<p>My DS has already accepted and signed up for orientation, and all he needs is to do is to provide them with his final grades to prove he graduated. Therefore he has stopped studying. His GPA already dropped from 3.8 to 3.7 this year. He will be lucky to graduate with a 3.5.</p>
<p>I am going crazy over this. I keep telling him it might come back to bite him someday.</p>
<p>Am I crazy? Is anyone else dealing with this?</p>
<p>Arghhhhhhhhhhh!</p>
<p>A drop to a 3.5 will not effect his college acceptances, and high school grades do not matter once in college. Some summer jobs will request a copy of his transcript, but if he already has plans for this summer it shouldn't matter. Personally, I'm not a fan of slacking because the grades "don't matter" anymore, and I do not think that it's a particularly good attitude toward school or learning. A lower GPA will not have a direct adverse effect, though. Indirect effects could include lackluster recommendations if he uses a high school teacher for a future reference for a job, internship, or other program; incomplete mastery of material that he will want in college; lower than expected AP scores, which could effect plans for college; or a general lack of effort that could carry on once he has started college. I do not think a 3.5 is anything to "go crazy" about, though. His grades are good, so let him make his own choices. He'll be on his own in college in a few months.</p>
<p>I doubt a 3.5 makes any difference. Now, a D or F might stir things up a bit. I asked my D was she was still stressing so much over tests. I was reinformed of the "If you carry an A all year, no final exam" rule.</p>
<p>I'm not a parent, I'm a student, but yes, you are crazy. If he graduates with a 3.5 he is way more than fine. (Assuming that his unweighted GPA) if however it is his weighted, as in, he actually has all C's in his honors courses though they're actually B's because of being weighted, the colleges may look down on it. I doubt it's grounds for getting rescinded however.</p>
<p>If he gets a D or F in a course it could cause him to be rescinded depending on the college. Lower grades can alse affect scholarships he might still be trying to get. If nothing else, the 'good enough' attitude (thinking it's okay to slack now) could could bite him at some point. Why wouldn't he want to continue to try to do his best?</p>
<p>i'm also a senior, and have a bad case of senioritis. there's no reason to "try my best" anymore, as good enough will get me the same end results.</p>
<p>
[quote]
there's no reason to "try my best" anymore, as good enough will get me the same end results.
[/quote]
What a wonderful attitude for life. [/sarcasm]</p>
<p>"End results" are more than college acceptances.</p>
<p>Then there's the second semester C in an AP course, followed by the 5 on the AP exam... obviously the AP credits were usable, and a parent can't complain the material wasn't learned...</p>
<p>If he actually "flunks" a course, yes, I think it could affect him. I don't know where your son is going, but many colleges require you to send in a final transcript upon graduation.</p>
<p>Last year, there was discussion here about the University of Washington, which rescinded admission to about 30 or so admts (I may be wrong on this number) because of slacking performances by admittees in their senior year.</p>
<p>I agree with you corranged - I think it demonstrates a horrible attitude and work ethic.</p>
<p>
[quote]
there's no reason to "try my best" anymore, as good enough will get me the same end results.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually, I kind of like this attitude.</p>
<p>You can't put forth your best effort in absolutely every part of your life, absolutely all the time. Sometimes, you really do have to give something your utmost effort, but other times, "good enough" really is good enough.</p>
<p>It's a good rationale for slacking off on the housework, anyway.</p>
<p>In the future if you decide to try to transfer to another college, the admissions office will want to see your FINAL HS transcript, so it is a REALLY bad idea to slack off now.</p>
<p>Good enough for an A student might be letting a few of those As turn into Bs or B+s. But I wouldn't overdo it - especially as you never know when you might need to use that high school transcript after all.</p>
<p>on the other hand I can see the point of senioritis
The students have been pushing hard in many cases, for the previous two years, with AP courses, college apps, essays for school, essays for college, visits, pressure from friends and family, that the instinct to ease back a bit once all those envelopes are mailed off isn't a surprise.</p>
<p>How many of us after we meet a work deadline, don't take it easy for a while? A little longer at the coffee pot, a little more online surfing when our office door is closed?</p>
<p>I think that easing back a little is to be expected- of course that isn't taking into account that in some classrooms, easing back is part of standard procedure, I mean how many movies can you watch in one class in one year anyway?</p>
<p>it seems to be significant downturns that are problematic</p>
<p>My D is working hard till the end - seeing the grades on her final report card will be as important to her as any report card - she gains satisfaction with working hard and gaining knowledge that may be put to use tomorrow or next year. These are her standards - it's her personal satisfaction which I think makes her shine in many aspects of life.</p>
<p>I think senior grades may be a bit more important in the endgame than some people believe.</p>
<p>From the horses mouth. </p>
<p>BTW, the real issue becomes whether they have admittance regret. Perhaps the yield turns out to be too high and they would be better off if they jettisoned a couple dozen students. If they have a need to reduce enrollment, and if you expose yourself as someone who is a good candidate for reduction.......(and especially if you happen to be a low pay scholarship admit), then I'd say you're at risk.</p>
<p>A friend's kid practically took the second semester of senior year off after the college acceptances came in. The scholarship committee at the school to which he was going to matriculate in the fall wrote him a letter and asked why they should still give him the scholarship. He had to write them a mea culpa letter and had some worrisome days until they replied back with the news his scholarship was safe!</p>
<p>Thanks, dadx, for the link to the article. My D goes to the University of Colorado; I was very interested that they had also rescinded invitations even AFTER the kid went to orientation!</p>