Community College Instant Decision Days

hudsonvalley51
Fri, 29 May 2009 14:31:07 +0000

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).

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).

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.

What I’m describing is largely a pre-Recession phenomenon. It will be interesting to see what transpires after the Class of '09 graduates.