Not every high school graduate belongs at a four-year university.

That’s why Christina Dreer, 23, chose the Community College of Baltimore County after she graduated from Catonsville High.

“I think [going to CCBC] definitely prepared me for a four-year institution,” said Dreer, who now pursues a degree in secondary education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “They taught me how to study correctly, how to take notes and how to pay attention — and they helped me decide on what I wanted to do.”

About 68,000 students attend CCBC, one of the largest community colleges in the state with campuses in Dundalk, Essex and Catonsville.

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There are a lot of smart reasons for graduating high school seniors to pick a community college, experts say — starting with affordability. CCBC tuition and fees cost $2,409 annually, a fraction of the cost of four-year institutions in Baltimore County. For instance, tuition and fees at UMBC costs $8,520 annually.

Some students also need remedial math and English courses to help them prepare for a four-year institution.

“There are some kids at the community colleges who come out of high school without the fundamental skills they need for four-year schools,” said Pat Cleveland, associate dean of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “There is a very strong emphasis on teaching and working with students on skills mastery [at community colleges].”

Community colleges also provide students with an opportunity to raise their grades so they can earn admission to competitive colleges or programs, Cleveland said.

In the Robert H. Smith School of Business, a limited enrollment program, “the standards for freshmen to get admitted are really stiff,” she said. “If they desire to get into business and they really want to get into the Smith school, it may work to their benefit to go to a community college, get good grades, and then present themselves.”

mmcilroy@baltimoreexaminer.com

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