Brooklyn College is considered a “poor man’s Harvard”. It’s neither glamorous nor prestigious, it’s cheap and sustainable. Brooklyn College’s campus has well-kempt gardens, competent technology departments, a gym, a pool, a full-size basketball court– and it’s within walking distance of my neighborhood. Students can work jobs, have a life, and still make time for a college education. It feels like an upscale community college, but I think the community makes Brooklyn College a true New York experience. For students unwilling to move far away, going to Brooklyn College is a sensible use of
Entry to community college allows just that. Addison explains, “just follow any one of the 1,655 road signs, and pop your head inside—yes, independent film, a first independent thought, a first independent study” (212). Many potential college prospects are turned away because this self-discovery found in community college cannot be found in private college; however, Addison insists that community college is the golden ticket to regain these would-be scholars. To begin, acceptance is necessary for admittance to many colleges—not community college. In the words of Addison, “down at X.Y.C.C. it is still possible to enter the college experience as a rookie” (213). Any student desiring education, preparation, and self-discovery does not need to look any further than community college, which, for some students, is the only shot at the college experience. On top of this, community colleges provide opportunities like no college—public or private—could. Community colleges provide introductory courses that could not be found in regular institutions; this allows students to explore and get their feet under them. To find and pursue an interest proves more difficult at a college because intense classes are provided from the beginning, whether students have declared a major or have yet to decide. In sum, Addison claims that an atmosphere designed
Everyone knows that person from high school that just wasn’t cut out for college. It’s not a bad thing by any means, but if you’re thinking about heading off to college like many American teenagers often do, think about this: going to college can be a waste of both your time and your money. I’m not the first to say it, and I sure as hell won’t be the last. In Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s essay, Should Everyone Go to College?, the two authors take a strong economic approach to justify going to college. Owen, an ex- senior research assistant at Brookings’ Center on Children and Families and current research associate at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan center for research on the problems of urban communities, and Sawhill, the co-director of the Center on Children and Families and a senior fellow in economic studies at Brookings, claim that the return on investment (ROI) of a college education is overwhelmingly positive on average; However, they also bring light
In “Two Years Are Better than Four”, Liz Addison argues against Rick Perlstein’s article “What’s the Matter With College?”. While Perlstein questions the value of college as it currently is, Addison argues that the “community college system is America’s hidden public service gem”(Addison 257). By way of that, she defends the value of college. Unsurprisingly, as with most situations, the truth is somewhere in between ends of a spectrum created by these two articles. While I agree with Addison’s idea of community college being an accessible starting point for everyone, she fails to appropriately represent the unique culture often found in these types of colleges. Also, I think that she also fails to look at the overall purpose of attending school and then neglects to acknowledge the benefits of a four year university.
The exchange of views whether a student should attend an HBCU or a PWI has been a topic of discussion for some time now. Whether you attend an HBCU or a PWI you go for one purpose and that purpose is to get your education. So who says because someone goes to a predominantly black school they will not get the same education a person gets that goes to a predominantly white school ? Or vice versa. Many people have some sort of idea that by attending a Predominantly White Institution(PWI) one will receive a higher level of education but that is not truly always the case. Most individuals are under the impression that simply because of your skin color you have to attend that type of school. That is the problem with this case just people see it as one should attend the college with individuals who are like you but not keeping one 's education in mind.
For those who wish to have children in the future, imagine putting ten dollars a week aside from now until they turned eighteen. That money would hardly accumulate up to even a portion of the costs for just a single year of higher education. In the article, “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree”, an essay from the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2008, author Marty Nemko discusses all aspects that should be considered before pursuing a serious interest in educational institutions. Being a current student at a four-year institution it concerns me for not only myself but also fellow peers if we are making the right decision. The costs of higher education are increasing drastically along with the amount of Americans in debt from student loans. The value of a bachelor degree is declining and students are faced with the question, do the benefits of a collegiate education out weigh the costs?
How imperative is it that one pursues a traditional college experience? Although it might appear that Charles Murray and Liz Addison are in agreement that the traditional college experience is not necessary for everyone, Addison provides a more convincing argument that higher education is necessary in some form. This is seen through Addison’s arguments that college is essential to growing up, that education is proportional to the life one lives, and that community college reinvents the traditional college experience. Not only does Addison have her own opinions about college, but Murray does as well.
In this article, William Deresiewicz the author who is a previous a Yale professor talked about Ivy League universities and what it does to the students who attend those universities. Mr. Deresiewicz talks about what it's like to attend those universities compared to others. Mr. Deresiewicz suggests that Ivy League universities are alright but so are public universities, even in some cases that school might not be worth attending.
Juan Salgado, in his recent article “When Community College Is Free”, published in The New York Times, in September 19, 2017, argues if free community college works or not. Salgado presents an experiment that happened in chicago about two years ago. The program was called the Star Scholarship. Where Chicago began to offer free community college to all public high school graduates. He shows how the early results of the initiative have been “incredibly encouraging.” Juan also presents it through a student's point of view.
David Leonhardt’s op-ed, “Make Colleges Diverse” (December 13,2016) enlightens the benefits of Michael Bloomberg’s American Talent Initiative, and how it will create diversity in the country’s top colleges. Leonhardt states how he has high hopes for this program, and he also mentions how a teenager, Jeffrey Valdespino Leal, made it to college because of the program. The purpose of Leonhardt’s op-ed is to persuade to the readers Bloomberg’s new idea, in which to add more diversity in colleges and universities, and in order to do that, colleges must admit more low-income students. He presents his opinion in a casual and formal way, that attracts the attention of seniors in high school that come from middle class and low-income families, and also
Critics contend that the influx of nontraditionals into the college student market has accelerated a trend toward the “massification” of collegiate education – that is, that it has led to a watered down pedagogy that is far below the goals and expectation of the elite colleges. Nonetheless, the improvements in education oriented toward accommodation of the nontraditional student have had the practical effect of making college more affordable and accessible to all classes of people.
Discounted Dreams: High Hopes and Harsh Realities at America’s Community College. Prod. John Merrow. PBS Home Video 2007. DVD.
At no time during high school did I think too deeply about where I wanted to go to college. My parents didn’t force me to do anything specifically to be a “competitive” college applicant. Instead, I did whatever interested me the most; this paid off. I pursued and excelled at these activities, rather than spending time doing things that would only look good on a resume. The thing is, there are many colleges with programs that reflect my main interests in peacebuilding/public-policy, business, engineering, and music. After visiting here and speaking with Associate Director Loughhead, I realized that it was not only the convenience of combining these interests into my daily life (specifically through The Williams School) all in the perfect
I have dreamed of attending Dartmouth since I first learned about the college several years ago. I was fortunate to visit and tour last summer and enjoyed personally soaking up every bit of Dartmouth possible. The rural setting of the campus is even more gorgeous than I imagined and the staff and students were warm, welcoming and energetic in describing Dartmouth and everything the school and location had to offer. I did not require any convincing, but their love of Dartmouth was obvious and it felt amazing to see and feel for myself.
There are a million different reasons I could state why I absolutely love Barnard. Barnard College is my dream school; every time I think about it, a smile graces my lips. With Barnard, I don't have to pick and choose between what I want. It gives me the intimate atmosphere and close connection of a small college, yet allows me be part of a larger university. As a woman in a male-dominated field, the ability to be part of a women's college and at the same time be able to take part in a coeducational environment across the street is perfect. The small campus at Barnard provides a small homely community in contrast to NYC, one of the largest cities in the world.
As the younger generation gets closer and closer to college age, we wonder where we are going to go or if we even want to attend. People always tell you that education is important and you will use this knowledge throughout your entire life, so when choosing a college it’s important that you choose a very educational school. For those reasons New York University was an amazing choice for me. New York University, also known as Violet, has it’s ups and downs of being located in such an urban area. The private school is located around Washington Square, and Washington Square Park which is a very busy spot. Things you can do around the college include: visiting art galleries, food touring, it also has a lot of nightlife. With so many students the classes are big, the average enrollment of students out-of state is 64% and the average in-state is 36%. New York University is a very mixed