YOU NEED TO
KNOW!!!!
Senioritis
Do
your seniors know that slacking off during the spring semester or after being
accepted to college may jeopardize their future plans? Every year, colleges rescind
offers of admission, put students on academic probation, or alter financial aid
packages as a result of "senioritis." How can you help
prevent this common syndrome?
Colleges
may reserve the right to deny admission to an accepted applicant should the
student's senior-year grades drop. (Many college acceptance letters now
explicitly state this.) Admissions officers can ask a student to explain a drop
in grades and can revoke an offer of admission if not satisfied with the
response.
And
because the colleges do not receive final grades until June or July, students
may not learn of a revoked admission until July or August, after they've given
up spots at other colleges and have few options left.
·
Colleges see both a midyear grade report
and a final (year-end) transcript and they expect students to maintain previous
levels of academic success.
·
Colleges expect seniors to complete courses
they enrolled in, including high-level courses. Many college applications ask
applicants to list senior-year courses, with information about course levels
and credit hours. College admission officers are interested in academic
commitment and course completion.
According
to a 2007 New York Times article*:
·
The University of Colorado at Boulder
rescinded admission in 2006 for 45 of its accepted students, 10 of whom had
already attended freshman orientation, selected classes, or met roommates.
·
The University of Michigan sent out three
different letters to its incoming freshmen with poor final grades: 62 issuing
gentle warnings, 180 requesting an explanation, and 9 revoking admission.
·
Twenty-three would-be freshmen found
themselves without a college when the University of Washington revoked their
acceptances during the summer because of poor final grades.
One
way to prevent senioritis is to ensure that students remain excited, active,
and focused throughout their senior year.
Challenge
your seniors to:
·
Maintain a challenging course load. Urge them
to take the most rigorous courses available, including AP courses (for which
they can earn credit at many colleges).
·
Enjoy their senior experience—responsibly. Encourage
them to celebrate the last year of school: they may enjoy attending football
games; going to the prom; and participating in graduation festivities, clubs,
sports, and volunteer work.
·
Commit to an internship or career-focused
job, which can help them make informed decisions about their education and
career goals; or try out college early by taking a class at a local
college in a subject that interests them or in which they excel.
·
Keep a calendar of their activities and
deadlines (tests, college applications, senior-year events,
extracurriculars, and so on). Caution them not to overextend themselves.
·
Not obsess over the admissions process to the
point that everything else, including grades, suffers. It's all about balance
and making the right choices.
Challenging
your students in these ways will not only inoculate them against senioritis,
but will leave them in a stronger position to transition from high school and
face the rigors of college.
*(Laura Pappano, "Slackers, Beware," New
York Times, April 22, 2007.)