1. Instructions: In your response, make an argument for whether it is better to attend a four-year university, a two-year college (community college), or to go straight into the workforce after graduating from high school. Use evidence from at least two of the sources below to support your claim. Be sure to introduce your precise claim, develop the claim with evidence from the sources, and demonstrate relationships between ideas. (15 points)

Excerpt from Source #1: brochure from West University
One of the greatest benefits of attending a four-year university like West is preparation for a profitable career. Graduates of West University go on to successful careers. In fact, a survey of the class of 2009 showed that 92% of our graduates were hired in their fields of study immediately after graduation. These graduates indicated they made an average of $60,000 per year during their first year of work. Few other universities have this kind of success rate. When a West University graduate applies for a job and is placed up against a candidate with only a high school diploma or a two-year college degree, that person is twice as likely to get the job as the person with a lesser degree.

Source #2: Page of Easton Community College by Chris East
Demand for community college graduates is growing in a number of fields. Video game technology, nursing, and environmental sustainability are areas that are experiencing a great deal of change and growth. Easton Community College's programs in these fields can help you acquire the skills you need for the job you want. Frequently, area businesses in these areas partner with the college to place students into jobs as soon as they graduate. This means not only are you getting a great degree from Easton, you're also getting your dream job!

Source #3: "College Education Versus High School: A Study" in College Journal by Margo Ellis, researcher on college success, p. 72
Based on our examination of 300 graduates of four-year universities, 400 graduates of community colleges (2-year colleges), and 400 high school graduates (with no college degrees), the research group came to the following conclusions. First, graduates of four-year and two-year colleges were equally likely to get jobs after graduation. One group was not more likely to get jobs than the other. However, those with only high school diplomas were significantly less likely to get jobs immediately after graduation. Most high school students needed to apply for at least twenty jobs before they were hired. College graduates only needed to apply for eight jobs before they were hired.