Who Gets to Graduate?

To recap, the article opens with a URM female getting shell-shocked in her first semester. She's overwhelmed and sinking. The author then jumps into broad socioeconomic analysis of outcomes. Fast forward 23 pages (!!!) in the article, and a re-direction to the actual success factors (Grit™)...you learn that she made it through the fall with a B+ in Stat and a reasonable 3.0 freshman GPA. I'm happy she turned the corner, but I...felt misled >_<.

Though I really enjoyed Paul Tough's book How Children Succeed, I take issue with his claim:

It is only students facing the particular fears and anxieties and experiences of exclusion that come with being a minority — whether by race or by class — who are susceptible to this problem. Those students often misinterpret temporary setbacks as a permanent indication that they can’t succeed or don’t belong at U.T.

It's not limited to minorities and women...UT's no joke -- like many colleges. The honors programs (there are many at UT) are lights out. It's a humbling experience, and it's not surprising to hear that the article's poster-child, who "never had to study for math tests [in high school and] aced them all without really trying" got pooped on freshman year. I don't have the numbers but plenty of kids, regardless of URM status, got/get their bell rung in UT freshman courses.