Debating Access: The Complexities of Immigrant Scholarships in Community Colleges

It is no secret that college admissions are becoming more competitive. As the children of the baby boomer era enter their college years, the sheer number of applicants is overwhelming.

Since 2000, each year, we have seen record numbers of applications. For example, the University of California in 2007 saw more than 110,000 applications – a historically record-breaking statistic. According to NYU, their 2007 applications increased by 8.5% in 2007, which also marked record highs.

How can you stand out from the crowd of 4.5-wielding valedictorians, speech and debate captains, and decathlon champions? The answer is quite easy: get competitive with a college edge – a community college edge, that is.

Using community college classes to strengthen your application

College admission committees evaluate your application to answer one looming question: will this student be at our esteemed institution? Demonstrating your academic skills in high school classes, whether you are taking regular, honors, or AP courses, is undoubtedly essential. However, excelling at high school courses does not guarantee your ability to stay competitive at the college level.

Standing out from the crowd of applicants means demonstrating your academic prowess at a college level. You can easily make your application shine by taking courses at your local community college. With the variety of classes, you can take courses at night, online, or even on the weekend – making it easy to fit into your schedule.

You should speak with your

The advent of the internet has revolutionized society, and education has been dually impacted. With the rise in internet technologies, an increasing number of college courses are moved online – allowing students to learn with sheer convenience. Indeed, the National Center for Education Statistics reported in 2006 that more than 62% of all community college students take courses online.

Community colleges have paved the way for online courses, and students are noticing. In fact, according to research conducted by the Sloan Consortium, two-year community colleges have experienced the highest growth rate in online education, accounting for more than 50% of all online course enrollments in the past five years. The enrollment in online courses at community colleges surpasses the numbers of all other higher education programs combined.

Nationally, according to the Online Learning Consortium, approximately 20% of college students in America took an online course during the fall semester of 2006, which equates to 3.5 million students. In addition, the Sloan Consortium research found that enrollment in online courses is growing at a rate significantly faster than the standard student-growth rates.

Advantages to online curriculum

As more careers and jobs require technical skills in computing and internet research, students who do not develop these skills are quickly left behind in competitiveness. Therefore, online courses offer several benefits, such as convenient learning and an opportunity to hone your technical skills.

• Convenience: Taking an online course allows you