Yet another aggressively contagious disease has taken our country by storm. Around the nation, the senior class of 2021 have exhibited signs of a familiar infectious phenomenon. Senioritis has hit the halls of high schools across the country and it is running rampant. Many schools have met this challenge head on by introducing a new way to conclude this common high school experience.
“Senioritis,” a term used to describe the slacking off of students as they approach the final days of senior year, may result in unexpected repercussions. Paul Mathers, Dean of Admission of Reed College, in the 2009 New York Times article, “A Warning: Colleges Can Change Their Minds,” stated that, “every year, when grades drop or there is some misbehavior, we send out warnings… we want them to be aware that we are considering rescinding their …admission.”
Still, who can blame these students for losing momentum as the end of the twelfth grade approaches?
Every student feels the pressures of the senior student right of passage. SAT/ACT testing, writing application essays and waiting for the words “we are happy to inform you…” can be overwhelming. Senior life is like a pressure-cooker and students often burn out.
In 2018, Forbes magazine noted that “nearly a dozen newly accepted Harvard applicants… had their offers of admission rescinded.” Senioritis is a real phenomenon. Tanya Abrams, in her article “7 Reasons to Avoid Senioritis” published in The New York Times in May 2013, stated that “some students lose their admission offers because of plagiarism, cheating, drunken misbehavior, or arrest.” If the applicant is lucky, they might be offered the opportunity to explain the inconsistencies in their final transcript.
Many high schools are armed and ready to help their seniors fight the symptoms of senioritis. In his article, “Fighting That Contagion of the Classroom, Senioritis,” published in The New York Times on June 18, 2003, Marek Fuchs reported how the Woodlands High School in Hartsdale, N.Y. began their innovative program in order to conclude their high school experience with positivity and engagement. These programs have advanced and students have embraced this opportunity with creativity and passion.
Haverford has a plan in place to save their Sixth Form students from any one of these unforeseen disasters. Students formulate a proposal for a personalized project that they will execute in place of their traditional end of year curriculum. Sailing, car maintenance, creating a blog or shadowing a doctor are a few examples of projects from the past.
What will the students propose to do during their time to explore the outside world? The possibilities are endless and the experience will no doubt be priceless.
What will the students propose to do during their time to explore the outside world? The possibilities are endless and the experience will no doubt be priceless.
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