Just so you’ll have a means of comparison, I wanted to provide you with some benchmarks for student success at MUW.
The average GPA for all freshmen is 2.66. The average GPA for sophomores, juniors, and seniors is 2.84, 2.95 and 3.04, respectively. You can see from this progression, the freshman year is an important transitional time. It’s important to work hard to stay at the top end of the scale, but for parent’s it’s also important to be realistic.
Approximately 30 % of freshmen will not return for a second year of study at MUW. Some will transfer, some will take some time off and return at a later date, and some will drop out entirely. And eventually about 40% of those who entered will have graduated six years later.
There’s plenty of room for improvement here, but I want to encourage us as parents to focus on what’s been accomplished, and put aside for now what could have been done better. Although I think setting “expectations” is appropriate and helps encourage our students to do their best, it’s also important to recognize their success.
If your student has done “OK” and they are planning to return for another year, then take some time to recognize that mountain that has been climbed. There is ample evidence to suggest that your student will show steady improvement in the future. And …pat yourself on the back for bringing them this far.
