Using both the collegeís student records and results from the 1996 CIRP entering student survey, various factors appear to differentiate students who withdrew after one year from those who persisted. For the factors described below that derived from the CIRP survey, the information applies to 48 of the students who dropped out who had taken the survey as entering freshmen.

College Preparation:

Consistent with previous research, students with higher high school GPAs and higher college entrance scores have greater success in college. Of the group taking CIRP in 1996, students that withdrew were lower in both cases. ACT scores also differed between the two groups, somewhat lower for the withdrawers. Buntrock scholars (merit scholarships) had a higher persistance rate.

Preparation in academic areas in high school were similar for persisters and withdrawers in most areas. Exceptions were Foreign Languages (persisters had more years of study) and Computer Science (withdrawers had more years of study).

Students that withdrew rated both their academic abilities (overall and specifically in mathematical ability), emotional well-being, and social self-confidence lower than persisters.

Students that withdrew indicated a proclivity for more drinking, partying, and missing classes, and less studying before they came to St. Olaf than did those students who persisted.

Background:

A larger proportion of persisters had mothers with higher education degrees than did withdrawers. Father's education was similar for both groups. First generation college students were a significantly higher proportion of the dropouts than the persisters.

Two years ago in a similar analysis, financial factors differed significantly between persisters and withdrawers (loans, parental income). This was not the case for this group. Only college finances from 'other' savings other than summer job differed between withdrawers and persisters.

A significantly higher percentage of suburban students persisted than withdrew, and a higher percentage of medium-to-small city students constituted the withdrawing group.

A much higher percentage of students that withdrew were from high schools that had significant minority populations (25% or more).

Motivations:

Regarding their motivations for attending college, a higher proportion of dropouts were motivated by the opportunity it offered to make more money; a smaller percentage than the persisting group was motivated by the chance to 'learn more things'. Similarly, the life goal of being very well of financially was considered very important or essential by a significantly higher proportion of those leaving St. Olaf than staying.

Persisters were much more likely to be attracted to St. Olaf by its religious affiliation, while withdrawers were much more likely to have been recruited by a college representative.

Expectations:

Persisters were significantly more likely to expect that they would study abroad while at St. Olaf.

Dropouts were much more likely to have said that there was a very good chance that they would transfer to another institution and that there was at least some chance that they would drop out of college permanently.

Percent of Dropouts and Persisters Who Had the Following Characteristics

COLLEGE PREPARATION

	DROPOUTS	PERSISTERS
HS GPA: A/A-	50%	69%
HS GPA (mean)	3.34	3.5
ACT score (mean)	24.2	26
Buntrock Scholar	10%	27%
St. Olaf GPA (1st yr)	2.47	3.12

Foreign Language Study in High School

2-3 years	71%	52%
4 or more years	27%	36%

Computer Science Study in High School

1 year	43%	54%
2-3 years	45%	39%
more than 3 years	13%	7%

Self-Ratings of Abilities
(rated themselves above average or top 10%)

	DROPOUTS	PERSISTERS
Mathematical ability	26%	49%
Self-confidence (intellectual)	53%	68%
Self-confidence (social)	32%	44%
Academic ability	77%	85%
Leadership ability	57%	68%
Emotional health	55%	61%

Activities in Year Before College
(occasionally or frequently)

	DROPOUTS	PERSISTERS
Drank beer	57%	42%
Drank wine/liquor	74%	49%
Felt depressed (freq.)	19%	9%
Lost my temper	94%	74%
Overslept and missed class	43%	31%
Played musical instrument (freq.)	38%	55%

Hours per Week Spent in Year Before College

Studying/doing homework:
less than one	11%	6%
more than 15	7%	12%
Socializing with friends:
1-5 hours	7%	21%
more than 15	44%	31%
Partying:
less than one	22%	48%
1-5 hours	59%	37%

BACKGROUND

	DROPOUTS	PERSISTERS
Parentsí Education:
Father-college degree	72%	76%
Father-grad. degree	38%	42%
Mother-college degree	61%	76%
Mother-grad. degree	20%	26%
First generation college	22%	13%
Minority student	11%	7%
Hometown:
Urban	14%	14%
Suburban	28%	41%
Med/Small city	30%	22%
Small town	21%	17%
Rural	7%	8%
Diversity of High Schl.
25% or more minority	21%	11%

MOTIVATIONS

	DROPOUTS	PERSISTERS
Reasons for Attending College
Make more money	71%	51%
Learn more about things	79%	89%
Reasons for Choosing St. Olaf
College rep recruited me	17%	5%
Religious affiliation of college	8%	26%

EXPECTATIONS

	DROPOUTS	PERSISTERS
Will definitely or probably study abroad	70%	81%
Very good chance of transferring	11%	1%
Some/very good chance of dropping out of college permanently	27%	14%
Goal to be very well off financially (ëvery importantí or ëessentialí)	74%	48%