The crush of the application and admission to colleges is a heavy burden for so many students. The joy and adulation of being accepted come as a relief, but often the fight for too many of these kids is just beginning. And, I fear, there is not enough scaffolding in place—across the board—to usher in long-term success once on campus.
Startling data:
"We’re losing about a quarter of students after their first year of college. In the fall of 2021, about 66% of students returned to the campus they started at in the fall of 2020. Add to that 8.6% of students who transferred to another college, and you have a “persistence rate” of 75%. Research shows that if students stop out or take a leave of absence, they may not continue with their studies. That’s particularly true for those from disadvantaged backgrounds."
I highly recommend reading the latest post from Jeff Seligo's newsletter. If you are on Twitter or other social media platforms, he is a great follow to keep up on the latest trends in college admission and higher education.
The piece can be found here.