Seniors, you have worked hard for three plus years, taking tests, completing projects, and preparing for what comes next…after high school. When senior year rolls around, some students are tempted to take it easy the last few months and school becomes more of a place to socialize than take seriously.

Students can mistakenly believe they can put less than 100% into high school their senior year. The truth is your senior year, the entire senior year, is actually more important than they realize and is actually of particular interest to colleges and potential employers.

Usually referred to as senioritis, taking it easy senior year may seem like a nice break, but is likely to do more harm than good.  It’s not a new thing, it’s been around long before I, and your parents, went to high school.  I remember making so many trips to the beach the last quarter of high school I probably could have made it there with my eyes closed.

Senioritis can jeopardize your chances for success after high school.  Because it will more than likely affect your grades, your attendance, possibly your references …and college admissions officers, potential employers, the military, etc are able to look at this when you turn in your application…there’s a really good chance any “relaxed” performance your senior year can make a difference in their decision

In order to make a point let’s look at the senior with applying to college:

Many college applications (including the Common Application) require you to list your senior courses, including information about course levels and credit hours. It will be very obvious to the admissions officers if you’ve decided to “take the year off.”

Many colleges also include as part of the application a form called the mid-year grade report. Your counselor completes this form with first-half grades and sends it to the colleges to which you’ve applied. It then becomes a crucial part of the application folder.

When you are accepted college acceptance letters include warnings to students such as “Your admission is contingent on your continued successful performance.” This means colleges reserve the right to deny you admission should your senior year grades drop.

It is not at all rare for a college to withdraw an offer of admission when grades drop significantly over the course of the senior year.

Colleges are also going to want to know you have continued your involvement in activities, sports, and volunteer work.  For example, did you remain committed to the internship or career-focused job opportunity you were in at the beginning your senior year.  Colleges know these meaningful and significant experiences not only help you to make informed decisions about your education they will be important in your ability to have career goals and remain focused on a plan to achieve them.

Keep in mind that your senior year is your opportunity to strengthen your skills and broaden your experiences, in school and out, to prepare for all of the challenges ahead. A successful senior year can help launch you on the path to a successful future.

If you have any questions regarding your current status, or how you can stay focused during the last few months of school, be sure to let me know.

Keep up the good work,

John