One of the changes in the Common Application this year, is the requirement to send 1^st semester Senior Year (7^th semester) transcripts to all common app schools.  This request encompasses early action, early decision, and regular decision applications. In addition, this year a record number of non-common application schools have requested the mid-year transcript to review before making a final offer of admission.

What are schools looking at in the senior year first semester transcript? Signs that the senior is no longer serious about school and ways to determine the fit of an applicant who is on the cusp of eligibility.  Here are some of the things colleges will be looking for:

•        Is the senior completing all of their graduation and college required classes? Each year there are students surprised that they while have completed the requirements for high school graduation; they have not met the additional requirements to be admitted to their first choice university.
  
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•         Is the senior still taking challenging classes?  A student, who’s been taking AP classes sophomore and junior years, still needs to be challenging themselves and not just taking underwater basket weaving.
  
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•         Is the student keeping their grades up?  For a student who has earned A’s and B’s, a C can have a negative effect, and for any student a D or F can be devastating.  Sites like College Confidential abound with discussions of students who have had their admissions offers rescinded because of a bad case of senioritis.  The elite UC’s (UCSD, UCB, UCLA) are notorious for rescinding automatically upon receipt of a senior transcript with a D or F, even in a non-required class.  Aggressive and immediate action in filing an appeal to be reinstated is only sometimes effective.
  

• Is the senior dropping classes?  A dropped class is a beacon to an admissions officer that the senior is not keeping up the pace.  Carefully consider the classes registered in the senior year.
  

Care should be taken during registering for senior year to make sure classes are consistent with the student’s portfolio, but not so difficult or boring that the student is not inspired to study.  Stay on top of those pesky homework assignments so grades stay up.

Of course, the best way to avoid potential application bombs is to prevent them, but what happens if one of these potentially damaging events does happen?  While detrimental, it is not necessarily catastrophic if handled immediately and in a proactive way.  Communicate the issue and planned solutions (registering for a makeup class for example) as soon as grades are published, so that the communication reaches the admissions offices before the transcripts.  Where possible address to the regional admissions officer for each school.   Be sure to send to all schools, even schools where admission has already been offered. 

This should put to rest any lingering doubts within students and parents regarding the importance of senior year class selection and grades.