Persuasive Essay On High School Graduation

High school graduation is an important milestone in the lives of most American teenagers. At the same time, for many young people graduation also represents the first step in their educational advancement as they prepare to go on to college. Many will start their college education at the community college level, while others will go directly into a four-year institution. How do students and their families make this important decision? After doing some research, students may discover that community colleges and four-year universities differ in some key areas, including the cost of attendance, the flexibility of class scheduling, the ability to try out different types of programs, and the availability of career training and guidance counseling. They also vary considerably with regard to class size and their admissions policies. For many young people in the United States, the cost of attendance will become the major factor when deciding between a community college and a four-year university.
Wall Street Journal reporter Diane Furchtgott-Rott found that “Community colleges offer a broad range of courses at a tuition cost of about $3,130 – about 35% of the cost of …show more content…
Some students may not have a clear idea of the program they would like to pursue, and community colleges offer them the chance to take different classes and explore their options. When these students decide on a specific major, they can choose courses that will count toward their four-year degree. According to the College Board, the first function of a community college is “to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.). Four out of 10 college-bound high school graduates start their college education this way.” In contrast, students at four-year universities often decide on a specific major or program in advance; taking classes to explore one’s options may simply be too