Countdown to college: Guard against late-spring ‘senioritis’

For many high school seniors, these final few weeks of the school year are their idea of heaven.

The pressure is off because they know where they’re going to college next fall. While they still need to show up at school, they think the grades don’t really count, so they hang out with friends — and for many, summer break starts with the arrival of their first acceptance letter.

Many seniors and conflicted parents feel the students are entitled to a little downtime. Is senioritis a rite of spring? It shouldn’t be, according to many admissions administrators.

Every year, there are hundreds of cocky kids who mistakenly believe their college acceptances are ironclad. When final grades are reported and their admission is revoked because they failed to maintain their grades, they are more than dismayed. Almost all colleges have a sentence in their acceptance letter that states, “Your admission is contingent on your continued successful performance.”

Senioritis can be expensive, too. Underperformers can lose scholarships and financial aid packages.

Research has demonstrated that the senior slump has serious consequences. Slacking off from core skills during the final months of high school has been shown to place students at a disadvantage when it comes to being prepared for college and also leads to poor performance on placement exams.

Parents should guard against their own “senior slump. “You’ve coached and cajoled for months — stick with it, but you can turn it down a notch.

Strive for balance. You need to encourage but not push, to scrutinize but not pry, to offer support but not smother them.