Alternate routes: going straight to a four-year school isn't for everyone. Here are four other paths that can lead to rewarding futures

Careers and Colleges, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Christen Brownlee

Charlie Livingston's high school years in Middletown, Connecticut, were a blur of regular courses said technical classes--he crammed in as much shop, woodworking, and welding as he could handle. Sometimes he'd even hang out with friends who went to a nearby technical high school and help them do electrical work. He knew right away that he loved working with his hands, climbing ladders, and running wire. But when graduation rolled around, he decided to take the same route as many other students in his high school: He started toward a four-year degree.

But after enrolling at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Livingston wasn't sure what he wanted for a major, and he didn't like going to class. When he finished his second semester, he dropped out, and decided to pursue the electrical work he really enjoyed.

Now, he's taking a one-year electrical training program and well on his way to a career as an electrician, a job that can pay more than $33 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Compared to the $56,000 it takes to attend four years at his state college, the electrical training program costs only about $15,500.

Like many other young people, Livingston originally thought college was his only ticket to an interesting job with a good salary. "Many high school students choose college because they don't think there's anything else, or they think adults don't want to hear any other ideas," says Ken Gray, author of Other Ways to Win: Creating Alternatives for High School Graduates (Corwin Press, 2000).

But choosing college isn't the only path to success. According to Gray, about 80 percent of all jobs require less than a four-year degree. In addition, by the time he or she enters the workforce, the average college graduate will be saddled with as much as $22,000 in student loan debt.

"The point is it's okay to be a little bit different from your friends [who may be going to college]," says Gray. If a four-year college doesn't seem right for you now, consider these alternate paths:

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

When George Kutnerian was a junior at Fresno Christian High School in Fresno, California, he entered a special "enrichment" program that allowed him to earn college credit by taking classes at the local community college. Kutnerian thought by taking Spanish at Fresno City College, he could satisfy his college language requirements early, but he wasn't sure what to expect from the community college experience. "I had always thought that community colleges had a negative stigma, but I never really understood why," he says.

By the time he wrapped up high school with two college classes under his belt, Kutnerian, now 21, had a whole new view of community colleges. After he met with the director of Fresno City's honors program, a competitive degree program for gifted students, Kutnerian decided that a community college could suit his needs as well.

"I could have gotten into plenty of good four-year schools, but the honors program ended up being the only place I applied," he says.

For the past two years, Kutnerian focused on business and political science classes and participated in an unexpected wealth of extracurricular activities. He got involved in student government, served as president of an honor society, and joined Upward Bound, a volunteer mentoring program.

Like many states, California offers the top students at its community colleges who meet certain criteria guaranteed admission to many of its four-year state schools if they want to transfer. Because of his outstanding grades and activities, Kutnerian was a shoe-in to transfer into his dream school, UC-Berkeley, where he is currently enrolled.

By going to Fresno City College first instead of Berkeley, Kutnerian paid only about $1,200 per year, as opposed to a whopping $34,000 at University of California-Berkeley. (New Jersey pays all tuition and fees for students who graduate in the top 20 percent of their high school class and attend a local community college.) Also, many students save even more money by staying at home with their parents. But saving money isn't the only reason to choose community college. Many boast smaller classes, professors who offer plenty of office hours, and a range of courses, like nursing, fashion design, foreign languages, and computer animation. The quality of instruction can sometimes equal that offered at a four-year university.

Community colleges are accessible--there's one within a short drive of more than 90 percent of Americans. And if you enroll in your late teens or early twenties, you'll be in good company but certainly with a diverse age range. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, about 55 percent of all students attending community college are age 24 or below.

But according to Kutnerian, community colleges carry some of the same risks as your regular four-year schools. His advice? "Stay focused, or you could be spending six years there instead of the usual two."

TRADE SCHOOL

When Stephanie MacDonald graduated from high school, she starred working a string of odd jobs, each a little odder than the next. "It got very irritating. I wasn't making enough money, and I wanted to get a good education so I could have a career," she says. After miserable stints at a gas station and a couple of pet shops, she settled into a job at a Ford dealership doing paperwork and detailing cars. The truck she drove to work was frequently breaking down, so MacDonald asked her father to help her fix it up after work hours. Something clicked--it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship between MacDonald and automotive technology.