Senior-Year Grades and College Admission

Senior-Year Grades and College Admission



Many students mistakenly believe that prepping for college ends after the eleventh grade. However, the senior year, the entire senior year, is actually of particular interest to colleges.



Many colleges also include as part of the application a form called the mid-year grade report. Your counselor completes this form with first-half grades and sends it to the colleges to which you’ve applied. It then becomes a crucial part of the application folder.



If You Are Accepted, Many college acceptance letters include warnings to students such as “Your admission is contingent on your continued successful performance.” This means colleges reserve the right to deny you admission should your senior year grades drop, so just because you got accepted doesn’t mean that you can skate through the rest of the year!



Mary Lee Hoganson, College Counselor for Homewood-Flossmor Community High School , Flossmor , Ill. : “It is not at all rare for a college to withdraw an offer of admission when grades drop significantly over the course of the senior year.



How to Make the Most of Your Senior Year



Senior year is your opportunity to strengthen your skills and broaden your experiences, in school and out, to prepare for all of the challenges ahead. A successful senior year can help launch you on the path to a successful future.



Maintain a Challenging Course Load, You should take the most rigorous courses available, and be sure to continue taking college-track subjects. Consider AP® courses, which can also earn you credit at many colleges.



Stay Active and Involved, Your continued involvement in activities, sports, volunteer work, etc. will help you stay active and focused throughout your final year. A great internship or career-focused job opportunity can help motivate you to start considering your career options. Meaningful and significant experiences will help prepare you to make informed decisions about your education and career goals.



Try Out College Early, If you’re interested in pursuing a subject further, and have excelled at your high school classes so far, consider taking a class at a local college. This challenge can help you avoid sliding into an academic slump, and stimulate your interest in the possibilities of college.



Another option in many areas is “middle college” or “early college” high schools. These schools, normally located on community and four-year college campuses, allow students to spend their last two years taking classes in both college and high school. Early exposure to college classes introduces you to the rigor of college work while easing your transition from high school.



Sources:

National Commission on the High School Senior Year, The Lost Opportunity of Senior Year: Finding a Better Way - Summary of Findings, 2001.

Barth, P., Haycock, K., Huang, S. and Richardson, A., Youth at the Crossroads: Facing High School and Beyond. Washington, DC: The Education Trust, 2000.

For Juniors:



1. This is the time for your junior to develop lists of their interests, educational priorities, talents and abilities, social and cultural preferences, and personal qualities.

2. The PSAT/NMSQT is a test that will give you and your student an idea of what areas need improvement and hopefully prompt a discussion of what you may wish to do to improve their score. Keep in mind that the SAT or ACT represents only a portion of what will be evaluated for admissions. Grades, class rank, the rigorousness of their curriculum, as well as extracurricular activities are just as important. Where test scores really count is in the awarding of merit money. Most private colleges, with the exception of the elites, offer scholarships or discounts for students with high test scores! Expect the results in early December.

3. Your student should develop a list of what they think they’d like to study and do in college. Items should be ranked in order of importance.

4. Lastly, go to at least one college fair and talk to college representatives.

Brad Asbury
Access College Foundation