College Bound
Vol. 16 No. 5 February 2002
Where Do The "C" Students Go?
Opportunities For Average Graduates
THEY MAY NOT
get into Harvard, Yale or any of the top name brand colleges. But for
college-bound students with just average grades, there are still many
schools of higher learning that welcome them.
Early this year, COLLEGE BOUND looked at the admissions policies at
several representative colleges and universities around the country
and found that, despite the current competitive atmosphere, high school
students with a 2.0 GPA, SATs of 850 to 1050 or ACTs of 18 or above
still have a variety of educational options open to them.
While much of the attention in the media focuses on the top colleges
and the status of "A" and "B" students, "We
should care about 'C' students because they're the backbone of our country,"
says Claire D. Friedlander, a college consultant at Bedford Central
School District in New York and with Jewish Family Service in Stamford,
Connecticut. She observes that half the students she counsels are "C"
students. "That means they're average-the guy next door, the gal
next door."
WHERE DO THEY GO?
It is important to remind parents that in every region of the country,
that state, city and private four-year colleges and universities accept
"C" students.
Most two-year schools also offer an alternative for the student with
average grades and SATs. Religious colleges and universities are an
option as well, and often have no religious restrictions on admissions.
Equally important, CB found that numerous affordable colleges and universities
are available to the average student, and that "C" students
needn't be denied the chance to obtain a higher education because of
finances.
What admissions officers know is that average students, if given the
opportunity to attend college, frequently excel academically. Peggy
Richmond, director of admissions, Keene State College in New Hampshire,
notes that these days many students may need to work while in high school
or they become involved in activities, and they should not be penalized
for that. "If students have worked hard and then had 'C's' across
the board, they are likely to do well in college," she says.
LATE BLOOMERS
Admissions officers also point out that many "C" students
go on to earn postgraduate degrees. Why do so many average students
end up doing well in college? The reasons vary, but experts cite the
following: Mandated academic requirements to remain in school; an increased
student maturity after leaving high school; intensified motivation;
career path motivation; and from the students' point of view, more interesting
classes and more knowledgeable, interesting and highly motivated faculty.
Unlike the high school student, the college student also has the option
to chose classes suited to his or her personal or career interests.
For students away from home for the first time, there may be a new sense
of independence and responsibility that inspires a major academic effort.
For students on a rural campus, an absence of distractions, including
nightlife and shopping malls, was cited as a principal reason for a
new academic success.
There is also a consensus among admissions officers that student attitudes
often change radically after high school graduation; many become more
studious and more serious about school and life.
Friedlander also notes, "The higher you go, the easier it gets,
because you're beginning to get into the areas that interest you. When
you're in compulsory education...you're taking what the state says is
important to be considered educated at a minimum level, which is what
a high school diploma is." As students go on with their education,
they focus on what they like, she says, "and what you like is highly
correlated with what you're good at."
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MANY BLOSSOMS
According to Thad Robey, manager of education, College Coach, a commercial
consulting firm based in Newton, Massachusetts, "There are many
schools out there that accept 'C' students. They're not the top schools,
and they're not name brands. But they can provide an excellent education,
good support services and in most cases financial aid. There's also
an emphasis at these schools on what students at this level need to
succeed academically. Most offer counseling that helps them to fully
develop their fundamental skills."
Also, students who did not perform well academically in high school
have the potential to excel. "Students who haven't blossomed yet
in high school may nevertheless have the potential and skills to do
well and make a contribution," Robey explains. "Many of these
students have gone on to earn advanced degrees, and some have become
physicians, lawyers and other professionals."
When searching for a college where "C" students are admitted,
keep in mind that there's more than 4,000 schools of higher learning
in the country and numerous choices are available, Robey points out.
SOME EXAMPLES
In New England, Castleton State College, Castleton, Vermont, admits
students with "C" average high school grades and 1000-level
SATs. Founded in 1787, and one of the country's oldest institutions
of higher learning, Castleton has a student population of about 1,700,
45 percent of which is from out-of-state.
"Students who come in with average grades are a significant portion
of our freshman population," says Bill Allen, dean of enrollment
at Castleton. "Many of them go on to earn a Phi Beta Kappa. For
us, it's a common occurrence." Small class sizes and a 17-to-1
student-to-faculty ratio are among the factors which promote academic
success at Castleton, according to Allen. Financial aid is also available
for incoming "C" students, and about 80 percent of these receive
some form of financial assistance.
IN THE SOUTH
The University of West Alabama, Livingston, has an open door admission
policy for average students, according to Miles Hester, director of
admissions.
"Basic requirements are a minimum ACT of 18, and/or an 870 minimum
SAT, and a 2.0 GPA," says Hester. "Students will also be admitted
if they submit proof of high school graduation, and if their grades
are below requirements, they'll be admitted on a probationary basis."
Financial aid is available on a per-need basis, and additional in-house
scholarship programs are also offered.
About half of the student population of nearly 2,000 are in the average
high school category, according to Hester. But many do well in college
and some go on to post-graduate degrees, Hester says. Average class
size is about 25, and the student-to-faculty ratio is about 18-to-1.
Approximately 30 percent of the student body is from out-of- state.
MIDWEST OPTIONS
In the heart of the Midwest is Chadron State College, Chadron, Nebraska,
a school with a very hospitable admission policy. "We have no SAT
requirements, no grade requirements," says Tena Gould, director
of admissions. "We're open admissions, as long as the applicant
has graduated from high school. But some students will be required to
take remedial courses in English and mathematics before they can take
regular college courses." Roughly half of the student population
of 2,600 came in as average students, according to Gould.
Chadron State College is part of a three-college Nebraska state system
which also includes Peru State College and Wayne State College, both
of which have the same admissions policy.
"Average students do very well at Chadron," Gould says. "We're
in a small rural community so there's no nightlife, no malls and no
distractions. Students get a lot of personal attention from faculty
and from local residents in a host-parent program. And students can
get involved right away in all student activities. They don't have to
wait to join clubs, run for office or participate in other programs."
Financial aid on a per-need basis is available to all students. About
21 percent of the student population is from out-of-state, mainly from
the surrounding states of South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Iowa.
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WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, is another institution
where the average student is welcomed.
"We get a lot of students out of high school who want to do something
more with their education, and we tell them we have a lot to offer,"
says Steph Loughney, an admissions officer at Rocky Mountain College.
Admission requirements are a 2.5 GPA, a SAT score of at least 800 and
an ACT minimum of 18. "All students get a lot of one-on-one attention
from their professors, so they can grow academically, emotionally and
spiritually," says Loughney. Financial aid is available and about
95 percent of the roughly 800 students receive it in some form.
In the Far West, Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon, has no
minimum SAT requirement, but requires a 2.75 GPA for admission, although
the application of a 2.5 student will also be considered. Admission
will be granted the 2.5 GPA student if there are extenuating circumstances,
explains Christian Steinmetz, director of admissions. "If the 2.5
student had family issues, moved a lot or even worked part time, he
or she could still be admitted."
With a low class size, a student-to-faculty ratio of 14-to-1 and free
tutoring, average students can and do excel academically, Steinmetz
points out.
Of the 2,000 students, about 70 percent are Oregon residents. But there's
no additional out-of-state tuition charges and so students are drawn
here from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii.
CITY COLLEGES
Average students who live in or near large or medium size cities should
also consider attending a city college. Many have hospitable admission
policies. In New York City, for example, Kingsborough Community College
of the City University of New York, a two-year college, will accept
anyone with a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma,
and average grades. Financial aid is available, and tuition costs are
reasonable for both residents of New York State and out-of-state residents.
Full-time New York resident students with 12 or more credit hours pay
$1,300, full-time out-of-state students pay $1,588, exclusive of all
required fees.
Located in the Brooklyn community of Manhattan Beach, Kingsborough Community
College has a student enrollment of about 15,000. The school offers
28 degrees and two certificates. Among the degrees offered are, biology,
business, nursing, computer science, exercise science, physical therapy
and tourism and hospitality.
"Unless they have a [passing] level on SATs, incoming students
are given placement tests in reading, writing and mathematics to determine
if they need remedial courses," says Robert Ingenito, director
of recruitment and development. "We give all these students an
opportunity to move forward in their academic life. We have a free tutoring
laboratory, a bilingual program for Spanish-speaking students and an
office which helps students with learning disabilities... We also have
an eight-story research library. And every student... has an academic
advisor."
With this full range of student services, including no-cost tutoring,
Kingsborough has one of the highest graduation rates among city colleges
of New York, says Ingenito. "Any student who graduates from Kingsborough
is guaranteed admission to a four-year school within the City University
of New York system."
TWO-YEAR ROUTE
Private two-year schools which offer associate degrees and professional
training programs are another option. Argosy University, for example,
now has 12 main campuses in nine states: Arizona, California, Florida,
Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia and Washington.
Admission requirements at Argosy University/Twin Cities in the Minneapolis-St.
Paul area, for example, do not exclude students with average grades,
SATs and ACTs.
"High school grades are not always the best indicators of a student's
future level of success," says Jeanne Stoneking, director of admissions
of Argosy University/Twin Cities.
"Many students who have not done well in high school have gone
on to take certain courses and find a career path that they truly desire
and...many times these students turn out to be the best students."
The eight two-year undergraduate allied health care programs offered
at Argosy/Twin Cities are dental hygiene, diagnostic medical, medical
assisting, medical laboratory technology, histotechnology, radiology
technology, radiation therapy and veterinarian technician.
"We have a high pass rate on professional state exams, and a hire
rate of 90 to 100 percent, depending on the associate degree,"
says Stoneking. A significant percentage of these students came to Argosy
University/ Twin Cities as average students, she notes.
Finally, it is worth remembering that Albert Einstein dropped out of
high school with poor grades in history, geography and languages. Later,
he resumed his education, earned a four-year degree in physics, and
eventually was recognized as one of the most creative intellects in
human history.
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Guide Book Lists
100 Colleges
A variety of guides are also available for an efficient nationwide search
for colleges and universities where average students are welcome. Among
them: 100 Colleges Where Average Students Can Excel, by Joe anne Adler,
published by Arco, an imprint of Peterson's.
The majority of American high school students are in the middle tier
of SAT scores," says Michael H. Fleischner, vice president, business
development and marketing for Peterson's. "That's why we created
this guide - because the majority of students are at this level."
100 Colleges Where Average Students Can Excel,
lists schools around the country where an average student can not only
gain admission, but can attain a high level of academic achievement.
Comprehensive data is given on degrees offered, student population size,
faculty-to-student ratio and class size. Each entry also describes the
history of the college, the campus and community, students and student
life, activities and admission requirements.
The guide is available for $14.95, paperback. It is also obtainable
at a 20 percent discount, plus a shipping and handling charge, at Peterson's
website, www.Petersons.com
Web References
For more info see the web sites for:
Argosy U.: www.Argosyu.edu
Castleton State C.: www.Castleton.edu
Chadron State C: www.Csc.edu
Eastern Oregon U.: www.Eou.edu
Kingsborough Community C.: www.
Kbcc.cuny.edu
Peru State C.: www.Peru.edu
Rocky Mountain C.: www.Rocky.edu
U. of West Alabama: www.Uwa.edu
Wayne State C.: www.Wsc.edu
