The Perils of Senior Slump Santa Fe NM

The Perils of Senior Slump

It’s been a long-accepted tradition to pass the final semester of high school languishing in gym and electives. With the pressure of entrance exams and college acceptance behind you, it seems only natural to take a break and enjoy the sunset days of high school before heading off to the rigors of college, right? Wrong!

Though tempting, beware falling into this pattern as an increasing number of colleges are now reviewing final transcripts of incoming freshman and in some cases, rescinding letters of acceptance in the summer prior to starting college.

The lasting effects
Research indicates that “senior slump” is more than just a well-deserved break. In fact, slacking on core skills during the final months of high school has been shown to place you at a disadvantage when it comes to being prepared for college. This results in a higher dropout rate for seniors who “vacationed” in their final high school days.

Not yet convinced? Slacking off during your senior year also leads to poor performance on placement exams; it’s estimated that 50 to 60 percent of incoming freshmen end up completing remedial work in their first year just to regain their skills in core topics such as math. If you don’t truly need the extra help, this is a waste of time and money.

Don’t let it happen to you
Colleges are catching on to these trends and are using diminished performance during senior year as a basis for rescinding admission.

Author: Amy Ambler

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