Does Your Child Have a Bad Case of Senioritis (aka the Senior Slump)?

This is the time of year that some kids really begin to slack off. You know, they feel like because the applications are done, the colleges won't care how their grades are or what classes they are taking.

This is wrong, wrong, WRONG!

First off, let me make you feel better. It's not just your kid, it's EVERYBODY'S kid. Ok, well almost everybody's kid...

Anyway, it's so bad that Charles Reed, the chancellor for the Cal State system called 12th grade 'the biggest wasteland in America'. And right now, even as I write this, 9 state governors are seeking to completely overhaul the senior year, saying that it's currently a "waste of the student's time and taxpayer's money".

Crazy, huh?

So, don't beat your kids too bad if they've got it.

BUT, and this is the big but, that does NOT give them an excuse to totally slack off and just basically coast until summer.

Here's why: (seniors, are you paying attention?)

First off, the slacking is SO bad that 1/2 of the colleges nationwide have to offer remediation (think: remedial). And I'm not talking about community colleges at all. I'm talking 4 year schools ONLY. Half of them!

What that means in plain English is that if you slack off and don't pay attention this year, no problem, you'll just have to re-take those classes once you get to college. Which means, it's longer until you graduate. Which, of course, costs your parents more money and delays you getting out into the real world and making serious money of your own.

Oh yeah, and that's IF you get in in the first place.

Here's what I mean:

If you are applying to any sort of competitive school, meaning pretty much anything other than a community college, they WILL be looking at what classes you are taking your senior year.

And they WILL notice if you went from challenging yourself by taking, say, 6 academic classes your junior year, and now you're only taking 4 classes and they are all electives. And that WILL affect their decision.

Right here, this can be the difference between getting into your 1st choice...and your last.

...Or not getting in at all.

Now, on the same subject, once and for all, YES! YOUR SENIOR YEAR GRADES DO COUNT.

A LOT!

Got it?

Here's what happens: If you are borderline for getting in to a college, they will call your high school to request the latest copy of your grades. Which, by the way, you gave them the right to do when you filled out your application. And if they notice that you are slipping, they probably will not admit you.

Or, they can withdraw your admission even after they've offered it.

I know, it's not 'fair', but I've warned you.

Story: We had a student last year who was offered admittance to SDSU….on one condition: she had to get a 'C' or better in chemistry her senior year.

Yep, you got it: she got a 'D +'.

So, her admission was revoked, and NOTHING we could do would get them to reinstate her. Not offering to retake the class over summer, not getting the teacher to re-do her grade.

Nothing.

Because, basically, they said that she had shown them that she didn't have the discipline to succeed in college. Goodbye SDSU, hello Cal State San Bernardino.

She already had her room and everything. She had even started hanging out with her future roommate.

Do NOT let this happen to you.

Now, I know you're burnt out and everything, but here's what you can do to finish strong:

1. Realize that senior does count...both the classes you take AND the grades you get in them. So, like I said above, finish strong. You're almost there, don't let up know.

2. Evaluate your schedule. Don't get so busy with work or friends or your boyfriend/girlfriend or whatever that you're using up all the time you used to spend studying. Stay focused on your academics.

3. All right, this is going to sound lame, but challenge yourself. Yeah, yeah, I know. You've been hearing this forever. Here's what I mean: Look for ways to push yourself. Form a study group if you have to, or try to find something for extra credit that's interesting (key word: interesting).

4. Get your dang internship already. I've beat this one to death, but it's vitally important which is why I keep sounding like a broken record on this. Remember, it will help you both in determining whether you're even going to school for the right thing or not, AND it will get your foot in the door for the future.

5. Lastly, you're so 'done' with high school? Cool. Go take a class or two at a community college. Make sure it's academic, but this will give you a chance to get your feet wet and see what college is like, as well as being able to walk the halls with adults, and not a bunch of 14 year old freshman.

I don't know if these will help you or not. Like I said, probably the MOST important thing is to realize that 'almost done' and 'done' are NOT the same thing.

In fact, that's a pretty good quote. You should probably write that one down.

Hang in there. You'll be in college soon enough.

Ron Caruthers is the nation's leading expert on how to get into college and pay for it-as well as helping students choose their careers and command top money in their fields. Ron also has expert knowledge of how to prepare for a college interview.