This article in the New York Times describes how Hartwick College (and others) may offer a three-year degree program that would help students save about $40,000 on the cost of a college education. While I applaud any efforts to reduce the cost of earning a degree, students and parents need to understand that a three-year program may still be far more expensive than simply finishing college in three years on a do-it-yourself plan.
For one thing, the programs described still give students summers off for work or internships, but students who graduate in less than three years (all four of my daughters, for example) know that taking summer terms is the smartest move of all–you can get more credits in less time and have a very intensive learning experience. In fact, by simply taking summer terms each year and overloading for two semesters, students can easily graduate within three years.
The problem with the three-year degrees proposed is that they are requiring students to spend all three years at the same school–and savvy students know that rather than taking intro courses at a private university for $40,000 a year, it’s much smarter to take the basics through a community college and then transfer up, saving tons in the process. And if you go through a dual enrollment program, you can earn two years’ worth of credits by the age of 18 and then take only TWO years at a private university, still earning the diploma with the fancy name on it. The trick, of course, is making sure you take the right classes from Day One and have guidance to help you build bullet-proof transcripts.
There are a few other tricks for getting credits through internships and seminars that really speed things up. No need to be a brainiac or work yourself into a frenzy, either. What matters most: good planning, and being an advocate for yourself. Much more on this in my book!
The three-year degree programs being developed by forward-thinking colleges are a wise response to the fact that more and more college students are figuring out that they don’t need to pay top dollar for four years in order to earn a degree and that they can actually graduate much sooner by taking advantage of community college courses and summer terms. These colleges see the writing on the wall–good for them for doing what they can to adapt to student’s needs and compete with better/cheaper options.
The question is this: will families get savvy enough soon enough–or will they spend an extra twenty, forty or sixty grand before figuring out that they could save AND get a better experience by following a few education design tips?
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Your article is a bit intellectually dishonest. Maybe you just want to sell your book and its premise. The fact is that Community Colleges nationwide have lost their government funding. Internships are limited and less are available for college students. Students cannot get their classes at a Community College and UC and Cal State schools are not takeing community college transfers. Private Universities offering 3 year degrees in many cases are the superior choice for most high school grads. They help students get jobs where State schools do not even have “career services departments.”
There’s nothing intellectually dishonest about it, actually. I think you’re assuming that what I propose is spending all of your college years in the US in either a community college, state university or private university. However, I am proposing that students explore a far bigger range of opportunities.
Yes, it’s true that community college classes are limited (in the US), transfer spots are limited (in the US), internships are limited (in the US) and jobs are limited (in the US). This is why I encourage students to do things differently and consider ways to spend meaningful time abroad in high school and college in order to gain valuable skills and set themselves apart from everyone else on the four-by-four plan!
And though it may be true that some private universities do a better job of offering career guidance to their grads, I hear from new grads EVERY DAY who tell me that they got virtually no assistance at their private colleges. Part of the Bold School approach is learning how to be proactive in order to get your own internships and jobs rather than relying on someone else to do it for you. Those who thrive aren’t waiting for someone else to stir things up–they’re out there doing it themselves! And frankly, employers are looking for self-starters rather than those who need their hands held in order to step forward. That’s the reality in today’s economy.
That being said, a three-year degree from a private college can be a good option, but in most cases, it limits students’ ability to include study abroad or engage in other enriching options that make them more valuable to employers and the world in general. My point is less about the time it takes and more about making sure you get a chance to learn in a variety of settings, whether it takes two years or eight to graduate!