Starting college is a monumental experience. For many, it’s the first time they’ll be responsible for their schedules, finances, and academic loads, all at once. The transition into such a world can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. And as many focus on what occurs in the classroom, the real success story happens in between those periods and in offices, advising sessions, early warning systems, and the behind-the-scenes efforts that support retention from Day 1.
It’s rare that the road from matriculation to graduation goes in a straightforward line. Yet universities that appreciate this early on have better success rates.
The First Year is the Most Important Year
First-year students are at the highest risk for dropping out. Those who are challenged, academically, financially or socially, within their first few semesters are less likely to finish their degrees. This is not surprising. It has been shown over and over again that the adjustment period is vast; without proper support systems in place, things can go awry before they get right.
Thus, many institutions have sought to champion early intervention. It’s far too late when a student fails a course or misses four classes in a row; efforts are now in place to help support students before they fall through the cracks.
Systems made to appreciate early intervention include Ellucian and other platforms with extensive resources and records across campuses that enable interdisciplinary success. Academic records, financial information, and engagement stats are all compiled under one roof to give advisors better insight into where their students stand, so they best know how to help them moving forward.
Academic Advising is Revolutionary
Long gone are the days when academic advising constitutes a once-a-year meeting merely to sign off on course options. This still exists, albeit begrudgingly, but under certain circumstances; however, academic advising wants something more responsive and ongoing. Today, advising is more like a relationship by taking attendance patterns, class participation and expedited milestones all into account.
Advisors have far more students than they’ve ever had before. Thus, the job is genuinely challenging without systems behind them. Therefore, by supporting timely access to information about caseloads, they can prioritize those who need immediate attention instead of waiting for a first-come-first-served basis that often overlooks the most vulnerable.
Yet no software can replace a good conversation. Thus, the best systems in place marry the two ideas together for preliminary involvement so that everything starts off on the right foot.
Financial Aid Plays an Unexpected Role
Academic struggles and financial struggles go hand-in-hand, and universities that fail to look at them as comparable fail to support students when they need it most. For example, someone who stops showing up to class may also be struggling with finances, a sudden unexpected charge, a gap in financial aid or an overwhelming work schedule to make ends meet. Advisors and financial aid offices need to talk.
Some institutions have even implemented emergency aid for these reasons. Small grants that happen quickly, between rent gaps or unexpected emergencies, can be the difference between someone remaining enrolled and someone dropping out. It’s a practical response to a recurring pattern, and studies have shown students who receive timely financial support are more likely to finish college.
Belonging and Community Matter
Academic success is one thing; however, students need to feel like they belong. For first-generation college students and students from diverse backgrounds or those who travel far from home to engage with their academia, feeling part of the institutional fabric, from student organizations to mentorship programs or just a handful of strong connections, makes the difference between trying through difficult times or quietly checking out.
Institutions that prioritize community-building do more than improve campus culture; they do their part to improve retention rates. The two goals complement each other greatly.
For example, peer mentorship programs show positive improvement across different institutional types, attempting to explain successfully how someone who went through it before did it, more so than an “official” pamphlet suggestion can ever do.
What Good Graduation Rates Mean
Good graduation rates mean good schools, but good graduation rates reflect something else entirely. They reflect how well an institution champions its ideals through subsequent enrollment and retention beyond initial acceptance.
It’s one thing to get people through the door; it’s another thing entirely to keep them there, to help them flourish academically until graduation and what they set out to do.
Institutions with good graduation rates have certain similarities: They employ a keen sense of advising in place, thoughtful use of data, not just reported retrospective information, but for prospective use, they look at finance and academics as tethered instead of separate entities, and finally, they’re good places to ask for help.
The latter reason is perhaps the most under-appreciated factor of them all.
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