Is open admission really that common?

To succeed in college, you need a solid foundation of reading, writing, and math skills. If you didn’t establish this foundation in high school, you may have to take remedial, or catch-up, courses at a community college. They are also called developmental or basic skills courses. These courses don’t count toward your degree, so graduating will take you longer and cost you more if you’re not prepared. You’ll probably take placement tests when you start college. The results will reveal whether you need to take any catch-up courses before beginning college-level study.