A surge in applicants has forced all but one of New York City’s two-year colleges to limit admissions for the first time, reports the New York Times. Sonja Taylor applied to LaGuardia Community College this summer with every expectation of being admitted. She planned to study business, bringing her closer to her dream of owning a restaurant. But her application arrived in August, after the college had closed the floodgates because of a surge of interest from prospective students. So Taylor, 20, became one of thousands of students shut out this fall as most of New York City’s community colleges were forced to abandon their all-are-welcome admissions policies for the first time. "Enrollment has been growing steadily, but this was a tidal wave for us this fall," said the college’s president, Gail O. Mellow, pointing out that the student body had risen by almost 50 percent in the past decade. "I’ve never seen anything like this. We used to pretty much be an open door." Across the country, many community colleges have felt similar pressures. The battered economy drove many workers back to school to retool their skills, while others have eschewed a four-year degree in favor of a more affordable two-year program…

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