, and it’s a good feeder school for the UC’s. I found the whole application process much easier, thanks to the guest speaker’s guidance. I would recommend this process to any other students who are interested, too.” Overall, Ysabella found the event to be a positive experience, as did others.
In an interview with senior Tristan Keene, she states that “they were all super helpful. I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the process but they made it so easy.” What Keene found appealing about DVC was that, “I am eligible for two years tuition free at DVC and a really good transfer program to UC Berkeley. I’m hoping to save as much money as possible because the idea of being saddled with large amounts of debt for the rest of my life terrifies me. DVC also has one of the best debate programs in the state. Overall, the process was super easy and not at all confusing or challenging, so I highly recommend it. Don’t feel pressured to go to a four year right off the bat. A lot of the time a community college is the better option both financially and academically.”
No matter what a student’s reason may be for going to DVC, it is a great option for students looking to go to one of the best community colleges in the country.
beniciapaw.com 