I saw this first hand my senior year of college: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-03-16-IHE-cornell-suicides-16_ST_N.htm http://usatoday30.usa

I saw this first hand my senior year of college: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-03-16-IHE-cornell-suicides-16_ST_N.htm http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-03-16-IHE... There are of course many factors in play here. However one thing I noticed in my time there was that academic advising (which classes to take, how to satisfy requirements and achieve your goals) was exceedingly bad. I've heard similar complaints from students at similar schools (big pressure-cooker universities). When students started throwing themselves off of bridges, the university put up nets, fences, and security guards but didn't re-examine its academic advising. Many of my friends had to stay an extra year or dropped out which I think could have been avoided with better advising. In fact, I had to change my undergraduate major due to my advisor, my parents and I misunderstanding the major requirements. Many (all?) institutions have professors serving as advisors to the students. I don't actually think that professors serve as great advocates for students since the goals and priorities of students and of professors are not always aligned. Instead, it'd be great to see some non-faculty advisors who specialize in advocating for the student and understanding all of the fine print. I'm not sure if academic advising is the biggest problem, but I do think it is a factor and is directly actionable.