Off To College

Our dead tree version of the Flier had a nice little write-up on the college plans of HoCo high school graduates (we wished we could provide a link but it doesn't appear the story and charts were posted anywhere we could find them).

Nearly 89 percent of grads told the school system they planned to continue their education, and the top destination systemwide was HoCo Community College, followed by UMd College Park, UMd Baltimore County, Towson, and Salisbury. (In fact, 40 percent of all grads said they were staying in state).

Just 65 of the system's 3,720 graduates reported that they were headed to Ivy League schools, according to the story. Thirteen of those were from Wilde Lake; Centennial and River Hill sent 10 each.

Three schools accounted for half the Ivy Leaguers.

Of course, the state of the economy surely played a role in many college-going decisions. We know of an Ivy League-caliber student or two who passed up the chance because of finances this year. The academic standing of Maryland schools has improved in recent years, as has HCC's efforts to link its two-year program with four-year degree opportunities at other institutions. But it would be interesting to know how this year's survey compares to past years.

The only hint comes from Karen Kawahara, a resource counselor for the HoCo system, who is quoted in the story as saying: "There is a feeling that increasingly more students are choosing in-state schools."