<p>Both schools are filled with engaged faculty and good people, offer rigerous academic programs, and admit strong and curious students. Graduation rates don’t matter in your decision about which school is a better fit for you. What does matter is how it feels to be on each campus, to observe and talk in each community. Your gut reaction is very valid at this point, given how similar your experience can be at either school.</p>
<p>Our nephew was brilliant and earned great grades at Reed but he was not graduated on time because he refused to fulfill their PE requirement. As I understand, he was not alone in his decision to ignore Reed’s requirements. Thought he didn’t need a diploma…until he realized that he did. He satisfied the PE requirement a few years later but it was then well beyond the time allowed in those statistics about graduation rates. “Cool breeze” attitudes abound at Reed. He went on to earn a PhD at Columbia and is now teaching. This is meaningless as you make your enrollment decision, however.</p>