Avoid dropping out of college

Avoid dropping out of college

Unfortunately, dropping out of college is not as uncommon as one might wish.

According to information from the Department of Education the 6-year graduation rate was 59 percent at public institutions, 66 percent at private nonprofit institutions, and 23 percent at private for-profit institutions.

This means that not only do many students not graduate at all, many do not graduate within 4 years, but take 6 years to do so, adding a lot of additional costs.

What type of college you go to definitely affects your chance to graduate – Private non-profit colleges give you the best chance while private for-profit colleges may not be the best choice, given their extreme low graduation rate.

Another factor is the selectivity of the school. The more selective a school is, the higher the graduation rate.

Choosing the right college for you is very important and Collegefactual.com may help you find the best-fit college and major for you. When you find the right major and college for you that will increase your odds of graduating on time.

A good example of the above is Columbia University in New York City:

With 96.0% of students staying on for a second year, Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the best in the country when it comes to freshman retention rates.

Both the on-time (two or four years depending on the degree) graduation rate of 88.0% and the overall rate of 95.2% rank Columbia University in the City of New York among the best in the country too.

With an acceptance rate of only 5.8% Columbia is one of the most selective colleges in the country.

So what is the secret of Columbia University?

Below is an excerpt of the Convocation August 2017 address by Columbia President Bollinger that may give you an insight:

“It is a very great pleasure to welcome you, our newest students, to Columbia University in the City of New York. We truly cherish the lifelong enduring relationship we now begin with you at this critical time in your lives and with this celebratory occasion. We also feel a deep connection with your parents and families, for whom we know this is a very poignant moment. We welcome everyone who is attending this evening. I regard it as a privilege to speak to entering students, which, to my good fortune, I have been doing for many years now. The transition from what your life has been to what it will be from this moment on could not be more profound. Not only will you be alone, probably for the first time, and bear the primary responsibility for your life from here on out, but most importantly, you are about to become immersed in a unique and probably never-to-be-repeated in your lifetime intellectual environment completely dedicated to advancing human knowledge and pursuing truth. There really is nothing like a great university, and I strongly believe that among the great universities in the world, there is really nothing like Columbia University…..

There are many activities that may attract and engage your interests while you’re here. I can assure you that there is enough here going on at Columbia to make us breathless as the city itself. Which leads me to a comment about you personally. It is easy, very easy, in fact, to feel utterly overwhelmed about this, your studies, happenings at the University and the city. It is exhilarating but it can also be stressful and highly so. Please note two things. First we all feel the intensity of life here more or less. You are not alone. And second and most of all we are here to help. From friends to faculty to professional staff we all have a role to play in helping one another work through issues no matter how large or how small. And to get the most out of this extraordinary experiences offered here. So let us help. Everyone is easily reachable including me so do reach out and we promise you will we will respond.”

Columbia

Columbia University has a culture of support. Everywhere on campus there are signs with offers of support and assistance. It is expected that as a student you will need assistance from time to time.96% of the students live on campus through graduation which creates a close knit community. There is a thorough orientation program that initiates students to their campus and the surrounding City of New York. No wonder that the graduation rate for Columbia is very high – an example for other colleges out there.

Another example is Penn State University:

With 93.0% of students staying on for a second year, Pennsylvania State University – Main Campus is one of the best in the country when it comes to freshman retention rates

Both the on-time (two or four years depending on the degree) graduation rate of 64.3% and the overall rate of 85.6% rank Pennsylvania State University – Main Campus among the best in the country

With an acceptance rate of 51.3% Penn State is one of the more selective colleges. You will have a fair chance of getting into this school, assuming your test scores and grades meet the schools standards.

One of the reasons of Penn State’s success is the Nittany Success Center.

The Nittany Success Center promotes educational opportunity and enhanced academic achievement for all students. The Nittany Success Center is an integral part of the campus community, interacting with faculty, staff and students to provide a range of services designed to meet individual needs. Professional tutoring in many subjects is available free of charge for Penn State students. Penn State consists of multiple campuses and each campus has its own center.

So what can you do to make sure you will graduate:

1. Pick the college that is right for you.
2. Pick the major that is right for you.
3. Be willing to reach out and ask for help. Don’t wait until the problem grows and you feel it is insurmountable and your only solution is to drop out.
4. Avoid dropping out of college – look for alternatives (change major, have a gap semester, or a gap year)
5. Problem with a subject? First contact your professor. Find out if tutoring is available at your university, otherwise look for available tutoring online.
6. Problem with your health? Contact the health services at your campus.
7. Affected by bullying, harassment, hazing or a crime? Make sure to report this as soon as possible and ask for help right away.

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