Graduate early?

By:

Posted: 12/4/08

Over the past two years about 15 percent of students have chosen to graduate early. This number is indicative of the drive and work ethic that typifies Hopkins students. Early graduation allows students to travel, volunteer or get a head start on the job search or even graduate school. Many of these students also have financial incentives for graduating early. In the midst of our floundering economy, financial concerns have grown even more salient for most college students.

Administrators have stated clearly that they believe students should stay for all four years to receive the full "college experience." Furthermore, they worry that students may overwork themselves in order to graduate early, potentially undermining students' mental and emotional well-being. These are all valid concerns that a student considering early graduation must take into account. Administrators have said that they don't encourage students to make the decision to graduate early, although they do support these students if they make a final decision to do so. One potential downside to graduating early, administrators suggest, is students will not have the opportunity to take full advantage of senior year. Graduating early is these students' reward for their hard work - for summers spent taking classes, balancing heavier courseloads or achieving high scores on several AP exams.

While the University need not encourage early graduation, they should make all of the facts clear to students so that they can make this very personal decision with all of the information at their disposal. As college becomes increasingly more unaffordable for middle-class families, many students have financial reasons to graduate early. Even with only six or seven semesters, the cost of attending Hopkins is still very high for a majority of students. Administrators should keep this in mind when advising these highly motivated students about achieving their goals.