Pros
-You'll be given many opportunities to manage and lead peers. You'll frequently feel a bit in-over-your head, dealing with the unexpected crises that come with working in an urban school, but if you can take the pressure you'll learn a lot. Technically I have a BA degree but in terms of the "real world," my real education came from my corps year. -CY works on a front line of one of America's biggest social justice issues. The fulfillment that comes from this cannot be overstated. Every job I've had since has felt empty in comparison. -Your coworkers, including upper management at the site, will be some of the most amazing human beings you'll meet. It takes a certain quality of person to do this kind of work long-term.
Cons
-It's tough to say whether the City Year "culture" is a pro or a con, a lot of what makes the experience unique comes from their CY lingo, team chants, etc. For the most part I got a kick out of it but the slim majority of my coworkers found it belittling. You're told to be professional one minute then do banana jumping jacks the next. -Work/life balance is non-existent and the tasks occasionally unfocused. You'll show up at 7am, stay at school until 5-7pm, then half the time have some additional misc. task to be done at the downtown office (long commute?) until even later. The heavy teamwork emphasis can make this uncomfortable for those who just don't have that amount of time on their hands. 60hr work weeks are the norm.