How Clemson University Ensures Academic and Career Success
This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Amanda Poore, an Admissions Counselor at Clemson University, in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.
What’s Covered:
Retention and Graduation Rates
Clemson University provides its students with a variety of different resources to ensure their success while at the school and in their future careers. At Clemson, there is a 94% retention rate and an 85% graduation rate. A 94% retention rate means that this percentage of a freshman class will return in the fall to do another year at Clemson. The 85% graduation rate means that this percentage of the freshman class will end up graduating from the university in a given number of years. These numbers are high because Clemson works to make sure that your investment into your education is worth it and results in a degree and that you have the support that you need to achieve your goals.
Resources at Clemson University
There are many ways for students at Clemson University to engage inside and outside of the classroom. Two ways that students are most interested in learning more about are research opportunities and study abroad opportunities.
Research
At Clemson, you can participate in research as early as your freshman year through Clemson’s Creative Inquiry program. This is a small group-based learning initiative focused on solving real-world problems. You can get involved in topics that are based on your major, or they could instead be related to a passion of yours that’s outside of your degree.
This program gives students the time to work with peers and faculty members that they might have never met otherwise. Students in this program are also given the opportunity to travel to national and international level conferences to present their research. These conferences are sponsored by Clemson, so it comes at no cost to the students.
Participating in this program is a great thing to put on your resume, especially if you plan on going to graduate school. The program is also a unique experience for freshman students who normally wouldn’t be able to participate in research projects until their second year of college. Freshman students who participate in the Creative Inquiry program will already have research experience to put on their resumes when it comes time to find internships later.
Study Abroad
No matter what major or degree program you’ve chosen, every student has the opportunity to study abroad during their time at Clemson University. You can be a nursing student and study abroad in Guatemala or a chemistry major and study in Barcelona, Spain. There are many different locations available for students. A big advantage to Clemson’s study abroad program is that most of the programs are included in the state tuition. This makes them more accessible to students.
Career Services
Clemson University wants to ensure that students can devote most of their time at the school to succeeding in their classes and extracurricular activities. To help accomplish this, it provides career support to all students. The career services office helps students find internships, co-op opportunities, and even jobs after graduation. The Michelin Career Center at Clemson is ranked number two out of all college career services nationally, so the help that students receive is high quality.
The Michelin Career Center offers mock interviews and resume reviews for graduating seniors. This helps students be prepared for their job interviews and gives them the best chance possible at securing a job after graduation. Career service also offers career fairs every semester, where more than 5,000 employers are present and looking to network with Clemson students.
