That tells me many of the students that come to Drake are pretty independent. They aren't followers. This year's incoming class varies not only because of where they come from, but what they're coming to Drake for, as well. This 94 percent of students were accepted to Drake for a number of reasons, including their average GPA, 3.5, and ACT score, 25.4. Everage said the statistics for the first-year class reflect the students well.
Drake does a nice job of selecting students who are capable of being successful.
The first step towards encouragement, the Peer Mentor Program, was created by Everage eight years ago after her own personal experience with peers at Drake. They came down and grabbed my trunk, and from that point on it was like they took me under their wing. Had it not been for those peers, I don't know if I really would have survived. I always said that if I ever had an opportunity to do something about it, no one else would ever have to feel what I felt. The Peer Mentor Program allows first year students to interact with fellow peers in order to make the transition into college life easier.