Reed's low graduation rate

<p>My daughter will be going to Reed. I am extremely concerned about their low graduation rate. Can anybody offer some insight as why it is so low?</p>

<p>The latest freshman retention rate is 91%, and the latest six-year graduation rate is 73%.</p>

<p>Reed told us (Reed '09 grad parents) that the most common reason students give for leaving early is that Reed was not what they expected; Reed is one of the more unique schools, so the chances of a good match are perhaps less than average. But Reed is also one of the hardest schools, up there with Swarthmore and UChicago.</p>

<p>The opposite statistic is that Reed is fourth in the country (behind Caltech, Harvey Mudd and Swarthmore) in per capita future PhD production.</p>

<p>Oh @vonlost! I wish I hadn’t read that. Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if Reed was the right choice. I suppose, though, that I will find out soon enough. If all fails, there’s always the University of Sydney.</p>

<p>Anyway, according to the “latest” calculations, Reed has surpassed Swarthmore as well.</p>

<p>(<a href=“Doctorates Awarded :: Institutional Effectiveness, Research & Assessment :: Swarthmore College”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/institutional-research/doctorates-awarded.xml&lt;/a&gt;)</p>

<p>Reed is smaller than my youngests high school.
Students may find that is just too small as it impacts majors offered.
As Reed does not offer merit aid, some families may find if grad school is on the horizon, that it is just too expensive.
Some students also may choose Reed because they think the reputation for rigor is exaggerated, and find it is not. </p>

<p>^“Some students also may choose Reed because they think the reputation for rigor is exaggerated, and find it is not.” This is sheer speculation and highly unlikely. </p>

<p>Reed’s obvious shortcoming is that its students lack diversity in opinions, values and post-college career plans. A limited range of EC activities and clubs, including the absence of even intramural sports, contributes to a relatively narrow student life. For some, this translates into nothing but study, where too much school work can seem overwhelming. For a few others, drug use severely limits their ability to succeed in college anywhere. </p>

<p>The lack of “merit aid” has nothing to do with those who decided to attend leaving Reed. Many similar private colleges also don’t offer merit aid but have much higher graduation rates. Further, curricular limitations due to college size can always be remedied by study away or abroad, but it is generally not an issue.</p>

<p>The best strategy for success is to ignore the statistics and behavior of others, do the work required, and find constructive non-academic interests. Those who genuinely enjoy learning will find serious academic challenge but no real obstacles. </p>

<p>Incidentally, the most recent freshman retention rate was 94% and six-year graduation rate was 82% - not what was posted above. These are low numbers compared to those of peer institutions. Currently, the college is trying to remedy some of its lack of student diversity problems by bringing in more internationals.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.reed.edu/ir/cds/cds1314/cdssecb201314.pdf”>http://www.reed.edu/ir/cds/cds1314/cdssecb201314.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>rhg3rd - sorry to pick on you, most of what you said is accurate. But:</p>

<p>“students lack diversity in opinions” - this is wrong. And it’s part of the reason people leave, i.e. the historical attrition problem. When you’re stuck in this enclosed environment with a small number of people who are fired up about opinions you despise, it gets very hard to be around them every day over and over. Opinions are extremely diverse and passionate at Reed, and then compressed into this tiny community. This causes a ton of social friction and discomfort. </p>

<p>You’re right that there’s a narrow student life, but this has nothing to do with lack of EC or sports or frats. It’s a result of the work load and a culture that deifies working hard. To the point of, for lack of a better way of putting it, masochism.</p>

<p>The rest of what you said is right on.</p>

<p>Deifying working hard is a negative? </p>

<p>his is sheer speculation and highly unlikely.
Actually, direct observation.
:)</p>

<p>emeraldkity4 says “Some students also may choose Reed because they think the reputation for rigor is exaggerated, and find it is not.” rhg3rd says “This is sheer speculation and highly unlikely.” emeraldkity4 says “Actually, direct observation.”</p>

<p>I see no facts. Asserting something does not make it so. What is your sample size? Is there a control group? Two people from your freshman dorm saying, “f***, I didn’t believe it would be this hard” does not qualify. Regards. </p>

<p>Did I imply there was a study?
Disregard my information if you like.
As far as I can tell, opinions on CC are worth about what you pay for them.</p>

<p>But how is this different?

</p>

<p>Oh my, I had not realized that Reedies had lost a sense of humor. Please forgive me. You asserted a fact; I questioned the basis for it. </p>

<p>If you wish to be serious: Reed (as an institution) offering a general explanation for student behavior is not really the same the same as you (as an anonymous individual) making an assertion. If challenged, I expect that Reed could support its statement. Can you? </p>

<p>Yes. I will take your statement for exactly what it is worth. </p>

<p>Without intending to butt into this argument, I will give my own impression: There are some people at Reed who did not enroll for the academic rigor, and subsequently found the academic rigor too big a downside to balance the things that initially attracted them to the school: drug/party scene, music scene, ‘hipster’ culture, Portland, whatever. I don’t know if they expected Reed to be easier than advertised, thought themselves capable of handling it, or simply did not think about its academic reputation at all, but I’ve definitely seen non-academically minded students buckle under the expectations of their professors in a way they did not expect.</p>

<p>I will confess to tending to see things in absolute terms. Mea culpa. I guess I just find the idea that someone might have “expected Reed to be easier than advertised … [or] simply did not think about its academic reputation at all” to be mind-boggling. The first is perhaps defensible; the second is just plain stupid. Oops, there I go again. </p>

<p>@AboutTheSame, emeraldkity is not a Reedie, her daughter is. But I doubt this has any effect on her sense of humor. </p>

<p>@rhg3rd Your first three paragraphs sound incredibly condescending and more than a little pompous. Please have the self-awareness to realize your own explanations for Reed’s retention rates are also speculation. </p>

<p>In fact, there are myriad reasons why students may choose to not continue at Reed, and all of them are speculation on our parts. The most common likely have to do something with expectations and fit. </p>

<p>@deljo if your daughter is well-informed about Reed and feels like a good fit for her (i.e. she knows what she’s getting into and it still appeals to her), then I would be supportive and try not to worry too much. </p>

<p>@SHolmies‌ Touche. I missed that. Thank you. </p>