The Foreign Service Journal, December 2009

68 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT course requirements and any other criteria set by the university. In an economy weakened by recession and with the cost of college soaring, an increasing number of students who would have been candidates for a four-year institution directly after high school are taking a serious look at opportunities within the community college system. For example, the 23 schools that serve more than 250,000 students taking courses for credit each year and make up the Virginia community college system have an agreement with the University of Virginia, con- sidered one of the flagship universi- ties in the state. Students who com- plete all requirements and maintain a 3.4 GPA are guaranteed admission to that institution. (The agreement can be seen at www.virginia.edu/under graduateadmission/index.html.) Transfer Dean of Admissions Greg- ory W. Roberts says: “We are anxious to make the university more accessi- ble to students who have not enrolled here immediately after finishing high school. The new agreement makes it possible for some students to realize their dream by earning a degree from the University of Virginia.” Other four-year institutions in Virginia also accept community college transfer students. In another example, Montgomery College in Maryland and Dickinson College, a prestigious liberal arts col- lege in Carlisle, Pa., have entered into an agreement guaranteeing admis- sions and scholarship opportunities to qualified Montgomery College trans- fer students. Dickinson also has a Community College Partnership Pro- gram with other community colleges. Dickinson administrators have learn- ed that by bringing in transfer stu- dents as a group, they are ultimately more successful, both socially and academically, because of the increas- ed support these students receive. The key to success at a community college is for the student to plan care- “I tell all community college students that they are starting with a clean slate and they can open a whole new world for themselves. … ” — Bernice Dunn, counselor