The “Big Six” Advantage

Why Simpson is More Than Worth It

Simpson and the Six

National research of more than 30,000 college graduates conducted by Gallup, Purdue University and the Lumina Foundation identified the “Big Six” undergraduate experiences most closely correlated with long-term career success and personal fulfillment.

At Simpson we take the “Big Six” seriously, in fact, for the traditional Class of 2023, 86 percent of Simpson graduates reported having at least three “Big Six” experiences compared to the national average of 32 percent. And of those same college graduates, only two percent of nationwide reported having all six experiences while more than 20 percent of Simpson graduates say they had them all.

 

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What are the Big Six?

The “Big Six” refers to six experiences. These six experiences have a stronger relationship to long-term life outcomes such as employee engagement and well-being than the type of school graduates attend. Meaning, College’s that provide access to these opportunities position their students to better thrive in life after college, personally and professionally.

The “Big Six” experiences include:

Mary Berry campus background

A professor who made you excited to learn

A professor who cared about you as an individual

A mentor who pushed you to reach goals

students in the esports arena

Engagement in extracurricular activities

Students discuss their SC Honors capstone projects

Working on a long-term project

Completing a class-related job/internship

Faculty Impact

More than 9 out of 10 Simpson graduates say they had at least one faculty member who made learning exciting. Representing a wide breadth of disciplines and distinctively unique teaching styles, Simpson faculty are united by one common desire — to create extraordinary learning experiences as they help students realize their full potential.

A professor who made you excited to learn

 

“Being able to work with a professor that has so much lab experience, prowess and confidence, is really inspiring to a young scientist like me.”

– Sam ’25

Professor Lisa Carponelli and student Aaron Wilkins ’25

A professor who cared about you as an individual

 

“[Professor Carponelli] offers lots of hands-on help and in-class activities to make certain we completely understand what we’re learning,”

– Aaron Wilkins ’25

Professor Cal Busby and student Ronaldo '23

A mentor who pushed you to reach goals

 

“[Professor Busby] consistently encouraged me to chase after what I wanted and discouraged me from selling myself short.”

– Maddie Jansen ’22 

Engagement in extracurricular activities

Involvement is the name of the game at Simpson. Yes, athletics are a big part of it, with 60 percent of students competing in one or more of the College’s 25 varsity sports. But, as the two students profiled here illustrate, there are many other outstanding cocurricular opportunities to pursue that also enhance the student experience and provide vital life skills.

Treye '24

“It’s one community here — it really is. It’s this idea that anyone can be part of anything, and everyone works together to get you as involved as you want to be.”

Trenity ’23

“By being active, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people… Simpson has made me a very well-rounded student.”

Working on a long-term project

“[Students experience first-hand the classic stages of team development that they learn in various management courses. At the end of the day, everyone brings something unique to the table and the result is a ‘win-win’ all the way around.”

– Simpson Professor Mark Green

Completing a class-related job/internship

Each year, hundreds of Simpson students gain internship experience that often leads directly to exciting career opportunities, frequently where they interned. Meet three students who are using their internships to illuminate and strengthen their career prospects.

Elise '24

Interned with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Elijah '25

Interned with the Indianola Police Department (IPD)

Kylie ’24

Interned with the Polk County Attorney’s Office

Questions? Contact us!