Senioritis Can Be Fatal

A cautionary tale to those afflicted with a curious and widespread ailment known as senioritis.  Symptoms include a loss of interest in all things high school and a corresponding decline in grades.  However, rumors of the consequences of very bad cases of senioritis are true: steep declines in grades during the second semester of senior year can and will lead to colleges revoking admission.  I had senioritis my senior year.  I went from straight As to As and Bs.  That is OK.  However, colleges reserve the right to revoke admission to students whose grades fall to Cs and Ds.  A very smart student at my high school that I looked up to earned admission to one of the best colleges in the country.  He was devastated when he received a D in his second semester Calculus BC and the college revoked his conditional acceptance.  

Read the fine print of any incoming acceptances.  They are conditional pending the satisfactory completion of outstanding high school classes.  The risks are too high to blow off second semester.  Students, you have worked too hard to get to this point.  I believe students, by the time they reach second semester senior year, deserve to coast a bit.  Fighting for every A is no longer absolutely necessary.  Scoring well on AP tests enable students to receive valuable college credit at some schools.  Do not turn a golden opportunity to relax into a nightmare.  Continue working hard to earn As and Bs.  Avoid unpleasant surprises when you get your last high school report card.  Enjoy the semester and maintain the necessary grades to earn AND keep your admission to your dream college.