<p>I’m curious as to how other parents feel about the more aggressive approach many/some community colleges are taking these days to recruitment. In our area it has become common practice for the local community colleges to schedule “Instant Admission” programs at area high schools. These programs are usually held in the evening in October or early November and include an informational session about the college, a sales pitch extolling the financial savings afforded by staying home to go to college, followed by a chance to complete an application and be instantly admitted (pending awarding of the HS diploma).</p>
<p>These programs have been highly successful in terms of increasing enrollment over the past 5 years. Yet, something about the whole approach rubs me the wrong way. Some of these admissions officers bear an uncanny resemblance to the smooth-as-silk military recruiters who used to drum up business for the Non-Volunteer Army of my youth. I have been put off by blantant appeals to the pocketbook without discussing the pros and cons of attending a CC vs. a residential state college or university (let alone a private school). </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong. We NEED our community colleges and they provide a great service to a variety of constituencies, including kids who need time academically, emotionally or financially before heading off to college or additional vocational training. However, I have seen many, many cases where kids have opted to sign up on the spot for CC and figure they no longer needed to waste time exploring other college options. Not surprisingly, many of our area high schools now report that 45 or 50% (or more) of the graduating class is going off together to community college. This includes a lot of kids who could do well at a 4-year school and who would probably benefit from getting away from home.</p>
<p>What I’m describing is largely a pre-Recession phenomenon. It will be interesting to see what transpires after the Class of '09 graduates.</p>
<p>I am not sure why this is a problem. Maybe I am somewhat biased as I attended a CC myself prior to transferring to a university and finishing my degree (as did all of my siblings). What exactly is wrong with this? These students will still get an education and will still get the experience of attending a four year school (a little later). It might be the best option for some of them. I know I have seen my share of 18 year olds go “away” to college who were clearly not ready for it and the results weren’t always good.</p>
<p>Our D chose another path, however H & I would have been fully supportive if she has opted to attend our very good local CC and then transferring. Not to mention the bundle of $$$ would have saved.</p>
<p>We have state colleges that do this too. I’m not sure how hard they try to sell it as we have not visited them during their instant decision time.</p>
<p>Our HS sends under 50% of the graduating class to 4 yr. schools, 40% to 2 yr. schools. So the cc is certainly a viable option for many of our students who might not otherwise go on to college. And those students who chose to go the 4 year route would not have been swayed by a slick CC marketing campaign.</p>
<p>Card – I think the biggest difference is that the CCs in our area are targeting everyone from the weakest to the strongest students. This is includes many kids who would be better off breaking the cord tying them to parents and high school friends, and who would be better off with the challenges found at a good 4-year institution with a strong student body. I frankly don’t see a great deal of value in the A/A- student who has the money and ability to attend a Geneseo opting instead to hang out in the hometown with his high school friends for another two years in order to save $3,000. </p>
<p>But that’s my bias based on seeing too many kids squander their promise, and based on the academically uneven CCs in our area.</p>
<p>I don’t know one student who attended a CC for a year or two and then transferred who ended up coming back home after a semester, I know lots of students who went away at 18 who weren’t ready and ended up coming back. Approximately 1/4 of D’s classmates will be attending a certain state school which is only a little over an hour away from home. Not much “cutting the cord”!</p>
<p>What I also see a lot of are students who did not apply themselves in high school whose parents are now spending 30K+ to send them to OOS or private schools which will accept them rather than send them to the local CC and get the grades up. </p>
<p>Having attended CC with many people who are now doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, PhD’s,MBA’s etc ( I’m a CPA, by the way), I don’t necessarily feel we squandered our promise.</p>
<p>On the spot admissions do have their place and serve a population of students who need to attend whether for academic or financial reasons. The CUNY CC’s have on the spot admissions over the summer where the student brings their diploma, their sealed orfficial transcript, immunization records, ID pay the fee and are admitted on the spot. They take the placement test, meet with the FA counselor, meet with an academic advisor, register and done.</p>
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<p>With the large increase of applicants at the SUNY and CUNY schools, students who would have been a shoo-in are not being accepted because they are full (especially those that file late in the cycle). </p>
<p>Sometimes going the SUNY CC route to a school with an articulation agreement to the 4 year program that you ultimately want to attend can be a great strategy for this same A/A- student who may not be able to walk into through the front door at an extremely competive program or whose family may who cannot afford 4 years.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<p>Onondaga CC is one of my favorite SUNY CC’s because of their extensive articulation agreements. </p>
<p>It is a school that I do recommend to students who: </p>
<p>1) would be better served from leaving the city and going away to college.
2) may not have the GPA but not the SAT scores to get into the 4 year program or the 4 year program is a competitive one
3) if accepted, will do the work required, do it well and make the articulation agreement work for them
4) may have a good chance of being accepted through an EOP program, which they can carry over to the 4 year SUNY or convert to HEOP should they attend a private NYS school.
5) I can provide a teachable moment to and let them know that there are many roads that will lead you to the same destination.</p>
<p>Because we are in NYC, this works for my students, because the on-line application is free and they will turn over an admission decision in approximately 2 weeks. </p>
<p>I can administer their on-line placement test in NYC (saving my students a trip to Syracuse), they know what courses they need for english and math and can start planning the courses they need to fulfill the articulation agreement.</p>
<p>Community college faculty member here. It may be different where you live, but our community colleges have an open admission policy, meaning that anyone age 18 and above can attend, even if they don’t have a hs diploma or GED. All students take English and math placement exams and are placed in developmental courses as needed. Certain degree programs, such as nursing, have more rigid admission requirements (hs diploma or GED, prerequisite courses completed with a certain GPA, etc.).</p>
<p>I am much less offended by public CCs trying to recruit kids than for-profit schools trying to hook kids in. Hudson, I have no issue with CC recruiting as long as the poorer, first generation kids have GCs to help them figure out a good path.</p>