2-year private colleges can be equal to 4-year school

Q: I am a high school junior, and based on my GPA and my PSAT results I don't believe I will be accepted to the type of top-caliber college I would like to attend. I have a feeling my choices will come down to attending a lower tier four-year school or a community college. I am not thrilled about either of these options, and I'm wondering if there is any sort of middle ground?

A: First, since you are only a junior, it's still possible that you could pull your GPA and SAT scores up so that you would be competitive for a slot at a "top-caliber" college. However, if your GPA and SAT scores do not rise significantly, you might want to consider a two-year private college.

Many students confuse two-year private colleges with community colleges, but there are many differences. One of the biggest differences is tuition. Two-year private colleges attempt to emulate the experience a student might have at a private four-year institution; thus the tuition is comparable. Most two-year private colleges offer on-campus residential housing, a small campus size, a small number of full-time enrolled students (the largest two-year private colleges still have fewer than 1,000 full-time students), competitive athletics and outstanding leadership opportunities.

Because of the small number of students at two-year private colleges, the colleges are able to provide great academic support services, including a small student-to-faculty ratio, academic advising, transfer advising, learning centers and academic monitoring systems. The academic monitoring systems are especially important because they make it pretty tough to "fall through the cracks" and flunk or drop out. If a student is not going to classes, he/she will be called on it.

Additionally, two-year private colleges do not have open enrollment admission policies.

However, admissions officers at two-year private colleges generally evaluate applicants on academic potential rather than proven academic prowess.

So, if you have the money, and the only thing preventing you from attending the college of your dreams is your academic credentials, meet with a trusted advisor and put together an application to a two-year private college.

One person who did just that is William D. Green, the CEO of Accenture, a global consulting company with $17 billion in revenue and 130,000 employees. Green attended Dean College in Massachusetts, and to this day still credits Dean College and one of its professors, Charlie Kramer, for "(igniting) my passion for economics and taught me how to think analytically," according to a 2006 Newsweek article.

He went on to say that "my two years at Dean College not only prepared me for advancing my education and gearing up for a career, but also transformed me as a person."

http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/article/2008-1-5-katz
Reprinted by permission, Palo Alto Daily News. Jason Katz ©1.05.2008 All rights reserved. This article may be printed for your personal use, but may not be reprinted in whole or in part in any publication or website without permission. www.jkatzcollegecounseling.com