As far as I know, almost all 4 year colleges will consider people transferring in from community colleges. I think it'd be tough to go to college while you live 3-4 hours away from there. I'm not sure if that is what you meant. You can certainly apply to a college 3-4 hours away, and you'll want to move to live near the college when you start there.

I'm not sure if it is easier to get into a college as a transfer. I would think that if you were an average student in high school and weren't able to get in right out of high school, but then you did really well at a community college, the 4 year college would might be willing to accept you.

I think you can transfer to most any school, but obviously the more competitive the school, the more difficult it will be. If you had good grades in high school and good SAT / ACT scores, you would probably have a better chance.

Heya...

A few thoughts re: your questions.

1. If you make good grades you can apply to a college/university across town or across the country. It doesn't matter. I initially went to a CC close to my home in Oregon, and then was THIS CLOSE to transferring to a university in Wisconsin after 2 years. I then chose to stay in Oregon, but transferred to a university about 2-3 hours from my parents' place. (It can suck staying home, you're right... but it is also nice to have holidays at home or a home-cooked meal sometimes.)

2. It might be easier, it might be harder. It depends on your background and situation, as outlined by Doc Admin. Do the absolute best that you can in CC and it probably will be a very good thing, since you are also likely saving money by going there.

3. Yeah, it's possible. Just remember that it can be a good idea to take much of your pre-med stuff at the 4-year level.

Good luck! Enjoy the ride, and be/do well...