Fifth Year in Undergrad?

[slash]

I'm currently a senior in Classics and Philosophy, and I'm finding out that while graduating this coming spring is possible, it doesn't appeal to me as the optimal outcome. I feel like I need more time to develop my languages, writing abilities, and build a stronger application for graduate programs among other things. I'm just wondering if application reviewers have a tendency to look unfavorably upon applicants who have taken five years to graduate instead of four. Is it going to hurt my chances of acceptance if I take another year?

[philstudent1991]

if you take some graduate classes for undergrad credit and your sample is truly improved by it, no I wouldn't think it would hurt you

[MsDarjeeling]

Another option would be to graduate in 4 years and use the 5th year as a gap year to continue to work on that stuff.  I don't think it reflects poorly on you at all.  There's a lot of info that has come out over the last 5 years or so saying that graduating in 4 years isn't the norm and many students take 5-6 years.  The point is that you finish and do well in your studies.

[gatewayselect]

Literally no one will care.

[xypathos]

http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=40

 

An excerpt from the site:

 

The 2011 graduation rate for full-time, first-time undergraduate students who began their pursuit of a bachelor's degree at a 4-year degree-granting institution in fall 2005 was 59 percent. That is, 59 percent of full-time, first-time students who began seeking a bachelor's degree at a 4-year institution in fall 2005 completed the degree at that institution within 6 years.

 

The formula they use is problematic, but it gives you an idea. The Academic Provost at my local university, who I'm close friends with, says the 'real' numbers are closer to 75% graduate in 6 years, whereas the school's official % under the Student Right to Know Act is closer to 55.2%.

 

Feel free to use: http://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/ to look up information specific to your school, state averages, etc.

 

Using the above tool, even some of the best universities in the US only graduate 70-80% of their students in 4 years, if you stretch it to 6 years, it still only goes to high 80s, low 90s. Keeping in mind that transfer students, dropouts, etc skew the results some.

[maxhgns]

Literally no one will care.

 

 

Odds are, most won't even notice. And when they do, they certainly won't care.