You state: When I spent a year as a high school senior in Minn. a long time ago (75-76), my classmates were certainly considering going to the University or to a college - often referred to as a "community college". Maybe things have changed in the 38 years since then, or maybe it varies from state to state. Although this may be true, the discussion is typically "should I attend a community college or should I attend a University". After the choice is made, however, I expected them to say "I am in college" regardless of whether they chose a University or a community college. If the intention is to make a distinction (at least in the states by a native speaker in the states), the full term "community college" is usually used rather than just "college" or they may offer a further clarification that it is a full University, but, I have never heard a native speaker in the states say "I am attending university". My recollections of things in the states related to college only go back to 1980, however. Things were very different while living in outside the US.