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They will if it's clear from your resume that you took 6+ years to graduate. It's a reasonable concern for an employer, since the cause is often different from

They will if it's clear from your resume that you took 6+ years to graduate. It's a reasonable concern for an employer, since the cause is often different from yours (namely, lack of effort). So, as other have suggested, don't make it obvious. It's ridiculous to see the year of high school graduation on a resume anyway. Also, you don't have to list internships from your first two years. If it does come up, or if they ask about it, do not lie. The appearance of hiding anything is a red flag. Just tell them that you were dealing with personal issues, and that they are resolved now. So, it won't affect your ability to perform the job.

zerkten 10y ago
Is "lack of effort" really the cause in the US? College completion rates seem to be heavily impacted by finances based on what I've heard on NPR.
- pnathan 10y ago
  In my time and place (2001-2006, Idaho) finances weren't the driver for slow graduation or delays. Frequently it related to poor scholastics and retaking things (excessive pot, excessive alcohol, excessive video games are frequent contributors). Other aspects might be: had a kid, got a job, but those usually were thing that led to dropping out. Your typical scholastic college student in my peer group did just fine in graduating between 4 and 5 years. N.b., a lot of the wailing over school costs is from the Ivy League and SLAC set; those prices drive up the average considerably. State universities are much, much cheaper. (Still spendy... but often an order of magnitude cheaper).
  - dragonwriter 10y ago
    > N.b., a lot of the wailing over school costs is from the Ivy League and SLAC set; those prices drive up the average considerably. Not really; there's not enough schools or slots in that set to drive up the average much. > State universities are much, much cheaper. (Still spendy... but often an order of magnitude cheaper). Both State universities and non-elite private universities have gotten expensive much, much faster than elite private universities (and both, especially State schools, have much less school-provided need-based grants available, resulting in much more dependence on loans, and much more impact on actual affordability from the sticker price increases.)

zerkten 10y ago

Is "lack of effort" really the cause in the US? College completion rates seem to be heavily impacted by finances based on what I've heard on NPR.

pnathan 10y ago
In my time and place (2001-2006, Idaho) finances weren't the driver for slow graduation or delays. Frequently it related to poor scholastics and retaking things (excessive pot, excessive alcohol, excessive video games are frequent contributors). Other aspects might be: had a kid, got a job, but those usually were thing that led to dropping out. Your typical scholastic college student in my peer group did just fine in graduating between 4 and 5 years. N.b., a lot of the wailing over school costs is from the Ivy League and SLAC set; those prices drive up the average considerably. State universities are much, much cheaper. (Still spendy... but often an order of magnitude cheaper).
- dragonwriter 10y ago
  > N.b., a lot of the wailing over school costs is from the Ivy League and SLAC set; those prices drive up the average considerably. Not really; there's not enough schools or slots in that set to drive up the average much. > State universities are much, much cheaper. (Still spendy... but often an order of magnitude cheaper). Both State universities and non-elite private universities have gotten expensive much, much faster than elite private universities (and both, especially State schools, have much less school-provided need-based grants available, resulting in much more dependence on loans, and much more impact on actual affordability from the sticker price increases.)