Is “senioritis” a myth? Every year students across the country struggle with a change in attitude. Many have applied to college and may have been accepted. My recommendation is to beware of the “senior slide.”  High school seniors try to balance responsibilities including academics, extracurricular activities, a social life, college admission, and perhaps a part-time job. Somewhere along the way, homework begins to seem less important. Then they get accepted to college, and after that, high school seems even less important. The students’ grades begin to slide—and so does their motivation.

What are the danger signs and symptoms?

• A significantly drop in grades in one or more courses
• A downward trend in GPA, enough to concern a college admissions office
• Deciding to drop academic courses
• Quitting extracurricular activities that were once important such as a sports team or music lessons
• Disciplinary action for conduct such as skipping class
• Academic misconduct, including cheating or plagiarism
• An increase in absences or tardiness
• Suspension for drug or alcohol use

There are ways to combat it:

• Plan ahead – recognize your sliding away from responsibilities
• A realization that grades do matter through the end of the year
• Don’t obsess about it – work on changing your patterns
• Talk about it with your parents and the admissions office if you think you need to in order to secure your admissions

Remember, if after a student has submitted their college applications, a loss of a leadership position occurs as a result of discipline, the student’s counselor will send a letter to the colleges to which the student has applied explaining the violation and the subsequent circumstances. If a student is separated from the school and that separation results in a change to the student’s transcript, your high school will notify colleges in a timely manner. In some cases, your high school reserves the right to withdraw its recommendations for a student from a college. For more specifics please refer to your high school’s Student Handbook.

So, seniors need to stay focused on their ultimate goals so their hard work can be celebrated and recognized!