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Persuasive Essay Dropout

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In the United States alone, approximately 1.2 million students dropout of high school every year. That means that 7,000 teenagers are dropping their high school education every day. I believe that this is partially because the dropout age is currently sixteen years old in the majority of states. This alarming number would only grow if the legal dropout age dropped down to fourteen years old, which is what many are speculating could happen sometime over the next few years. I think that we could and should avoid this problem altogether by keeping the dropout age at sixteen years old, if not raising it to eighteen years old.
My first and primary reason for believing that the dropout age should continue on as 16 years old, if not older, is …show more content…

Many high school dropouts come to regret their decision to dropout later in life once their brains become more developed. In fact, a study states that more than 74% of people that dropout of high school come to regret their decision. I believe that if the dropout age to eighteen years old there will be a significant change in the dropout rate. At that age, the PFC isn't completely there, but it is definitely more developed. At eighteen years old, one has a better view on life and is able to make a life-altering decision with a clearer head.
According to PBS, the average high school dropout makes approximately $20,241 every year, which is $10,386 less than someone with a bachelor's degree. This leads me to my second point- those who dropout of high school are practically guaranteed to lead to a less well off lifestyle. The same source states that the national unemployment rate as of August 2015 was 8.1%. However, this measured to 12% of American citizens who dropped out of high school and only 4.1% with a college degree. Personally, I believe that most high schoolers don't have a clear view of the future. Many of those that dropout of high school don't realize how desperately this is going to effect their lives twenty years from now. This isn't only affecting them, but our country's economy. According to a 2013 study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States has one of the

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