<p>Firstly, one should decide whether to have the ‘graduate within 4 years’ a firm goal or not. It’s not always appropriate for everyone at every college. Some students enter college thinking they’re interested in a particular major and end up deciding they’re more interested in another major which can lengthen the time due to taking more courses. Others decide to pursue a rigorous minor on top of a rigorous major or may wish to double major and depending on the particular majors/minors and the college this may take more time to accomplish. Is it a bad thing the student ends up studying for 5 years rather than 4? It costs more but one could argue they received more education and regardless, they shouldn’t stick with a major/direction they end up disliking for the sake of saving an extra semester or year unless the cost is out of the question but even then, it may be better to pursue a more affordable option while pursuing something of interest.</p>
<p>Since the context of the subject of ‘finishing in 4 years’ is usually related to cost, there’s a big difference between finishing in 4 years at an expensive private U and finishing in 4 years at a state U that might be 1/2 to 1/4 the cost of the private. If one is dependent on financial aid and that aid doesn’t extend beyond 4 years that’s another factor. This cost differential is significant and IMO a factor in why students at state universities on average may take longer to graduate than students at privates - because they can due to affordability. It’s one thing to spend an extra $25K or $15K or $10K for the extra year at the state U and quite another to spend an extra $55K for an extra year at an expensive private U. I can’t see selecting an expensive private due to a rep of graduating students in 4 years as opposed to an average longer time at a state U that’s 1/4 to 1/2 the cost of the former. </p>
<p>There are actually many students attending college for 4 years that could have been out in 3.5 or 3 years.</p>
<p>To get through college in the shortest time frame - </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Take as many AP courses (and pass the AP tests) as possible in HS. Attend a college that is generous in awarding credits for the AP courses.</p></li>
<li><p>Know what major one wants and pursue that major and don’t switch majors. This is good advice for getting out of college quicker but not what one should do if they discover they prefer another major over what they thought they wanted when they were 17 y/o.</p></li>
<li><p>Take a full course load. A lot of students take fairly light loads of relatively easy classes and end up with a lot of free time (party time socializing time for some). One can often knock off a semester or two by taking a heavier course load. This may mean being more flexible and taking some classes earlier in the morning and on Friday which are less popular times for taking courses (see earlier reference to ‘partying/socializing’). </p></li>
<li><p>Be flexible on some of the courses needed for credits. Sometimes one might be able to take opera appreciation rather than hip hop appreciation and end up with the same credits towards the requirements yet the former might be less popular and thus easier to get the class.</p></li>
<li><p>Take the initiative to get the classes one wants, to learn how to add/drop, to figure out what’s actually needed - consulting academic advisors as needed.</p></li>
<li><p>Do the work and pass the courses so none of them need to be repeated.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Make sure the college you plan on attending has every major you might want to study and get a degree. Make sure they offer the courses for your major often so that you are not held up by having to wait for the semester the course is offered to start your major. </p>
<p>Tell the kid they have 4 years and after that the money is gone. </p>
<p>Take those IB and AP tests seriously and get a 4 or 5 on the test. </p>
<p>Seek assistance in a class before you drop or fail.</p>
<p>momof3greatgirls–that is a great point. Make sure you talk to your child about using help centers/peer tutoring, etc. Many of our kids are not used to asking for help or wanting help and try to gut it out when things are not going well. We’ve talked to our kids about making sure they use the writing center on campus for the first semester at least to make sure their papers are up to snuff on a college level. It also gets them into the habit of asking for help if needed!</p>
<p>Yes, my girlfriends Ds were done in 3 and my S2 just old me he will be done a semester early. </p>
<p>Summer classes is one bullet I forgot. If you are paying for an apartment on year lease it’s pretty easy (and cheap) for the kids to stay in the college town and work in the summer and take a class or two inexpensively that will enable them to graduate a semester early or at a minimum on time.</p>
<p>Pick your major based on aptitude and interest in the subject matter, not on someone else’s ideas of what you “should” major in.</p>
<p>Be willing to expand the time of day you are willing to take classes. It can be difficult to finish in four years if you refuse to wake up before 10AM, and need to be finished (because your intramural soccer team games start at 4) by 2 or 3PM.</p>
<p>Do not insist that “Thursday is the new Friday”, and therefore there should be no Friday classes.</p>
<p>Do not bring a game system to school with you. Your room will be “the” place to hang out, and you’ll never be able to study or sleep before 2AM.</p>
<p>WARNING: While “Dual Enrollment” classes (or other college classes taken during high school) can provide students with extra credits that can help facilitate an on-time graduation, some colleges (especially the more selective ones) will not accept credits earned before matriculation, unless they come via AP or IB exams. </p>
<p>At the start of freshman year, students should check with their college registrar to see if the number of credits that they THINK they are bringing with them meshes with the college’s assessment. Sometimes “missing” credits are due to the fact that previous college-level classes aren’t accepted, but sometimes the problem can be as simple as a bookkeeping issue … e.g., the student self-reported AP or IB scores on the application but never sent official reports to the college.</p>
<p>Don’t promise your child he can study abroad before he knows what his major requires. For example, some majors require a sequence of classes, where the first course is offered only in Fall, and the next course is offered only in Spring. If he is away from campus one semester, he gets off track for an entire year. Some majors just do not lend themselves to study abroad.</p>
<p>Along the same lines, inquire as to whether there are any required or highly desired classes that are offered only rarely. I am familar with a program where a couple of the required courses are offered once every other year. If you miss it the first go round and especially if it is a prerequisite for another course, it could delay graduation by multiple semesters.</p>
<p>As for AP classes - they can create a problem at freshman registration where the school has openings only in the 100 level classes. The 200 level classes that your student could place into are often full.</p>
<p>A lot is made of schools requiring freshmen to choose their own courses, without Mommy hovering over. So then the student arrives at his registration appointment and the advisor tells him to take two humanities classes. He signs up for them, only to have Mommy tell him that he doesn’t need the humanities classes due to AP credits.</p>
<p>When my S started college, he was considering both political science and economics majors. He looked at the requirements for both majors, and selected his classes assuming that he would double major, even though he was uncertain if he would actually do so. When he decided to drop econ from a second major to a minor, he was still in good shape with his poli sci major for graduating in 4 years. Poli sci doesn’t actually have long chains of prerequisites so it probably wouldn’t have been a problem anyway, but adding an econ major later might have been more problematic. Science and engineering especially have long chains of prerequisites. </p>
<p>Having some AP credits is also helpful, for when a students wants to drop a class or take a lighter schedule one semester.</p>
<p>It is also important to consider how frequently particular courses are offered and planning accordingly. Even if the college won’t announce availability well in advance, past schedules are generally available. If a particular class of interest is offered infrequently, i.e. once every 2 years, choose to take that class when it is offered, delaying taking another class that is offered more frequently.</p>
<p>We didn’t have to do anything to get our daughter to graduate within 4 years. She went in with that intention and did it all by herself. Double major, semester study abroad, went in with the maximum credits the U would accept (23 or 24?). She took a typical load of 5 courses every semester and got good grades in them.</p>
<p>Now, son’s school is switching from quarters to semesters halfway through his 4 years. They require a co-op, which can be done in the summer. He is looking at study abroad in a program from his school. He also went in with AP credits for 5 classes, so should be on track. He does check in with his academic adviser to make sure he is taking the correct classes.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids attended schools where they may have trouble getting into required/desired classes. Planning ahead is always wise.</p>
<p>That relies on one part of the equation. A different part of the “dual enrollment” system has more to do with a basic concept, namely that you do not “get” credit for classes that were part of the minimum or standard high school curriculum. If the required graduation credits are at 28, you can only “transfer” credits that added to the minimum numbers. In so many words, you would have gone beyond the basic requirements to “earn” extra credits. Obviously, this does not apply to programs that were specifically crafted and designed to offer the credit under previous agreement between the various schools. </p>
<p>Here’s the example of Texas, which has clear agreements in place, and a system that allows students to evaluate exactly the credits they could earn. </p>
<p>As it is always the case, the academic value of the classes offered will vary considerably and the rigor might be highly dependent on the providers of the services. While it is clear that the IB and AP courses are NOT true college level courses, and that they should not never be used as credit towards graduation but only for advanced placement (what a novel thought) dual enrollment fall into a different category as the articulation agreements between junior colleges and full four years schools are well-accepted.</p>
<p>While it is noble to pursue a “speedy graduation” the pitfall is to rob a student of a bona fide education, especially through glorified high school courses of dubious value, that takes … four full years of classes taught by a well-trained and competent faculty. </p>
<p>Obviously, the last element loses most of its importance at the many academic factories that rely extensively on TAs or GSIs, or whatever names the colleges came up to make the function sound more important than it is. </p>
<p>All in all, the best way to ensure a graduation in four years is to aim at getting accepted at a school that is committed to provide an education in 8 full semesters or 12 trimesters, and for students to commit to take sufficient classes to finish in the same timeframe. </p>
<p>No tricks nor strategies will change much to such basic principle.</p>
<p>Just as an aside to my “only pay for four years” comment …</p>
<p>As I’ve posted previously, my parents paid zero toward my education and I took five years to graduate college, having a full-time job while in school (even though CUNY was extremely inexpensive back then).</p>
<p>My oldest graduated from two different colleges in 5 years with 2 different bachelors degrees. The 2nd college had an articulation with the first college BUT she still emailed the department head at the 2nd college each semester to make sure every articulated course worked, as she wanted no surprises. Also, be aware that anything below a C won’t transfer.</p>
<p>I will re-iterate that hurrying to graduate may not be such a good idea if it impacts one’s grades. Graduating engineering in 4 years with a 2.8 versus 5 with a 3.3 could mean the difference between a job in a big company and a job at Bob’s TV repair… This also holds true for grad school admissions. If the cost of attendance for the extra year is bearable, it should all be considered into the picture.</p>
<p>S #1 is a senior at a CA private university with a four year guarantee. It worked; he’ll graduate on schedule, in May, and has a job offer, too. The four year guarantee was very attractive to us when we toured the school.</p>
<p>Four year guarantees may mean less than they seem, in that most of the reasons that students delay graduation are student-caused (needing remedial courses, late change of major, failing courses, poor course planning, taking less than a full course load every semester), not school-caused (insufficient class space in needed courses).</p>
<p>For example, several CSUs (Pomona, Fresno, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Humboldt) offer four year graduation pledge programs, so that students who follow their majors’ course plans and do not need remedial courses will receive a school assurance of priority registration for required courses, or free tuition for any additional terms if the required courses cannot be enrolled in due to being full or unavailable. But the actual four year graduation rates at these schools are very low. Needing remedial course work is likely a big delayer for moderately selective schools like these – in general, more selective schools have higher on-time graduation rates.</p>
<p>For CA public universities such as UCs or CSUs, it can be difficult to graduate in 4 years esp if you have sequential classes to take (eg stem). Actually, it was difficult to graduate in 4 years back 30 yrs ago, when I was an UC undergrad. Most of my friends took 5 years. To do it in 4, one needed AP credits and/or summer school.</p>
<p>Now that D is at a private uni, seems like most or all kids there will graduate in 4 yrs despite the fact that the uni does not give any class units for APs. Somehow, at these private unis, the students get their hands held and can get the classes that they want or need (except for scheduling conflicts) and they make it out in 4 years.</p>
<p>Although DS has not completed his degree, he chose a school that has great advising. they spell out from the beginning how many classes that are needed each semester to graduate on time, and students must get their advisor to sign off if they are under that total before registration. His school has a lot of distribution requirements, but it is the philosophy at the LAC the young men should broaden their horizons and pick alternatives in case the the desired class is not available. While many do double major the university doesn’t push for double major, triple minors that might make school extend past four years. Having senior comps to justify major and minor knowledge also seems to help students focus.</p>
<p>GolfFather: Just hope that your kid doesn’t end up with a mental illness, so that you have to eat your words when you said, “We will not pay for more than four years, period.” Sigh. Speaking from personal experience.</p>
<p>Actually, 4-year graduation rate at Berkeley went up from under 40% in the 1980s to about 70% now. This is now among the highest of public universities, and is reflective of how the selectivity has greatly increased since the 1980s.</p>
<p>The “difficulty” graduating in 4 years had mostly to do with the students. In the 1980s, most Berkeley freshmen had to take a remedial English course, compared to under 10% now. Remedial math enrollment was also higher than it was now. In addition, a lot of students voluntarily took only 12-13 credit units per semester instead of averaging 15 that was needed to graduate in 8 semesters. The low costs back then (especially in-state, but out-of-state cost was also low back then) meant that the cost penalty for an extra semester was not that great. There were probably various reasons for taking light course loads: (a) could not handle a full 15 credit unit schedule academically, (b) spending too much time on fermented beverage sociology, or (c) working one’s way through college (much more doable back then when costs were much lower).</p>
<p>I went to college back then and graduated in 8 semesters. Although I had some AP credit, I still took more than 120 credit units of college courses during those 8 semesters (basically getting free electives in place of course requirements fulfilled by AP credit).</p>
<p>As noted in #36, several CSUs have 4 year graduation pledge programs, but many students do not take advantage of them, resulting in very low 4 year graduation rates.</p>