In the framework of a study on young dropouts, returnees, and students at risk in Ontario French language schools, the authors bring out the importance of dealing with the dropout problem in a multifactorial and multidimensional perspective. Starting with the analysis of these factors – the expectations and aspirations of young people – they examine the perception the youth have of their future. Does this portrait vary according to whether they dropped out of school without obtaining their diplomas, whether they chose to return to school, or whether they are at risk of dropping out? This is one of the questions the article attempts to answer. The results illustrate the complexity of the question in relation to the paths young people take, but it also reveals some similarities among the different categories, notably, the importance of obtaining a high school diploma.