INTELLIGENCE, SEX, AND AT LEAST TWO YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY ARE EXAMINED AS FACTORS IN COLLEGE PERSISTENCE. STUDIES OF ACADEMIC SUSPENSIONS AND WITHDRAWALS AFTER THE FRESHMAN YEAR AT ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE REVEAL THAT (1) THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE OF CORRELATION BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE AND COLLEGE PERSISTENCE, (2) WOMEN ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PERSISTENT THAN MEN, AND (3) STUDENTS WHO PRESENT TWO YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY HAVE TWICE THE CHANCE OF SURVIVING THE FRESHMAN YEAR AS THOSE WHO DO NOT. WHILE STUDENTS SO PREPARED IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE SHOW MORE PERSISTENCE IN ALL LEVELS OF INTELLIGENCE, SUCH PREPARATION IS ESPECIALLY ADVANTAGEOUS TO THOSE IN THE LOWER INTELLIGENCE RANGES. LITERATURE ON THE CORRELATION OF COLLEGE PERSISTENCE WITH OTHER SUBJECT FIELDS DOES NOT REVEAL ANY SUCH RELATION FOR THOSE FIELDS. THIS ARTICLE IS A REPRINT FROM "THE MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL," VOLUME 43, NUMBER 3, MARCH 1959, PAGES 143-146. (AF)