REAL-LIFE PREPARATION

We live in a world that demands more than the technical skills a degree provides. A student’s college education shouldn’t merely focus on the attainment of a diploma, but the process of earning that diploma should ensure a successful future. Time on a college campus should supply students with the life skills and career readiness employers are looking for. Here are questions you should ask regarding a college’s career preparation programs:

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AT WHAT MAJOR COMPANIES do your students get internships and jobs?

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What’s the name of the program that connects young successful alumni on campus to MENTOR CURRENT STUDENTS, and how often are alumni on campus?

WHAT IS YOUR SIX-MONTH PLACEMENT RATE FOR GRADUATES?

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Pro-tip: Six months after graduation is the national standard by which schools should report. If they give you a rate based on longer than six months, ask them why. If it’s not easily available or seen, ask yourself “why?”

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WHAT TUITION-FREE MASTER’S PROGRAMS do you offer that directly enhance life skills?

Q

What other industries did your COLLEGE PRESIDENT work in before taking on leadership of the university? Does the president teach a class for first-year students?

Q Outside of classwork, where on this campus are LIFE SKILLS, such as professional etiquette, taught to freshmen?

A HPU students and graduates power some of the world’s top-tier companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, the NBA, Apple and the Smithsonian, just to name a few. They intern on Capitol Hill, with the MLB or with Big Four investment firms. You can see where HPU takes students by visiting www.highpoint.edu/outcomes.

A HPU’s All-Star Alumni Program brings HPU graduates who work for companies like Rolling Stone Magazine, NBCUniversal, JP Morgan Chase, plus those who are leading careers as doctors and attorneys, back to campus to mentor and connect with current students multiple times throughout each semester.

A 99% of HPU students are employed or continuing their education within 180 days of graduation! That’s 14 points higher than the national average. HPU’s Office of Career and Professional Development works closely with students to determine their career goals and make them a reality with resume support, mock interviews, bringing employers to campus and more.

A

In an innovative approach to education, HPU offers undergraduate students the opportunity to obtain a tuition-free master’s degree in areas such as healthcare management, biomedical sciences, communication and business leadership, educational leadership, plus many others. These tuition-free master’s degrees are available to students who complete their undergraduate degree at HPU. You pay $0 tuition for a degree that costs between $40,000 and $80,000. On top of that, graduate degree recipients earn, on average, $17,000 more per year than undergraduate degree recipients, and these benefits are underscored by the fact that 100% of HPU’s advanced degree holders are employed within 180 days of graduating. See the full lineup of tuition-free master’s degree offerings at: www.highpoint.edu/tuition-free-masters-degrees.

A Yes! HPU President Nido Qubein, is a business leader, entrepreneur, internationally known author and consultant who has given more than 7,500 presentations worldwide. He serves on the corporate boards of several Fortune 500 companies, and he teaches the First-Year Seminar on Life Skills for all freshmen. The class focuses on important premier life skills topics, such as fiscal literacy, relational capital, public speaking and how to embrace change. He is also a constant presence on campus, frequently stopping to talk to students on the International Promenade or in the Slane Café.

A HPU’s campus is a 500-acre classroom. As one example, students receive four years of career preparation inside 1924 PRIME, HPU’s fine-dining restaurant and learning laboratory. Here, they practice their interview skills weekly over complimentary dinner and are exposed to a wide variety of cuisines. Beyond that, campus buildings resemble the features of a Fortune 500 company and unique study spaces mimic real-world interaction, like the interior of an airplane, allowing students to practice social interactions that will be necessary as they enter the workforce.

A degree alone is not enough. Employers are looking for life skills in their hires, not just the learned technical skills that expire quickly in our fast-paced world. Remember: Your college investment is not just four years, it’s for life.