5 Questions You Should Ask On A College Tour — But No One Ever Does

Spring break is college touring time, the annual ritual where the families of high school juniors make visits to universities.

Whether you set out to make it a semi-vacation or just a road trip that frays nerves and tests patience, one thing is clear: Lots of families don’t ask some very important questions of the schools they are touring.
When it comes to graduation rates, six years is the new four. The failure to graduate students in four years has become so commonplace that schools are now showing you their six-year graduation rate.

But insist that they tell you about the four-year rate ― and prepare to be shocked. At California State University, Los Angeles, just 9 percent of students graduate in four years. Similar ― and even lower percentages ― are found in state universities around the country. The College Board lets you check this data if the admissions officer doesn’t have it handy.

Spending six years in pursuit of a diploma that historically was achieved in four is a big deal. That’s two more years of tuition, housing costs, meals, transportation and often, two more years accumulating more debt.

Even just the delay in entering the workforce has a toll. The University of Texas in San Antonio reported that the total salary and value of benefits earned in the seven years since starting college was $133,100 for a student who graduated in four years, versus $51,280 for one who took six years to get a degree.

Also, be sure and ask for the reasons why it takes six years to graduate. While it is true that sometimes students change majors, meaning some of their previously accumulated course credits won’t count toward their new degree path, very often the fundamental issues related to graduation delay are tied to the university’s budget.

The reasons a guide gives will, in part, give you a pretty clear picture of the school and its financial priorities. Are there impacted majors in the field your student wants to study? How readily available are classes? Will the college accept AP classes taken in high school for full credit or require they be repeated? Will your student need to take any remedial classes?

Every school is different. Some even offer a four-year graduation guarantee ― meaning if a student can’t finish up in four years, the balance of their tuition is waived.

Just remember: When you’re doing the math to determine a school’s affordability, don’t just multiply by four if graduation within four years isn’t likely.


Source: Huffingtonpost News