Oh, Monday. It’s a hard day for most people, but if you are a college-bound high school senior, it can be even harder. As you dragged yourself out of bed this morning, you might have thought to yourself, “But I’m already IN college. Do I really need to finish high school?” If so, then you are probably suffering from an acute case of SENIORITIS.

Yes, you do have to finish high school. And yes, you do have to make a good showing during these final weeks. It’s natural to want to kick back and enjoy life now that you’ve nabbed that acceptance letter, but don’t confusing relaxing with slacking off. Colleges need to be reassured that the student they accepted with confidence in April is the same student that will arrive on campus in the fall, and if not, that hearty welcome you received could turn into a “See ya.”

The idea of colleges rescinding admission is not an urban legend. It is something that happens more often than you think, but because of the disappointing nature of that decision, it is something that is rarely talked about by the parties involved. If you thought it was painful to get rejected by a school, imagine how much more painful it is to get accepted from a school that later says, “Nah, never mind.”

Of course, colleges really do WANT you on campus, and more than a few have been known to reach out to students whose acceptances are on the line after a poor showing during their final semester. It’s certainly not his favorite task, but Raymond Brown, dean of admissions at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, sends what he calls the “fear of God” letters to at-risk students during the summer before their freshman year. What, pray tell, is a “fear of God” letter? Keep reading:

Dear John/Jane Student:

We recently received your final high school transcript. While your overall academic background continues to demonstrate the potential for success, we are concerned with your performance during the senior year, particularly in Calculus. University studies are rigorous and we need to know that you are prepared to meet TCU’s academic challenges. With this in mind, I ask that you submit to me, as soon as possible but no later than July 31, 2010, a written statement detailing the reasons surrounding your senior year performance.

John/Jane, please understand that your admission to TCU is in jeopardy. If I do not hear from you by the above date, I will assume you are no longer interested in TCU and will begin the process of rescinding your admission.

Please realize that your personal and academic successes are very important to us. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Raymond A. Brown
Dean

“Usually I send about 100 each summer,” Brown says. “About a dozen fail to respond.” And, of course, those dozen are denied admission.”

Yikes! Talk about serious repercussions for slacking off. Is it worth the risk? Check back with this blog in the upcoming days for more stories of how a little senioritis turned into some pretty big problems for students.

–Barbara Bellesi