Lots of reasons for the 4 year grad rate to grow to 5-6. Co-ops is a big one, or getting into an internship that is too good to leave after the summer so the student takes a semester off.
I have one who finished in 4 years, no summers, no AP/DE credit transferred in. I have another who will graduate in 4.5 years, but 8 semesters. She took one semester off to do a Disney college program semester, but her school didn’t recognize it as a co-op or internship. She had to take 2 classes in summer school this year in order to finish in the 8 semesters with a major and minor because she changed majors a few times and had ‘wasted’ credits, and also because she had a 12 credit semester abroad (that’s the program).
Totally understand the concept but maybe I just don’t like it. It’s one thing if your doing an internship etc but it’s another if you “need” 6 years to complete a 4 year curriculum. My own daughter like yours switched majors and schools. She last year did her study abroad in South East Asia for a semester(4 months). She loved it so much she asked if she could takeoff spring term and back pack through Loas, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Once in a life time thing and she used part of her own money. Now she is back to Indonesia with the State departments critical language program, for a 2 month intensive (free program with stipend if selected). So she is now a junior once more in the fall. But at least we didn’t have to pay tuition for that spring term… That money we saved got sucked up by my son’s tuition at Michigan.
Someone posted on another thread that U of Colorado Boulder is up and coming…anyone have an opinion on that school?
We toured it last week and fell in love. But we are from the east coast and don’t know that much. My son is a very strong student and has legacy at some strong eastern schools but we really loved Boulder. We would appreciate any info. Thanks!
@collegemomjam I always thought CO Boulder was a well though of school… not Ivy but mid-to high level selective but academically challenging when you get there. However it’s also known for being really laid back … and its parties.
@ASKMother thanks. I think you are right. I think it’s better known at west, but it’s starting to become more popular out here as well. He may want to stay out there anyway, so it probably is just fine for what he wants. I’m sure he would be quite challenged in the business school especially.
Not sure if it’s considered underrated, but it’s certainly getting popular: Stonehill College. I had never heard of it before my niece went there (though she transferred out after a year) but since then I’ve about many kids who are attending.
@collegemomjam Her experience was that a lot of the students were very privileged and big partiers. She comes from a well off family, so it wasn’t that these students had a lot of money, but more their attitude; they acted spoiled and entitled. And while she did attend parties, the drinking was excessive to her. I have no idea what the reputation of the school is; this was just her experience, and it’s possible she just ended up with that type of friend group.
@collegemomjam CU Boulder is popular here in CA as a college for upper class (mostly white) kids who aren’t qualified for Cal/UCLA but still want (and can afford) a college with the PAC-12 big time sports/school spirit experience. For similar reasons a lot also go to Arizona and Oregon and we saw quite a few kids for whom those were their top three choices. About 20 seniors picked one or other of those, though Oregon is losing out now the quality of the football team doesn’t compensate for the poor weather. In contrast far fewer go to Utah, despite their better merit aid and similar sports profile, because of concerns about it being too conservative/Mormon influenced.
I’m going to plug my alma mater here and say Samford U. in B’ham, AL. They are really moving up the rankings. Colorado College also seems to be an up and comer. Will have to check out Denison and Santa Clara, they got a lot of mentions.
Someone spoke of the migration from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt, particularly in Florida and how that is impacting schools. First of all, would some of you Yankees please bring your elite LAC’s with you when you come, or at least bring the professors and administrators? We have a big shortage of great small LAC’s in the Deep South and could use some of yours! Secondly, as someone with boots on the ground in FL, let me share my 2 cents worth. Yes, Florida is pouring more money into higher ed yearly to try and keep up with the growth but they are WAY behind the curve and trying to play catch up. As a result, space is limited and admission even to the large public U’s is more competitive than it should be. UCF has the largest undergrad enrollment in the country. UF is running out of room/buildings and is shunting students to satellite/online campuses, at least in some programs such as pharmacy. I personally know some people that went through pharmacy school at UF in the last few years that rarely if ever set foot on campus in Gainesville. Nothing wrong with that if it’s what you want. But if you want the traditional college experience, it’s a poor substitute. And it’s limiting opportunities. UF is turning away kids with GPA’s above 3.5. We live in state and my daughter is a rising junior with a 4.5 GPA, a 1340 SAT, and a 31 ACT. She’s on every mailing list there is, but we’ve gotten more mail from Alabama, South Carolina, Miami, Ole Miss, Clemson, Notre Dame, the Ivies, and many small LAC’s and large state schools all over the country than we have from UF. I think we’ve received ONE mailer from UF. I honestly think they are inundated with applications and don’t want any more. It’s a nice problem to have, but it is a double edged sword and has a dark side.
Like all of these. My daughter just transferred to Beloit. We know many people from Knox. St Olaf. Lawrence. Etc. They tend to give more merit also. My daughters merit doubled to $36,000. She came from another small LAC but she can make her own major here.
Great post, thank you. It is odd how few highly competitive LAC’s there are in the deep south and out west.
I know many state U’s are struggling with over-enrollment. Good problem for the schools to have (or better than the alternative anyway) but having four in a double would really suck if you were a student.
CU Boulder is an interesting school. Academically it’s sort of middling as public flagships go—USNews ranks it as the #39 public university, in similar territory to Binghamton, Stony Brook, Indiana, and Oklahoma. I think that’s probably about right, but I’d say these are all good schools, albeit far from elite. It’s hugely popular with OOS students, at least at the application stage—huge numbers apply, most (around 80%) are accepted, but OOS yield is only 12%, an indication that most of those applying are using it as a safety, or at least a back-up to more highly desired schools.
Still, OOS enrollment is nearly half the entering class, with California contributing huge numbers, and Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Washington State also making major contributions. Many of those who do enroll seem to be coming for the lifestyle as much as the education. As a college town, Boulder can’t be beat, outdoor adventure opportunities are unparalleled with the Rockies right in your backyard, and for many the ski slopes beckon. And of course there’s Pac 12 sports and some outstanding craft brewers. But maybe all these things also contribute to a mediocre 6-year graduation rate of 69% (compared to 90+% at the top publics).
The students are also pretty affluent. Nearly 2/3 are full-pays. And they’re whiter (68%) than at many leading publics, though there’s also a sizable Latino contingent (12%). But very few black students (2%) and modest numbers of Asians (5%) and internationals (7%), so on the whole less diversity than you’ll find elsewhere.
I don’t say this to knock the school. Overall it’s a good school and there’s a lot to like about the town and the natural wonders right at your fingertips. I almost took a job teaching there at one point, but Boulder housing is quite costly and the pay scale wasn’t great.
Our impression of CU Boulder, based on a single visit and some gossip from a local, conforms to the description above. The location is gorgeous, and it has some strong departments, but the overwhelming feeling was that it was an affluent party school The buffalo-shaped leisure pool was an interesting choice, resourcewise.
“Or that once they receive the acceptance, they just can’t afford CU as an OOS student. There is not a lot of aid, and it’s expensive.”
Yes. As I noted above Arizona and Oregon fell into the same category. The kids we knew were definitely the affluent party type. But in terms of attendance more chose Arizona than Boulder in the end, apparently because it’s a bit cheaper and more generous with merit aid.
Thanks for all of the comments on CU Boulder. This is a big discussion in our house right now because my son loved it so much. It would be a safer choice for him coming from OOS. He is likely going to have the stats for a more elite school out east…but we aren’t sure if the east coast lifestyle if right for him in the end…the stress and pace. But I also want him to be around motivated students so that he does well enough to support himself after graduation. That’s the end goal…to be able to live on his own in a business career (he wants business) AND to have the lifestyle he wants.
