What makes the most successful students rise to the top when so many others fail? To find out, we reviewed more than two dozen articles on student retention and found there were three key things that predicted success. Learn more at fideliseducation.com.

1. 3THINGS
YOUR STUDENTS NEED TO
SUCCEED

2. A COLLEGE DEGREE
has never been
so important

3. over the span of a lifetime
COLLEGE GRADS
will earn an extra
ONE MILLION
DOLLAR$
over HIGH SCHOOL grads

4. AND THE GAP
is only
GROWING

5. SO WHY ARE FEWER THAN
1 IN 2COLLEGE STUDENTS GRADUATING?

6. to find out, we reviewed
over two dozen
articlesON STUDENT PERSISTENCE

7. and a clear
PATTERN
EMERGED

8. THERE ARE
3 thingsEVERY STUDENT NEEDS TO
succeed

9. NO. 1
PURPOSE

10. RETENTION RESEARCH
suggests that student commitment
to educational and
CAREER GOALS...

11. ...is perhaps the
STRONGEST FACTOR
associated with student persistence to
DEGREE COMPLETION
—Joe Cuseo, Marymount College

12. 75%OF STUDENTS ENTERING COLLEGE
DON’T KNOWWHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH
THEIR DEGREE
—Susan H. Frost, Emory University

13. IT’S
NO WONDER
SO MANY CONSIDER
DROPPINGOUT

14. AFTER ALL,
THEYDON’TKNOWWHY
they’re in college
IN THE FIRST PLACE

15. whereas the successful student is
MOTIVATED
to follow-through...

16. by a
CLEAR
PURPOSE

17. NO. 2
PATHS

18. WHEN PLANS REMAIN
UNFORMULATED
over extended periods of time,
students are MORE LIKELY to depart without
completing their degree programs
—Vincent Tinto, Syracuse University

19. even when a student has a goal, it’s
criticalthey know how to achieve it

20. BECAUSE WITHOUT A PLAN
students tend to
wander aimlessly

21. it’s no wonder
THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO TAKE
5+ years
TO GRADUATE HAS
DOUBLEDMartin Kramer, New Directions for Higher Education

22. AND IT’S EQUALLY CLEAR THAT STUDENTS
need a pathway to success
IN ORDER TO REACH
THETOP

23. NO. 3
PEOPLE

24. students with
“GOOD QUALITY” ADVISORS ARE
40%
LESS LIKELYTO DROP OUT
than those with no advisors
—Barbara S. Metzner, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

25. EVEN THE MOST
GOAL-ORIENTED,
DRIVEN STUDENTS ARE BOUND TO
RUN INTO CHALLENGESALONG THE WAY

26. students who feel like part of the
CAMPUS COMMUNITY TEND TO
OVERCOME
those challenges while others do not
—Patrick Terenzini, Penn State University

27. WHY?

28. “because” if you’re supported by a
WEBOF
RELATIONSHIPS
all rooting for you to succeed,
YOU’RE LESS LIKELY TO GIVE UP,
no matter how daunting the odds

29. SO,
THEREYOUHAVEIT

30. ACHEATSHEET
FOR HOW TO TURN YOUR
institution
INTO A STUDENT OUTCOMES
SUPERSTAR

31. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN HOW
LEARNING RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
CAN HELP ENSURE
ALLYOUR STUDENTS HAVE:

32. NO. 1
PURPOSE

33. NO. 2
CLEAR
PATHS

34. NO. 3
AND THE RIGHT
PEOPLETO SUPPORT THEM ALONG THE WAY