The best protection against senioritis is to choose your senior year courses wisely. If you were maxed out on homework junior year, then remember that in addition to your course work senior year, you will have the equivalent of another class writing your college applications, particularly if you’re applying to many schools that have supplements. My daughter’s first half of senior year was hideous, with APs, cross country, NMF essay (she stressed out more over this than she needed to) and college applications. She warned her younger brother and he actually listened, choosing to drop one of his APs and a language class in favor of more arts. Of course, that’s probably why he was deferred from Brown ED, but sanity is worth more than four years at Brown! He didn’t suffer nearly as much his first semester as his sister did.