Glad You Chose CCNY?

A review of CUNY colleges based on new College Scorecard by Saif ChoudhuryPresident Obama recently launched a new initiative called the College Scorecard. The new database is aimed at providing information that could help students select the colleges that fit them best.“You’ll be able to see how much each school’s graduates earn, how much debt they graduate with, and what percentage of a school’s students can pay back their loans – which will help all of us see which schools do the best job of preparing America for success,” says Obama. “And to reach more folks, we’re working with partners in the academic, non-profit, and private sectors that will help families use this new data to navigate the complicated college process and make informed decisions.”With this new initiative from the Obama Administration, some students at City College are questioning whether they made the right choice coming here. Out of the 11 schools in the CUNY system, CCNY ranks as the third least expensive school, the fifth lowest when it comes to graduation rate, and the seventh lowest when it comes to annual salary for graduates (see table). Moontaha Syed, a freshman at CCNY, has reconsidered picking City over the other CUNYs. “The reason I came to City College is because I heard it was the original CUNY, so I thought it was the best,” says Syed, a biology major. “But if I had this scorecard before, I would have picked Queens College. They have more graduates, who earn more money, and it’s all for just a bit more.”Other students disagree. Zubaidul Razzak, a junior at City College, doesn't regret his choice. “CCNY may not be the best,” says Razzak, a psychology major. “But it’s not the worst either.”