Higher Education is Not Higher Quality

High school students and counselors toss out the terms “safety” and “reach” schools to organize colleges they look for. This can range from Ivy Leagues to community colleges where people differ based on their academic standpoints, aspirations, and family goals.

The Princeton Review uses the terms “dream,” “target,” and “safety” schools. 

“Dream” or “reach” schools are schools categorized as the ultimate dream destination. This is where students typically look at the Ivy Leagues like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. They may not meet the financial or academic requirements but it would be a dream come true to attend these schools. 

“Target” schools include colleges where students meet the academic requirements and have a fair chance of getting accepted into that college.

Lastly, “safety” schools typically are categorized as community colleges or four-year schools that have academic admission requirements that are safely lower than the academics that the applicant has. Students are certain that they will be accepted by their safety schools. 

However, “safety” schools are different for different students.

When students look at colleges, the first thing that comes to mind is “reach,” “target,” or “safety.” It may be strategic for some students to group colleges based on a student’s academic standards, but there also comes a stigma of “reach,” “target,” and “safety” schools.

But do students ever think about how all their options like universities and community colleges differ academically? Society has been conditioned for so long that other post-high school options like the trades or community college are for those who are not “college material.” In reality, these do not differ at all. 

Bradley Griffith, a graduating Doctor of Education student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, conducted a study on high school seniors to examine if community college has an impact on college decisions. He found that the stigma surrounding community college does, in fact, play a significant role. One student said “Community college is typically looked down on unless you’re just using it as a stepping stone to save money before transferring out to a better school. That’s what my family and friends have always thought.”

People have looked down on community colleges throughout the years as a degree that can not bring a student far in life as a four-year university would. That is the stigma that has been conditioned for so long as a “safety” school yet community colleges may not be “safe” for everyone. 

More than 21,000 students attend the College of DuPage per semester, and more Metea Valley students attend COD than any other college. The college offers many opportunities for students such as financial aid packages, scholarships, and experiences within the community.

“College of DuPage is a good fit for everyone,” COD high school administration representative Stephanie Loconsole said.

There are opportunities for students who want a high financial aid package, look for an honors program, or even participate in research or internships at COD. The programs offered also cater to students who did not do well in high school and are looking for a fresh start. Students can have a new slate to build off of for their future regardless of what happened in high school.

​​“I think one of the biggest misconceptions that I’ve seen in my career is that the community college is only for students that can’t make it into a four-year,” Metea school and college counselor Tom Daugherty said.

There are resources in high school that help the college process like dual credits with community colleges. At Metea, students can earn college credits through COD by taking dual-credit courses such as anatomy or apparel construction, without traveling to the COD campus. This can help high school students in starting their college credits. 

Another community college is the Technology Center of DuPage (TCD). TCD is the advanced, elective Career and Technical Education (CTE) campus serving 14 member high school districts. There are opportunities for students more specifically towards a student’s career aspirations. There are programs like cosmetology, cooking, and robotics. However, like COD, community college is not as talked about when students consider what college they want to attend.

​​“There’s this old notion: the trades used to be viewed as, well, you can go do a trade if you’re not college-level material,” TCD College and career pathway specialist Anthony Gliffe said.

TCD offers a variety of opportunities for its students to gain experience. There are programs for professional certifications, EMT, nursing, cosmetology, dual-credit, and apprenticeships. This allows their students to obtain specialized skills in the field of their choice so that when they seek employment, they have credibility.

Even TCD advisers and specialists have been in contact with companies that want both people with high-level academics and people with technical skills. Companies do not limit TCD students just because they go to a community college. 

So, why are students limiting themselves to four-year universities? Higher education does not mean higher knowledge. Finances and family circumstances play a huge role in why many students refer to a community college. This idea is changing nowadays however, that misconception about community colleges is still prevalent. 

“I feel like four years is good. It’s just that it’s not always an option for everyone,” Metea sophomore Adonis Robertson said.