Recommendations from high school guidance counselors to take harder classes may be pretty sound advice after all.
A new report, "Raising Our Sights: No High School Senior Left Behind," released by the National Commission on the High School Senior Year, concluded that many students are ill-prepared for the rigors of a typical college curriculum.
The report states that although 70 percent of students go on to higher education, only half of those students in four-year institutions actually graduate.
"There is an overall lack of preparedness for college in most students," said Fran Bradford, communications and government relations coordinator for the Virginia State Council of Higher Education.
Through the data reflects a nationwide trend of students being unprepared, University officials said they believe most students here are ready for the challenges of higher education.
"Since about 1978, evidence in the form of AP test scores, actual performance in required entry-level courses, and progression rates from first to second-year status has suggested that most of our students are prepared for work above the customary level of college freshman courses," University President John T. Casteen III said.
Historically, the University has high graduation rates. Last year, 91 percent of students received their degree.
"What you'll find here is that students are typically well-prepared for college," Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn said. "In order to get into a prestigious university anywhere, you need to take your fair share of advanced courses."
Blackburn said taking Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes during high school are an important factor in being prepared for college.
"When compared to the other 49 states, Virginia ranks near the top of the list when comparing the number of students taking AP and IB courses," Blackburn said. "This is possibly one of the reasons why students in Virginia may be more prepared coming into college."
In addition to AP and IB tests, Virginia has a sequence of tests in place from grade school to high school called the Standards of Learning tests. These tests are in place to make sure students learn the required material.
The responses on whether these tests can actually help prepare a student for college is mixed.
"The SOLs have done their job in making sure that students are learning the material," Bradford said. "Those who do well on these tests should do well in college."
But Blackburn said the SOLs are not an effective measure to predict success at the University.
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