Life after May 1...

SENIORS –

May 1 has come and gone, and all seniors going to college should have informed their school of their intent to attend, and started on the myriad of other tasks – choosing housing, signing up for orientation, researching any needed placement tests, etc. If your priorities have changed and the colleges you applied to are no longer your cup of tea, check out the National Association for College Admission Counseling (www.nacacnet.org) and peruse their list of colleges still accepting applicants (list will be released any day now). If you feel that college is not the right step for you right now, consider a Gap Year. Check out some of the programs at http://usagapyearfairs.org/ and know that many colleges will defer your admission, so if you have been accepted at a school you wish to attend, but need some time, contact them and see if they will defer your admission for a year. One other brief word of advice…hopefully, you have not fallen prey to the senioritis bug – and if you have eluded it until this point, stay strong! You need to follow through on your high school obligations even as college dreams crystalize and become more real. You must keep up your grades and finish strong. Each year there are sad tales of students who go off the rails near the end of their high school career…not turning in assignments and possibly failing finals which in turn leads to failing grades in a class. Colleges do notice these things – that’s why they ask to see your final transcript. They want to be sure you have graduated and kept up your grades. Should you get a “D” or “F” you might not only jeopardize your graduation from high school, you could be jeopardizing your college future. Colleges DO rescind acceptances if students don’t maintain a similar GPA to the one shown in the application. Behavior issues can threaten your participation at senior events including prom and graduation (and can also give colleges reason to question their decision to admit you) so keep your academics focused and your behavior upright. Don’t fall prey to senioritis!