Fact:  Census data from 2005 indicate that only 28% of Americans have obtained a Bachelors degree.

Fact:  Only about 10% of Americans take the “traditional path” of completing their Bachelors degree in 4 years.

Fact:  At private four-year colleges, the percentage of students graduating in four years is, on average, 54%.  Among our public institutions, the four-year graduation rate is 32%.

The selective, elite colleges have better four-year graduations rates.  But if you compare the total number of students in the Ivy League (about 60,000) to the number of undergraduates at just one of our largest institutions (40,000 at Ohio State University, for example), or with the 6.6 million students enrolled in our community colleges across the country, you can start to see the disparity between those few how pursue the “traditional” four-year path and the majority who take five, six, or more years to complete their Bachelor’s degree.

Mr. Swidley’s main point is that the general public does not understand that “swirling” (the term enrollment managers use to describe the the dynamic of students of moving in and out and around the higher education system) is the norm in higher education, and that policy makers in higher education tend to create systems (e.g., rules pertaining to the transfer of credits from one university to another) that enshrine the myth and deny the reality:  swirlers are the vast majority of the people in our higher education system.

Parents and students should read this article.  Before you embark on a higher education plan, you need to consider that it is more likely that you complete in five or six years or more, then you need to factor that likelihood into your plans.

Think about the following:

1.  Will you attend a public university?  If so, study the four and six-year graduation rates at your school, and give yourself permission to consider taking longer to complete your degree. Don’t beat yourself up if you find it hard to finish in four years–you’re in good company!

2.  Do you know what you will major in?  If not–and if you will attend a large, state university–keep in mind that you are perhaps most at risk of having to take a 5th or 6th year to complete your degree, as it is often difficult to satisfy credit requirements if you do not plan far enough ahead.  Better still, try to narrow your choices early:  the impact of changing your major from political science to economics will be less than if you switch from engineering to art history.

3.  If you think you may take 5 or 6 years to complete, how will you pay for the degree?  Tuition will likely increase each year, and usually credits are cheaper if you enroll full-time than if you enroll part-time.  So it may make more sense to take a full year off, get a decent job, save money, and then return to school full-time.

4.  If you do take some time off between matriculation and graduation, what will you do?  What sort of job will you get?  Pursue an internship or co-op program or apprenticeship?  Perhaps you might join Americorps or spend some time abroad learning a new language.  Don’t just flounder around–make the time off part of your overall educational plan.

5.  If you anticipate that money will be the primary obstacle to completing your degree, consider enrolling in a two-year community college and take courses that your state goverment guarantees can be transferred to your flagship state university.

Both policy makers and the general public need to abandon the myth of the four-year college degree.  It is not the norm–it is the exception.

Students–and their parents–need to build their educational expectations and plans around the norm.  Instead of feeling like failures or otherwise inadequate learners, perhaps we need a new slogan to rally the “silent majority” of students in higher education.

“Swirlers Are Swell”.

“Two, Four, Six, Eight — It Takes a While to Graduate”

“College:  I Did It MY WAY!”

Any other catchy slogans you can think of?  Add them in the comments below–we’ll print up T-Shirts!

Educational Consultant

The post Traditional Four-Year Degrees Are Exception first appeared on Great College Advice.

Youth is the time of life to gain experience, to try new things, and to be unburdened by the responsibilities of marriage, parenting, and a mortgage. These experiences beyond any classroom can be formative; they can point students in possible career directions. Or young people can gain new skills, like learn a foreign language or do community organizing, that take considerable time and effort in concentrated periods. Even taking a year off to get a job and pull together some extra money for college can be enormously beneficial in building a young person’s confidence and independence.

So for any student who even hints at being interested in a GAP year, I encourage it. And I can also help students find an appropriate GAP year experience. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that both admissions officers and college counselors agree that it is better–much better–to apply to college while still in high school. Then if you plan to take a GAP year, you can defer your matriculation for a year without any difficulty at any college.

Colleges prefer this, mostly because they are making decisions primarily based on your high school performance, not on the nature of your GAP year experience. While colleges will value your experience and encourage you to pursue that GAP experience, your year off will not be a significant “plus” to your application. Furthermore, most GAP experiences will make it difficult for you to do the paperwork and maintain strong lines of communications with colleges and with your college counselors.

Thus applying to college in your senior year is not only smart, your foresight and planning will allow you to extract maximum benefit from your GAP year experience.
But what to do during your GAP year? What organizations offer programs that may interest you?

Below are a few resources and organizations that I have found useful in counseling students about GAP year programs.

Directories

Two highly regarded boarding schools have developed lists of GAP year programs for their students. These lists are available on the web.
The Andover GAP year directory (which includes summer opportunities, too)
The Hotchkiss GAP year directory

GAP Year Communities

GapYear.com is a website based in the UK that provides information and resources to help you plan your own GAP year experience anywhere in the world. Where You Headed is a membership-based site that will help guide students as they explore their GAP year options.
GapYear.com
WhereYouHeaded.com

GAP Year Programs

Finally, some organizations specialize in creating outstanding, specialized opportunities for young people who want to pursue a GAP year experience.
Americorps: Service in the United States, along the model of the Peace Corps
City Year: A year of structured service in urban environments
National Outdoor Leadership School: Wilderness training across the country
Semester at Sea: An around-the-world cruise aboard a ship that serves as the classroom between ports.
Leap Now: Overseas cultural and adventure travel.
Where There Be Dragons: Focus on adventure and cultural explorations of Asia.

The opportunities for creating a fun and meaningful GAP year experience are limited only by your imagination. A GAP year does not have to cost an arm and a leg, either. Many students are able to cover their expenses, either by working for a portion of the year, or by including work as a part of the overall experience.
Thousands and thousands of Brits take a GAP year…even Prince William took a year off. So if he can do it, so can you. No matter what you end up doing, you will never regret that you took a year to do something different, something interesting, something exciting.

Mark Montgomery
College Counselor
Advocate of GAP Year Programs

The post GAP Year Programs and College Admission first appeared on Great College Advice.