Still, McGill student services staff would like to cut down the number of drop-outs even more. One of the reasons why McGill's completion rate is so good is that the students coming in are among the best in the country. Paradoxically, that can also contribute to some of them running into problems once they're here. They come in as A students. Unaccustomed to getting mediocre marks, some students don't know how to cope with something they've never faced before.
Confidence is a fragile commodity.
It can be difficult for them to get back on track. They can't go into it with the enthusiasm they had in the past. Students have to realize that people looking at med school applications, for instance, will understand a drop in grades during the first semester. Undergraduates are particularly vulnerable to dropping out during their first year. Which is why Copeland has her fairly new job.