Pro: AA before transfer

There are many cases in which college students are eager to transfer to a four-year university. Most are filled with the notion that an associate degree is just another pointless certificate to hang on a wall.

An associate degree holds many prospects for the undergraduate’s future, such as transfer opportunities and career advances.  

Transferring with an associate degree can save valuable time and money, which could not be acquired with a high school diploma.   

When students acquire an associates degree, they can move a step forward in their major and still be recognized for their work through their award.

Associate degrees can be earned by following the Associates Degree for Transfer (ADT).

The ADT guarantees transfer admittance into a California State University that partners with the curriculum. This initially places students further in transfer rates and puts them in higher standing for University of California applications as well.  

The associate degree can land students an early internship position while they push to obtain their bachelor’s degree.  

Higher probabilities of work experience through an associate degree builds good credit and a stable financial future.   

The median earnings of associate’s degree holders during their careers is about $259,000 more than for high school graduates, according to the Nexus Research and Policy Center and the American Institutes for Research (AIR).  

An associate degree can make it manageable to form a savings account and build resume experience.  

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, of the 2010-11 associate degree earners who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree, two-thirds did so within three years of earning their associate degree. The mean number of years from associate to bachelor’s degree completion was 2.8.  

In other words, students pursuing an associate degree are more likely to graduate quicker than their non-degree classmates. Getting the degree puts students at an advantage in academic progress and helps get them through college in a timelier manner.  

It goes to show attaining an associate degree will form dubious opportunities for achievement and attainment. The student can confidently say they have not just one, but two degrees hanging on their wall which in fact do hold value.