Seven or Zero Semesters: The Freshman Dropout Issue

Tyler Powell

Freshman year is always complimented with a modicum of mixed emotions. Often, students enter college with a lackadaisical demeanor, completely unaware of the new responsibilities they are about to take on. Homework and projects begin to pile as high as laundry and exams creep up faster than expected. Paying back the next seven or more semesters of tuition seems like an impossible task. Eventually homesickness sets in and students find themselves bored or depressed. What they once thought was a new found freedom has now morphed into academic bondage, keeping them working hour after hour to make up for lost time while still trying to create new friendships and continue personal hobbies.

It's no surprise that more freshmen dropout than any other class of students. In fact, according to Jonathan Whitbourne, "...nearly half of all freshmen will either drop out before getting their degree or complete their college education elsewhere." Dropout rates this high normally beg the question, "Are admission standards too low?" but what we should really ask is,"Are there some factors which colleges don't or can't screen for?" It is often assumed that college dropouts failed most of their courses, but this is not always the case. As Anya Sostek reports, in a recent survey of 1,600 Kentucky residents who are classified as having "some college, no degree", 60 percent of those who participated reported dropping out with a B average or higher. A few of the top reasons listed for dropping out were "'family responsibilities,' followed by 'financial reasons' and 'offered a good job.'"

In the college admissions process, every student is a set of statistics, and if all of the statistics match up to the standards, that students is accepted. There is little or no social involvement, no way of filtering out those students who don't have the drive to complete their education or on the other hand are overconfident in their abilities and blame the college as soon as their grades drop. Involving every prospective student in a personal interview would severely cut down on admission rates while increasing costs, so any psychiatric screening would be unprofitable. Therefor, the job of preparing future freshmen for college must fall in the hands of every high school; they must be charged with educating their students to every aspect of college life, as opposed to merely expanding their academic prowess.