What does it take to be successful in college?

Contrary to popular belief, college success is not just determined by how smart you are; instead, it depends largely on your ability to build a track record that appeals to employers and graduate schools. In today's increasingly competitive job market, opportunities are mostly available to new graduates who have distinguished themselves both academically and overall. 

Although job interviews and graduate school applications take place during Years 3-4 of college, building  your track record of success in college begins when you are admitted. 

Oftentimes, students who fail to establish a good foundation in Years 1-2 of college find themselves either failing out of college or unable to find meaningful employment upon graduation. For international students with expiring visas, this means having to return to their home country empty-handed - even though they have invested a lot of time and money on their college degree.