« Home Page Winter Edition 2006

COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT

ICM School of Business and Medical Careers: there from the beginning

by Jenny Faubert

Students striving to be successful in life can get a lot of help from ICM School of Business and Medical Careers. Pioneering in areas such as IT, Medical Assisting and Criminal Justice, ICM focuses on a student-centered experience. As an institution of higher education, ICM integrates the curriculum with professional skill development to empower students to achieve their lifelong personal and professional goals. As the first Microsoft IT Academy in the state of Pennsylvania and a three-time winner of the Campus of the Year Award from the Kaplan Higher Education Corporation, ICM is a great example among schools in the career college sector.

The school was founded in 1963 as the Institute of Computer Management in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1996, with the addition of medical programs, the school officially became ICM School of Business and Medical Careers. Today ICM is owned by Kaplan Higher Education.

"ICM's participation and support of the Imagine America programs have been outstanding. ICM has been with us from the beginning in 1998 and has used our programs to provide financial aid to hundreds of Pittsburgh-area high school graduates," said Bob Martin, President of the Imagine America Foundation.

In 2006 alone, 48 Imagine America scholarships have been awarded to ICM students. Betsy Turenne, Director of Public Relations at Kaplan Higher Education, said, "We find [the Imagine America scholarship] is well-developed, well-designed and easy for our students to use. With the Imagine America scholarship, students get help to pay for tuition and books and therefore can focus more on school."

Sandi Visconti, Assistant to the Director of Admissions at ICM, has witnessed firsthand the students' reactions: "It’s truly inspiring to witness the reaction of a student and their parents who have just been informed of the Imagine America scholarship award!" she said. "Parents are beaming with pride, and the students have a sense of accomplishment. Their hard work in high school has been rewarded!"

ICM offers 24 different programs in the fields of allied health, criminal justice, computers and business. Medical Assisting, Criminal Justice and the Associate in Specialized Business programs are the most popular among students. In the future, ICM would like to continue to focus on quality education and helping graduates get started in their careers. ICM’s dedication and commitment to its students is admirable.

"We look forward to another great year together," Martin said.

Foundation Highlight

Imagine America scholarships ... financing your education just got easier
In just a few days, the 2007 Imagine America Scholarship Program will begin accepting scholarship applications for graduating high school seniors to attend participating career colleges all over the United States and Puerto Rico. Read more »

Just Ask!

I have students interested in attending career colleges; how do I help them find information about these colleges?
Nearly 2 million students will attend career colleges next year and the Guide to Career Colleges 2006 is the ultimate reference guide for these students. Read more »

Sponsor Focus

A central source has arrived!
As a full-service advertising agency specializing in the career college sector since 1989, PlattForm knows a thing or two about the issues that face our clients and our sector of higher education. Read more »