The Challenge of College Readiness

Getting in AND staying in The first step to higher education at a four-year college/university is getting accepted. But the challenge does not stop there. Actually staying in is another obstacle that many students are just not able to overcome.

Statistics Approximately 35 percent of students who enter college will drop out during the first year. Moreover, according to a report issued by The Education Trust, a Washington-based nonprofit group, only 63 percent of students who enroll in a four-year university will earn a degree, and it will take them an average of six years to do so. The other 37 percent will either drop out of college before finishing or else flunk out of their programs of study. (USA Today, 2005). Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/college/articles/82378.aspx#ixzz0zKZZVdy7

6 Main reasons students drop out 1. TOO MUCH FUN 2. NOT JOINING IN 3. ACADEMICALLY UNPREPARED 4. LOW ON FUNDS 5. CHOSE THE WRONG MAJOR 6. FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT Read more: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTR/is_4_22/ai_845 99442/?tag=content;col1

College Prepared vs. College Ready What does it take to be accepted into a four-year college/university? (college prepared) What does it take to actually stay in a four-year college/university after you get in? (college ready)

College Prepared rigorous classes (honors, AP) Competitive GPA Extra-curricular activities (sport, club, community service) Student leadership High test scores (SAT and ACT) Personal statement

College Ready College instructors expect students to: Draw inferences Interpret results Analyze conflicting source documents Support arguments with evidence Solve complex problems Draw conclusions Offer explanations Conduct research College courses also move at a faster pace, often requiring students to read eight or nine books in the same amount of time it took them to read only one in high school Read more: Conley, David. “The Challenge of College Readiness.” Educational Leadership. April 2007.

How can you ensure that you are academically READY for college? Learn how to use active, deep reading strategies with all text: Analyze prompts Read strategically Summarize and synthesize source material Read for multiple purposes Marking and charting the text