Lindsey Conger
College Counselor and Tutor
Moon Prep
With the end of the school year in sight, high school seniors might start to feel the itch of senioritis after working hard on their college applications for months. You’ve already sent a mid-year report and transcripts to colleges. You may even feel secure because you already have an offer of admission! Many Early Action and Early Decision schools have sent out acceptance letters already, which makes you think they don't consider the other half of senior year grades.
The importance of senior year grades depends on a couple of factors, including the competitiveness of the college or program you applied to (or were admitted to), the specific university's policies, and any conditional offers of admission or scholarships you’ve received. Many universities use the phrasing "all offers of admission are conditional" or "provisional admission," meaning they can rescind your acceptance offers because of poor grades or discipline reasons. High school counselors will send your final transcripts, and if they’re littered with low grades—even for a single semester—it might mean a college no longer sees you as someone who shares their core values and standards. Similarly, many institutional scholarships are based on merit, so you’re expected to maintain a strong academic record to retain an award.
As you consider your college admission offers, it’s always a good idea to check each school's policies and criteria. Direct medical and dental programs are highly competitive and often accept only 10–20 students per application cycle. For example, Case Western Reserve University's Pre-Professional Scholars Program accepts less than 1% of its applicants. Due to the competitive nature of these programs, admission committees will likely have higher standards and will rescind offers if they believe your grades don't reflect your readiness for the rigorous program. If low grades are due to personal challenges, don’t be afraid to contact the admission office to communicate the situation. While you aren't necessarily expected to get straight A's during senior year, you should maintain the standards you have held yourself to over your entire high school career.
Get through the rest of the year and impress colleges with your commitment to seeing things through using Our Best Advice for Senior Year of High School.