Where can you go that's close to home to gain valuable knowledge, prepare for the demands of the "real world," and mature socially and academically, without plunging yourself into debt? Why,  

community college

 , of course. Community colleges are no longer just "fall back" schools. They actually offer a great education at an affordable price. And, with many schools' open admissions policies, everyone is welcome.

The Facts
Community colleges charge a fraction of the price of most four-year schools. Community colleges offer a mix of ethnic backgrounds as well as ages, with students ranging from 18 to over 50. The average community college class size is from 20 to 40 students as opposed to hundreds in large lecture halls in four-year colleges. Of those who graduate community colleges, over 50 percent go on to four-year schools.

Community colleges have come a long way in the rankings, too. These local colleges were once viewed by many as a "last resort" for the academically- and socially-challenged, but not anymore. In fact, more and more future Ivy-Leaguers, business executives, and four-year college grads are getting their starts at two-year colleges for a multitude of reasons.

Why Attend a Community College?
"The price is right, and you don't have to go far away," boasts Adam Gonzalez, a broadcast major at Kingsborough Community College (Brooklyn, NY). And, the fact that his school is accredited and academically enhanced with students and faculty he can relate to, makes it a perfect fit, he says. After spending a year upstate at a four-year college, Adam returned home to Kingsborough, where he now serves as a peer advisor. He says he couldn't be happier. Like many freshmen, Adam had a hard time with the college transition, being so far away from home. When he made the decision to leave, however, he didn't initially look to return to school. He instead decided to try his hand in the business world. He even got a full-time job.

"There were a lot of different pressures at the same time," he explains, "but I always had the ambition to go back to school."

Luckily, he found a perfect balance at Kingsborough. "It's a whole different experience here," he says, adding he has no regrets about transferring. "I knew [that some] community schools had a reputation for being 'flunky,'" Adam says. "Kingsborough shattered that image. Everything here is taken very seriously. It's all about what you make of your education." In fact, Kingsborough has greatly prepared him for the world of work. "We have a Top 40 countdown at the radio station, just like the real world of broadcasting," he says. An added bonus is that the school helps out with job placement upon graduation. "As long as you reach out for help, it's there," says Adam.

In terms of student and faculty relationships, Adam's found everyone to be very friendly. The teachers are easy to talk to, he says, not to mention that Kingsborough's vast array of student backgrounds makes it easier to relate to one another. "Everyone looks to help and get involved."

Other community college students share Adam's sentiments as well. "In more traditional colleges, you have students coming straight out of high school to college," explains Ray Zulfirman Parsioan, a CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) graduate (New York, NY). "They haven't been exposed to various life experiences," says the 2002 valedictorian. He is now a graduate student at Yale University (New Haven, CT).

"People at BMCC, on the other hand, are from all walks of life, different ages, and have various ethnic backgrounds and social status," he explains. "They were all so busy, but they still managed to get a good education. I wanted to do the same, because the 'real world' is about learning how to manage your time and meet deadlines." The "really, really cool thing" about a community college, shares the now Ivy Leaguer, is the personal relationships he's shared with professors. "At BMCC, I received an education that always exceeded normal classroom hours. Discussions spilled into the office, cafeteria, and coffeehouses." "My experiences at BMCC well prepared me for the demands of Yale," Ray says. And while he is happy to now be a Yalie, he couldn't have done it without his former alma mater's priming, he assures. "Without the academic nurturing of BMCC, I would never have been able to excel," he says. "School spirit may run high in the Ivy League, but my personal affinity with college still faithfully belongs to BMCC. No other place can match its persistent pursuit of raising academic standards."

What the Colleges Are Saying
It's those high standards that seem to be drawing more and more students like magnets to community colleges. "Students are finding the value of community colleges very strong," says Queensborough Community College President Dr. Eduardo Marti. "If you want to come to a place where you have personalized attention by highly qualified faculty; a place where you can try out particular possibilities for a career, without wasting time or money; a place where you can stay close to home, work, and be with your friends, while advancing your career goals; a community college is that place, and it is here to serve you." Furthermore, points out Dr. Marti, the undergraduate experience a community college provides is a similar level of preparation you would find at many other colleges. "Really smart students would save their money to pursue advanced degree in a setting that is most effective to them," Marti informs. Dr. Marti says community colleges serve three main functions: their alternative transfer mission, the workforce preparation, and providing continuing education. His colleagues agree with him whole-heartedly.

"Our mission when we started was to be accessible," says Bronx Community College Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Marcia V. Keizs. "People who don't have time, money, or opportunity to go elsewhere are welcome at community colleges." In other words, the affordability factor, proximity to home and/or work, and an open admissions policy are what makes community college a wise choice for many, she adds. "Many of the 'Ivys' work on lectures, research, and writing texts," she points out. "In community colleges, teaching is definitely center stage." The knowledge students gain will prepare them for future academic and/or career possibilities.

And, says Keizs, when students are ready to transfer into four-year colleges, "it's almost a seamless transition." She points out that more and more four-year colleges are accepting community college credits with little or no hassle. Not to mention that students are well-prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. "They have gone through academic and emotional maturing, developed strength and confidence, and do better in the four-year colleges," Keizs explains. "They have developed a strength they didn't know they had by getting more private attention and being mentored.

Great Opportunities
While learning and retention take different forms for different students, community colleges offer remedial courses to bring students who need extra help up to speed and provide challenging programs for those who excel.

Yolanda Martin, a student at LaGuardia Community College (Long Island City, NY) participates in one of these programs, known as the Exploring Transfer program, at Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY). The Exploring Transfer program accepts 30 students from participating community colleges and allows them to spend a summer at the four-year school. They spend five weeks in an intense program with a vigorous workload, which gains them Vassar credits.

What has this done for Yolanda? "The benefit is huge," she exclaims. "We were very motivated, and classes were very dynamic." "We were given the opportunity to leave aside all our outside distractions and just focus on learning." "It was a turning point for me," Yolanda admits. "I had never thought I could go elsewhere and continue my education outside of a CUNY college," she says. "I realized there are opportunities I didn't know existed and that I didn't think would be accessible to me."

At LaGuardia, I enjoy the fact that the teachers are also counselors and friends who really try to guide you and make you realize your potential," she says. "I don't think the relationships are as personal in larger schools." In fact, points out Yolanda, during her very first semester at LaGuardia, she took a class with 25 students in it, and all of them were from different countries. "The multicultural facet of community colleges is amazing! I don't think you have that opportunity in other schools." Not only was that an interesting and exciting learning experience in itself, she says, but "it was mind-blowing to realize that you can learn a lot from each other as well as from the faculty."

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