Nicole Sicuro-Leipski
Admission Counselor
University of Wisconsin – Parkside

As spring brings brighter and longer days a silent but deadly plague seeps into high schools across the nation. It is something that no vaccine can avert, and it is resistant to all antibiotics but it's something that only you can prevent. It's called SENIORITIS.

Most students have heard of this condition. They think, “Senioritis is a myth,” or “it won’t happen to me,” but that is exactly the type of student that Senioritis preys upon.

So you have applied to your schools early in the fall, and you received your acceptance letters to your top schools. You can relax, right? After all, you have the acceptance letters in hand.

WRONG!

Most colleges and universities only had access to your junior grades and courses in progress and/or intended for senior year to use to make their decision to admit however, many students do not realize that colleges and universities request FINAL transcripts from high schools (from where we have students accepted for admission) so they can verify that you officially graduated and to see if there were any significant academic changes of concern that came up during your senior year.

One obvious red flag: not graduating.

More common: a decline in your academic performance and/or not passing required academic units for admission.

The definition of what constitutes "a decline in academic performance," may vary depending upon the competitiveness of the schools you have been admitted to. With any college or university, not passing a required academic unit (or units), can put your college admission into serious jeopardy. A decrease in rank and/or GPA’s (term and cumulative) may also be reviewed.

Whatever academic rigor and performance that allowed you entrance to your university of choice that you kept up through your junior year when you applied, you must continue to keep up through graduation. MANY universities have rescinded admission to students’ fallen victim to SENORITIS.

So, you have been warned. Know that your admit letter is not a ticket for an easy ride to the rest of this senior year - but strong grades, and maintaining academic rigor are an insurance that your acceptance letter stays final from the day you receive it, through the day you begin courses at your chosen college or university.