Don't Fall Victim to 'Senior Slack'
A Dean’s Advice to Seniors: Don’t Slack Off
By MARTHA C. MERRILL
Your college applications are in. Time for the senior slack, right?
Wrong.
Here are a few reasons it is important to stay on track during your last semester of high school:
• Colleges expect you to continue your current course schedule and maintain the level of academic and personal success demonstrated in your application. Colleges look to your application, especially your transcript, to determine if you are an appropriate academic match for the college — and vice versa. We expect the students we admit will continue to demonstrate the traits that distinguished them during the admission process — throughout senior year and during the years spent on our campus. If you can’t maintain that level of success during your senior year, you cast doubt on your ability to succeed in college.
• Colleges require final grades for accepted students. Many students believe that only the first half of senior year “counts.” Not true. At Connecticut College, we carefully review the senior-year progress of admitted students and require midterm and final grades to be sent to the office of admission.
• Senior year should be used to practice good study skills. Your senior year of high school is really the beginning of your transition to college. You should continue to challenge yourself to prepare for the rigor of college academics.
• Those who do slack off may have some explaining to do. While the vast majority of students admitted to Connecticut College continue to excel during senior year, every once in a while, I find myself having to send what I call an “oops” letter. This letter informs the student that we have noted a downward turn in performance and requests a written explanation. That response is included in the student’s permanent record. Students with significantly poor academic performance during senior year need to know their offer of admission can be revoked.
• You may attract attention from the dean — for the wrong reasons. Connecticut College’s admission office notifies the dean of freshmen when an admitted student’s level of performance dips during senior year. The dean will then closely monitor the student’s performance on campus to guarantee the student meets the level of academic success that Connecticut College demands of first-year students.
• Behavior and citizenship are vital. Colleges are typically tight-knit communities that require honesty and mature behavior. While we understand that unavoidable circumstances may arise that can influence a student’s academic performance, poor behavior resulting in disciplinary action by a high school is inexcusable. As dean, I have revoked several offers of admission over the years for unacceptable behavior during a student’s final semester.
With applications in, seniors should take time to savor their final months of high school and enjoy family and friends. But they should also be using this important time in their lives to practice balancing academics with other commitments, and not fall victim to the “senior slack.”
Full Article at http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/dont-slack-off/
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