As spring approaches and seniors wait out the long month of March for final college notifications, the malady known as Senioritis grips many an unsuspecting high school senior
The symptoms are predictable and include: a lack of motivation, not caring about your classes or grades, wearing sweatpants, procrastination, binge-watching Netflix, maybe even letting loose and participating in a senior prank or other unwise behavior. After the rat race of college applications and the building tension of college admission decisions, second-semester seniors seem to stop caring. They are focused on life after high school and feel that everything of importance was already featured on their college applications.
They. Want. To. Be. Done.
The symptoms are predictable and include: a lack of motivation, not caring about your classes or grades, wearing sweatpants, procrastination, binge-watching Netflix, maybe even letting loose and participating in a senior prank or other unwise behavior. After the rat race of college applications and the building tension of college admission decisions, second-semester seniors seem to stop caring. They are focused on life after high school and feel that everything of importance was already featured on their college applications.
They. Want. To. Be. Done.
This is a real phenomenon and very frustrating for parents and college counselors. Every year I implore my seniors to resist the senioritis temptation and finish strong. After those first semester grades are reported to colleges students often feel like the second semester doesn’t matter. Here are a few reasons why your grades, courses, and conduct still count:
1. The courses you are taking matter because of the knowledge you are acquiring. Believe it or not, you are still learning critical thinking and problem-solving skills that you will take with you to college.
2. Colleges care about your second-semester grades. Often students think that as long as they keep their grades above a D, they’ll be fine. However, colleges expect to see your high school performance continue on the same trajectory as what you presented on your applications last fall. Colleges can and do, rescind acceptances in the summer if your performance goes down significantly. I have seen a student go from As & Bs to mostly Cs that last semester and have to meet with the admissions office to explain the drop in grades. In this case, the student was able to attend in the fall but started the first semester of college on academic probation based on spring semester high school grades. I have also seen a student with a D in the first semester get their admission rescinded even though the grade was made up by the end of the second semester. Senior grades count!
3. Colleges can also rescind acceptances for behavior issues. That senior prank that seems so cool can land you in trouble with your college especially if you are charged with a crime. Pranks that seem harmless are often not viewed that way and students entering the school to do some mischief can also be charged with Breaking and Entering, which is a felony in California.
4. Social Media is also something to consider with caution. It is easy to have a short-timer’s attitude and post some off-color comment on your social media that the college objects to. That happened at Harvard a couple of years ago: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/6/5/2021-offers-rescinded-memes/ It’s easy to get caught up in the anonymity of online interactions, but the consequences can be real.
4. Social Media is also something to consider with caution. It is easy to have a short-timer’s attitude and post some off-color comment on your social media that the college objects to. That happened at Harvard a couple of years ago: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/6/5/2021-offers-rescinded-memes/ It’s easy to get caught up in the anonymity of online interactions, but the consequences can be real.
The bottom line is that you have probably done a wonderful job in high school. You’ve taken challenging classes and gotten good grades, you’ve participated in extracurricular activities, you’ve done community service, and you’ve conquered the SAT or ACT. Don’t let these last couple of months undo all the hard work of the last few years! Of course, all of these tips and cautionary tales only help students manage senioritis. There is only one cure, and it is a few months away!
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