<p>A few other factors were pointed out at a recent admissions presentation at Reed for their lower grad rate.</p>
<p>Reed does not count students studying abroad in non-Reed sponsored programs. Therefore, those students are counted as “not attending” while they are gone. </p>
<p>Also, it was noted that a high percentage of Reedies take a year off during their time at Reed for various reasons. So, that also factors into the graduation rate. </p>
<p>Actually, at Reed, only a relatively small percentage don’t pass the qualifying exams junior year(I seem to remember 5% but could be wrong) but some students do run into problems completing their thesis in a single year, so that adds slightly to the four year vs. six year rate as well.</p>
<p>Finally, the admissions people were very upfront that the number one reason given by students who transfer out of Reed is “I don’t want to work this hard.”</p>
<p>However, I wouldn’t assume that this is the ONLY reason kids leave Reed. At my daughter’s college (not Reed!), she’s seen people leave or take a break for lots of different reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the school itself. For example: homesickness, family problems, problems with alcohol/drug abuse, illness, etc. So, there’s always that component built into every grad. rate as well.</p>
<p>However, I think that Mackinaw makes a very important point: Prospective students really do need to understand Reed’s culture, both academically and socially, and be sure it is right for them individually. After all, percentages applied to a group only tell about the group – they don’t predict whether any one student will or will not graduate within a certain timeframe.</p>