Virginia students better prepared for colleges, study says
Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Texas at bottom of list
By Sarah Sullivan, staff writer
Posted on January 16, 2007

According to a recent study by the Chronicle of Higher Education, a student’s home state could have a significant impact on his or her preparedness for college. The study showed Virginia as the most proficient in producing college-ready high-school grads.

“What I see in freshman students is this:  their competency is excellent, and their basic skills have been formed from a good foundation,” JMU Cluster One Coordinator, SCOM professor and freshman adviser Gretchen Hazard said.

Seventy percent of JMU students are Virginia residents, and while it is difficult for professors to distinguish between Virginians and non-Virginians, professors said that levels of preparedness of students have risen over the past years.

“Much of the transition into college has to do with getting acclimated. If there are issues, they are not with shortcomings in secondary or primary school systems.”

Although Virginia is the top-ranked state, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota and New Jersey also received high scores in the analysis. The Chance for Success survey said that Virginia students are “the best off in the country” because they are likely to have more educated and wealthier parents. 

A number of states ranked near the bottom, however. Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas received very low scores in the survey. New Mexico was the lowest ranking state.

One JMU freshman said she was ready for her college career.

“I felt very prepared for JMU,” said freshman Jenna Bryant. “My first semester seemed to be easier than my senior year of AP classes in high school.” 

Only 11 states have formed a definition of  “college readiness” to help prepare students. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education article, only six states have aligned their high-school examinations with the level of work of public colleges. 

Said Hazard, a JMU facutly member since 1984: “As a freshman advisor, one of the things that I have seen continually decrease is the number of students on probation.”

“I have also seen a steady increase in the number of students, who make the Dean’s List and President’s List as first-year students.”