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They are structured to get you out in four years. In the bears case it started at orientation week and has been continuous.
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<p>How so? What have they done?</p>
<p>Why does graduation take more than 4 years for most people these days? Well, the answer is pretty much that **** happens.</p>
<p>I graduated in four years (class of 2006), but I've come to find that's relatively unusual in today's world. I went to a small liberal arts college where the model was to get students in and out in four years, which nearly all of us did. The exception is some junior year transfers who need an extra semester or year and the occasional leave of absence (usually for medical or financial reasons). My college did not require declaration of a major until the end of sophomore year (which helped prevent switching majors and losing a year or two) and also was simply too expensive for a fifth year for most.</p>
<p>My partner took seven years to get an undergrad degree. How does that happen? Well, a really bad case of mono (which lost two years, or six quarters), a broken ankle twice over the course of the college experience (a loss of two quarters), and a mental health / suicidal breakdown early on in college that lost the final quarter. A friend of mine ended up getting kicked out of the music performance major due to "lack of ability," changing majors, and transferring schools. That causes graduation a semester late. A third friend graduated from my LAC with me on time and a couple years later went back to a state school for a fifth year of undergrad to obtain the teaching credential our school didn't offer. I have other friends who simply decided they wanted to take a fifth years to gain an additional major/minor, to have an opportunity to take more classes that interested them, or simply to take a lighter load every semester /quarter so that they could work, pursue internships, or needed a lower course load for reasons related to learning / physical disabilities. </p>
<p>I believe the four year college model is outdated at this point and that college should take as long as that person needs. (For some people it's LESS than 4 years - I have a friend who graduated from Vassar in 3 years! That friend took summer school every year and graduated early for financial reasons.) This is especially true if you go to a larger school that doesn't operate on the specific four year plan, like my LAC does. My conclusion after watching friends and peers is that the four-year model only works if nothing goes "wrong" academically or personally. I've seen so many friends anguish internally because they feel they have a problem because it took them an extra semester or year to graduate, which is crazy! As long as you're actively working towards the degree, the time it takes to get there doesn't really matter.</p>
<p>DW worked at a major ranked U in the office of institutional research. The standard measure for graduation stats is now 6 years. Some of the reasons it takes that long are: students change majors (boy, does this happen), scheduling snafus, interruptions in the education due to funding or medical reasons, recruited athletes taking minimal loads. As others have mentioned, LACs are designed to get people out in four years (who wants to pay $45K for an extra year?).</p>
<p>Just to be clear: I have NOTHING against taking more than 4 years to graduate. I'm under a lot of presure to do so for financial (merit aid) reasons, but my parents took 5 and 22 years, respectively, to earn their bachelor's degrees. My question is if our current aid/affordably scheme is deceiving--scholarships and need-based aid are only awarded on a four year basis, and families often calcuate costs on if they can afford 4 years at XYZ University, but if four year graduations are no longer the norm, does this really work?</p>
<p>question_quest Planning begins at O week. Met the prof who became her mentor fall of her freshman year. The thing that seems to be different is regular meeting with advisors and deans both scheduled and socially. </p>
<p>How does a school get a high graduation rate? I think these are the factors admit students with little need for remedial classes and lots of AP credits then schedule classes properly.</p>
<p>PO Bear, </p>
<p>Interestingly, at top private schools, AP credits don't have much to do with graduating on time. many (perhaps even most) of the students give up their AP credits, or end up not using them for graduation purposes, only to meet pre-recs. And a number of top schools have started limiting the number and nature of courses for which they accept AP credits. </p>
<p>Instead, the kids graduate in four years because the are well prepared, motivated to finish (both financially and academically), and the schools work with students to make sure they finish. </p>
<p>But, as has been suggested before, it is really unfair to compare a top private university to others, for a host of reasons: different student body; different levels of resources; different objectives. </p>
<p>Just as an example, what do MIT and Cal Poly SLO have in common, other than they offer college degrees? Then ask yourself how they are different, and how these differences might affect graduation rate. Then, if you still have time, think about the California budget. (Never mind, skip this last idea. Too depressing...)</p>
<p>newmassdad I only said admit kids with lots of AP credits. It is a different pool of kids I understand that. And parents like me who steer their kids to high graduation rate schools. A good question would be why Davis, UCSB and Irvine rates are twice Cal Polys? A better question is why Oregon's is 15 to 16 points higher?</p>
<p>MIT & Cal Poly have their like of Harry Potter books, 1984, Pride & Prejudice and The Alchemist in common. As a frequent visitor to SLO they have sun, surfing, diving and golf at the least. All these can reduce graduation rates. </p>
<p>As for California's budget think how I feel. The numbers are worse than you think and that means I'll be seeing a lot of Cal license plates up here getting depressed about the rain.</p>