On the other hand, students who are not successful in their first-year courses may be required to retake them, may be placed on academic probation, or may even drop out. Students' academic preparation in high school is very important in determining whether they succeed later in college. The more college preparatory courses students take in high school, and the higher the grades they earn, the more likely they are to acquire the academic skills and knowledge they need for college. Of course, other, nonacademic factors are also important. Motivation, grades, cost, parental support, and other responsibilities affect the success of college students.
Colleges can measure students' academic preparation in different ways.
Typically they use high school course work and grades, and scores on standardized tests like the ACT Assessment. High school grades have serious limitations, because high schools differ in curriculum, instruction, and grading practices. On the other hand, some people think standardized tests are poor measures of students' academic preparation. ACT staff answered these questions using data from 29 colleges in a Midwestern state. The typical number of students who applied to each college was 453, with 168 completing their first year.