Emphasizing small class sizes and a family-like feel, Briarcliffe College provides students with a collegiate atmosphere, but a more-focused educational experience.
“It is a combination of very focused career training and a college environment,” said Kelli Burgos, the school’s Director of Marketing.
Burgos said that most of the school’s programs are associate degree programs that help students enter the workforce immediately after they graduate.
“Some love not knowing what they are going to do,” Burgos said. “Our school is more for students who know what career path they want.”
The college offers degrees in accounting, criminal justice, graphic design, and others.
Briarcliffe College has three different campuses, with two on Long Island - in Patchogue and Bethpage - and another in Long Island City.
With a student population of only 3,000, Burgos said the entire school is like a big family. She said there are very few people on campus she does not know.
“One day I could have lunch with the security guard and the next day with the college president,” Burgos said.
The school is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and offers sororities and fraternities to interested students.
Briarcliffe has both day and evening classes to fit any student’s schedule, Burgos said. At Briarcliffe, students only need to attend classes two nights a week to be considered full-time students and qualify for financial aid.
Burgos said that admissions and career staff members are very hands-on. She added that they help to make sure each individual student has made the correct choice in their studies and offer advice if any problems occur along the way.
To apply to Briarcliffe College, potential students must fill out the appropriate forms and have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED). The school also strongly suggests taking the SAT or ACT. For more information, call 888-348-4999 or visit www.bcl.edu.
