After twelve years as a secretary, Mary Bruce, 36, of Kent, Ohio, decided to put typing and filing behind her and prepare for more challenging work in advertising. Ron Katz, a 33-year-old New Yorker, concluded he had gone about as far as he could as a theatrical lighting designer; it was time for a change. And Californian Bettigene Johnson, a 59-year-old great-grandmother, saw a last chance to get the degree that she long ago postponed for family and community service.
All three are pursuing a common path to their various aspirations. They are going to college, whether returning or enrolling for...