Students Save Money On Way to Ivy League

 

More Honors Graduates Find Money-Saving Stepping Stone to an Ivy League Degree at SUNY Rockland

 

Suffern, NY - Several graduates of the nationally recognized honors program at SUNY Rockland Community College will begin their semesters this fall at Ivy League schools and other top colleges, having saved a significant amount on tuition by starting at RCC first.

 

"Three years ago the number of students in the MTS Honors Program was 150. This number is now more than double – 330," said Dr. Cliff Garner, Coordinator, Sam Draper Mentor Talented (MTS) Honors Program.

 

The Sam Draper MTS Honors Program offers highly advanced academic pursuits to prepare students to transfer successfully to Ivy League schools like Cornell, Columbia and Harvard and Tier One four-year colleges like Georgetown University and Cooper Union.

 

Honors graduate Stephen Elliott of Cornwall will head to Columbia University this fall where he will be a Columbia University School of General Studies student. He said, "I wouldn’t have gotten into Columbia if I hadn't gone through the RCC Honors Program first. Initially, I had no goals of going to an Ivy League school—it wasn’t even in my realm of possibilities. I had started my college career at Concordia University in Montreal, but I didn’t do well there so I ended up coming home and going to RCC. At first I didn’t qualify to get into the Honors Program, but I got my grades up and was accepted my third semester. The professors were really well-versed in their subjects and got me excited about learning. It’s been a pretty amazing transition--all within a couple of years." Elliot said he recommends the Honors Program over starting at a four-year school. "It’s a great education and you can’t beat the price."

 

Elliot will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Columbia and eventually plans to earn a PhD.

 

Top schools recruit SUNY Rockland Honors students because the program has a reputation for producing students with proven ability in a rigorous academic program. About the increased enrollment, Garner said, “We're excited about helping even more students achieve their potential and transfer to tier one schools."

 

For more information about the Sam Draper Mentor Talented Student Honors Program, call Hannah Lowney at 845-574-4796, hlowney@sunyrockland.edu, or visit www.sunyrockland.edu/go/honors

 

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Rockland Community College, a unit of the State University of New York, is located 25 miles northwest of NYC. The majority of its students transfer to four-year colleges, and many find immediate employment upon earning their associate's degree or certificate. The College also offers others, from preschoolers to senior citizens, the opportunity to simply learn something new. Quality education...at a price you can afford.