Avoiding Senioritis

High school seniors sometimes believe that because they have worked so hard throughout high school, they have earned the right to slack off in their senior year, especially in the last few months. By now, mid-year grades are on their way to colleges, and students may have already been accepted at their favorite school. Why not kick back and enjoy life? We refer to this syndrome as “senioritis.”

However, an offer of admission is conditional, and students are expected to maintain their academic performance throughout senior year. Every year, colleges around the country rescind admission offers, meaning a student’s acceptance is withdrawn after it has been granted, most often because final grades, behavior, or information reported on the application no longer meet the college’s expectations.

You are admitted to a college based on the information in your application. If there are any changes, you should notify the college. If you have dropped a class that was listed on the transcript you submitted to colleges, your application has changed. Colleges receive your final transcript during the summer, and you don’t want to find out in July that you no longer have a place in the freshman class.   

It is much better to be honest and explain why you dropped the class or why your grades have gone down. If the drop in academic performance is severe enough to jeopardize your acceptance, admissions officers can advise you on how to salvage your admission.

There’s another reason to keep working hard in school. It makes the transition to college-level work easier. That’s one of the advantages of taking AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses if qualified, which require a high level of commitment throughout senior year in order to prepare for AP exams in May. The anti-slacker curriculum built into AP classes will help you adjust to college coursework more easily.

If you start procrastinating during senior year, it’s difficult to get back to good study habits when you arrive at college, where there will be distractions and no parents reminding you to finish your history paper before you go out for pizza with your friends.  

While you do need to keep your grades up, making sure you have some fun will help you avoid burnout. Summer is less than six months away, and you will have plenty of time to play before you go off to college. 

It’s not only lower grades that can torpedo an offer of admission. While spray painting the school gym might seem like a fun prank to you and your friends, a disciplinary issue can also mean the end of your college acceptances.

Students who keep senioritis under control will get their reward when they embark on the great adventure of college in just a few months. 

Understanding a College's Financial Offer

You’ve opened the email, logged into the portal, and there it is: your student has been admitted and offered a financial aid package. Relief and excitement last about thirty seconds. Then you start scrolling. Numbers appear. Some seem promising. Others are confusing. Loans and grants blur together, unfamiliar acronyms pop up, and suddenly you’re wondering whether this school is truly affordable or whether you’re missing something important.

You’re not alone. Financial aid award letters are notoriously difficult to interpret, largely because there is no required standard for how colleges present them. While schools follow general federal guidelines, they are free to format award letters however they choose. That means two colleges can offer very similar aid packages and make them look completely different on paper. Understanding how to read these letters is essential before making any enrollment decision.

A financial aid award letter outlines what a college is offering for one academic year. Most include some version of the school’s cost of attendance, the types of aid offered, your student’s Student Aid Index (SAI), and the remaining amount the family is expected to cover. The problem is that these elements aren’t always clearly labeled or even fully included.

One of the biggest sources of confusion is how loans are presented. Grants and scholarships, which do not need to be repaid, are often listed right alongside work study funds and loans that do need to be paid back. In some cases, the only clue that something is a loan is a small code such as “L” or “LN.” This distinction matters because most financial aid offered nationwide comes in the form of loans, not free money. A package that looks generous at first glance may rely heavily on borrowing.

Another common issue is how colleges calculate and present costs. Many award letters underestimate the true cost of attending the school. Some list only tuition and fees, leaving out room and board, books, transportation, and personal expenses. Those missing line items can easily add $15,000 to $25,000 per year. Families often don’t realize this gap until the semester begins and unexpected expenses start appearing.

To make sense of the numbers, it helps to understand two terms that often appear on award letters: net cost and net price. Net cost subtracts all financial aid—including loans and work-study—from the cost of attendance. Net price subtracts only gift aid, meaning grants and scholarships.

This difference is critical. Net cost can give the impression that the school is covering more than it truly is, because borrowed money is included. Net price is closer to reality. It reflects the discounted price of the college after free money is applied, but before loans. This is the number families ultimately need to plan for, whether through savings, income, borrowing, or a combination of the three.

You may also see your Student Aid Index buried somewhere in the letter. The SAI represents what the federal formula estimates your family can contribute. It is not financial aid, even though colleges may roll it into their calculations or remaining balance.

Because award letters rarely show the full picture, families should reconstruct the true cost themselves. Begin with the school’s full cost of attendance, ensuring it includes housing, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses. Then subtract only grants and scholarships. What remains is the amount your family must realistically expect to cover each year. The NASFAA comparison worksheet is a useful tool.

There are additional details worth close attention. Some colleges “front-load” financial aid, offering higher grants during the first year and less in later years. This can make a school appear affordable at the start, but far more expensive over time. Ask whether grants and scholarships are renewable and whether typical aid amounts change after the first year. If answers are vague, tools like the U.S. Department of Education’s College Navigator can provide helpful context.

Private scholarships can also affect aid packages in unexpected ways. At some schools, outside scholarships reduce loans. At others, they reduce institutional grants. This practice, known as scholarship displacement, can significantly change the value of a private award. Always ask how outside scholarships are treated before assuming they will lower your out-of-pocket cost.

Finally, remember that financial aid offers are not always final. If a package doesn’t reflect your current financial situation or seems inconsistent with offers from similar schools, you may have grounds to appeal. Appeals are most effective when they’re based on documented changes or clear comparisons, not just disappointment.

Financial aid award letters aren’t designed to make this process easy. But with the right framework, they become far less intimidating. The goal isn’t just to see how much aid is offered—it’s to understand what’s free, what must be repaid, and what your family will truly be responsible for paying, both now and in the years ahead.

Your Journey Ahead counselor will be happy to review your financial aid offers to help you understand your out of pocket costs.

Focus on Majors: Film & Media

When most people hear "film major," they picture a student holding a camera or directing a scene. But today's film and media programs cover far more than that. Colleges now offer majors in creative producing, film and media studies, digital arts, screenwriting, entertainment marketing, and even the business side of Hollywood. If you're interested in storytelling, whether through movies, TV, animation, social media, or something new, there's likely a program designed for your version of creativity.

     One of the first things students learn when researching film programs is that no two schools define the major the same way. Some programs lean heavily toward theory and analysis, exploring how films shape culture, identity, and society. These are perfect for students who love dissecting what they watch and want to write, critique, or study media rather than produce it.

     Other colleges focus almost entirely on hands-on production. Students spend hours filming, editing, writing scripts, designing sound, or creating animation. These programs often require students to apply directly to a BFA track and begin creative work right away. Schools known for this immersive experience, such as USC, NYU, Chapman, Emerson, LMU, and DePaul, often expect students to collaborate in crews and build a meaningful body of work by graduation.

     Many film, production, and digital media programs require a creative portfolio in addition to the regular application. Depending on the school, this might include short videos, scripts, photography, storyboards, editing samples, or written reflections about why storytelling matters to you. Many of these programs also require students to write and submit additional essays after their original application is submitted.

     Even when portfolios are optional, submitting something creative often strengthens an application. Students who think they might want to major in film should start building work early through school projects, summer programs, or independent experiments shot on a phone. What matters most is not expensive equipment but curiosity, effort, and a willingness to take creative risks.

     There are also hybrid paths that combine creativity with business and strategy. Some programs teach students how to produce films, pitch ideas, manage budgets, build marketing campaigns, or help artists promote their work. Others lean into digital storytelling, giving students experience in podcasting, YouTube production, streaming platforms, and social media content creation.

     Because each college approaches film differently, students should think carefully about what part of the industry sparks excitement: creating stories, analyzing them, promoting them, or making sure they actually get made.

     Depending on the program, students might take classes in film history, cinematography, editing, screenwriting, documentary storytelling, producing and budgeting, animation, sound design, or entertainment law and marketing. Some programs ask students to rotate through different roles, while others encourage them to specialize. Many graduates use their storytelling, design, communication, and tech skills in advertising, business, nonprofits, education, and other fields.

     The entertainment world is competitive, but students who take advantage of internships, build portfolios, connect with mentors, and explore multiple aspects of media develop skills that transfer well beyond a film set.

     If you're thinking about studying film, figure out what part of the creative process excites you. Do you want to direct, produce, write scripts, edit, analyze films, market them, or create digital content? Once you know your goals, you'll be better prepared to find programs that match your style and help you grow as a storyteller. 

 Career Paths for Film Majors:

Producer or Director

Social media strategist

Development Assistant 

Editor

Line Producer 

Content Producer 

Talent manager

Independent Producer 

Film or media critic

Archivist or media librarian

Researcher or content analyst

Multimedia artist

Digital illustrator 

Screenwriter

Playwright

Podcast writer 

Entertainment marketer

Publicist or PR professional

Promotions manager 

The Most Important College Admissions Document You've Never Heard Of

When families think about college applications, they focus on essays, test scores, activities, and transcripts. But there's another document that plays a major role in how colleges understand a student's accomplishments, and most students never even see it.

     It's called the School Profile, and it accompanies every transcript your high school sends to colleges. This one to two-page document provides an overview of your high school and is created and updated each year by the counseling office. Its purpose is simple: to give admissions officers a clear understanding of the high school environment from which a student comes.

     Colleges don't evaluate applicants in isolation. They evaluate them in the context of their high school, and the School Profile explains what that context is. Think of it as a lens through which colleges view the transcript. Without it, admissions officers would have no way to know whether a high school offers 20 AP classes or none, whether a particular GPA is considered excellent, or whether a senior class of 60 has different leadership opportunities compared to a class of 600.

     Most School Profiles include the same core information. They describe basic school details such as enrollment numbers, student-to-teacher ratio, and school type. They outline the curriculum and academic programs available, including honors, AP, IB, or dual enrollment offerings, and any limitations on access to these courses. They explain the grading scale and GPA policies, including whether GPAs are weighted and how class ranking works. They list graduation requirements so colleges understand what courses students must take. Many also include information about the school community, available opportunities like clubs or internships, and where recent graduates have enrolled in college.

     Colleges rely heavily on this document. A student who takes two AP classes at a school that offers four is evaluated differently from a student who takes two at a school that offers twenty. The profile shows what "rigorous" means in that specific environment. It helps admissions officers determine whether a particular GPA places a student in the top 10% or is merely average. It reveals whether leadership roles are competitive or limited, and whether certain activities even exist at the school.

     Most importantly, the School Profile helps level the playing field. Two students from completely different backgrounds should not be judged as though they had identical opportunities. The profile ensures colleges evaluate students on what they did with the resources available to them, not on what their high school did or didn't provide.

     Students don't submit or interact with the School Profile at all. Counselors send it automatically alongside transcripts. If you’re curious, you can often find your school’s profile by searching your high school’s name along with “school profile.” Colleges use this document to understand the academic landscape you’re learning in and to evaluate your choices within that context. What matters most is how you challenged yourself, given what your school offers, how you made the most of the environment you were in. Admissions officers are looking for students who have grown and pushed themselves within their capabilities.

Rethinking Failure and Resilience

At some point, many students began treating failure as a personal label rather than a temporary setback. Failure has shifted from an action, “I failed,” to an identity, “I am a failure.” Any parent who has watched their teen melt down after a disappointing grade or feedback knows exactly how quickly young people make this leap. Yet every major body of research tells us something very different: failure is not the opposite of success. It is an essential, unavoidable, deeply valuable part of it.

Psychologist Carol Dweck’s work on mindset has helped countless students reframe this experience. Her idea of the “not yet” mindset gives students room to grow instead of shutting down. A tough outcome doesn’t mean they aren’t capable; it means they haven’t yet mastered the material. That single word opens the door to possibility. It reminds students that growth takes time, that learning requires struggle, and that setbacks aren’t proof they should quit - rather, they’re signals to keep going.

Research across psychology echoes this idea. Social psychologist Albert Bandura, showed that the process of confronting difficulty builds self-efficacy, the internal belief that one can handle hard things. Martin Seligman’s work on optimism demonstrated that resilient people interpret setbacks as temporary and specific, rather than defining or permanent. Angela Duckworth, who brought the concept of grit into the mainstream, found that perseverance develops from doing difficult things, not from staying comfortable. When young people are shielded from challenges, she warns, they can become “fragile perfects,” confident only when everything goes right.

Failure doesn’t define someone. What one does afterward, does.

This dynamic shows up often in the college application process. In one case, a senior failed a class after assuming the teacher would accept late work for full credit. When that didn’t happen, the outcome was painful, but the experience pushed him to take ownership of his communication and planning in a way nothing else had. That one setback ultimately prepared him far better for the realities of college than any semester of smooth sailing ever could. The failure didn’t define him; it simply illuminated what needed to change.

Colleges increasingly value this kind of resilience. Admissions officers recognize that the transition to college demands resilience, adaptability, and the ability to bounce back from setbacks. They intentionally look for evidence of reflection in applications. A student who can explain how they handled a setback, whether academic, personal, or extracurricular, often stands out due to the vulnerability and realization the student demonstrated.

Colleges understand that challenges are inevitable. They want to admit students who can adapt, seek help when needed, and take responsibility for their growth. Resilience predicts success far more accurately than perfection ever will. Parents play a crucial role in helping teens build this capacity. The instinct to fix things for them is understandable, but confidence grows when students work through problems, not when parents solve them. Teens need reassurance that effort matters more than flawlessness, that their worth isn’t tied to GPA, and that every setback contains a lesson if they’re willing to look for it. Noticing small moments of persistence, kindness, responsibility, and honesty helps them see themselves as capable and grounded, not defined by achievements alone.

Failure, when met with curiosity instead of shame, becomes a turning point. “Not yet” becomes an invitation to try again, adjust, and grow. And that mindset, the belief that improvement is always possible, is one of the greatest gifts we can give our students as they prepare for college and beyond.

Honors Colleges

One way to enjoy the advantages of a small college while attending a large university is with an honors program. Many public and some private universities offer honors programs that provide great benefits, including preferential class registration, special honors classes, enhanced advising, and enrichment programs. 

Honors classes attract top professors who enjoy teaching bright, motivated students. In most programs, students are not required to take all honors courses and often take one or two honors classes each semester alongside their other classes. Honors classes are smaller and allow students to pursue a subject in more depth. Some programs require students to complete a senior project to receive an honors designation on their transcript.

Some schools offer separate honors housing. Honors students are generally not required to live in honors housing, but it’s nice to have the option.

The University of Arizona and Arizona State University both offer very strong honors programs. These are such large universities, each with more than 30,000 students, that an honors program is a great way to create a sense of community. Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College creates a living-learning community featuring classrooms, an advising center, a computer room, and residence halls. Honors advisors help students find opportunities for research, internships, and study abroad. Interested students need to first apply to Arizona State University and then complete the separate and free Barrett application.

Some honors programs provide financial incentives. Penn State University’s Schreyer Honors College offers a renewable scholarship of $5,000 to all first-year honors students and provides grants to students who study abroad. The school offers more than 200 honors courses each year. Like many honors programs, they boast of high placement rates in graduate and professional schools.

Private schools can also have honors programs. At Boston’s Northeastern University, students have access to separate honors sections of courses, as well as interdisciplinary honors seminars. They can live with other freshmen honors students and enjoy excursions to the theater and symphony.

These are just a few examples of the many honors programs available at colleges and universities across the country. While a few require a separate application, most schools will invite applicants with top grades and test scores to join their honors programs. Refer to College Raptor for a more extensive honors list.

The Truth About High School Grades

If you're a high school student with college aspirations or a parent supporting one, there's a fundamental truth you need to understand: straight A's don't carry the weight they once did. This isn't meant to discourage hard work, but rather to provide clarity about the current educational landscape and help you navigate it more effectively.

According to Inside Higher Ed, over 47% of high school students now graduate with A averages, yet actual student achievement has been declining across multiple measures. While grades have been steadily climbing since the 1990s, performance on standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, and AP exams has been falling. Students are achieving higher grades in more advanced classes without corresponding gains in actual proficiency, creating a gap between perceived and real learning.

The consequences extend far beyond high school hallways. High school GPAs, once considered the best predictor of college success, have lost much of their predictive value. While many colleges initially dropped SAT and ACT requirements, selective institutions are now bringing these standardized tests back because they desperately need objective measures they feel they can trust. Students armed with excellent grades often march off to college only to find themselves placed in remedial courses because they haven't actually mastered the material their grades suggested they had.

This disconnect affects everyone. Employers complain that graduates lack basic workforce skills. College professors report that incoming students struggle with fundamental tasks like reading books thoroughly. Parents are often shocked when their straight-A students face rejection from selective universities, not realizing that in today's landscape, an A truly has become average.

The challenge for today's students is figuring out how to differentiate themselves when everyone seems to have identical transcripts. Many hardworking students have responded by piling on academic rigor, taking increasingly heavy course loads. However, this approach often backfires. Taking eleven AP classes might look impressive on paper. Still, it fundamentally changes the high school experience and can compromise the mental health and well-being that adolescents need to thrive.

While high school grades are determined using different rubrics across schools and teachers, standardized assessments like AP and IB exams are graded according to the same criteria nationwide. For students who have access to AP or IB programs, their scores can be a more reliable measure,but this path is not available or for everyone. This means that although an "A" in a high school class may be a weaker signal than it used to be, a score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam hasn't experienced the same decline in meaning. A student who can demonstrate objective mastery on a criterion-referenced test provides powerful validation of their classroom grades.

Students navigating this landscape should shift focus from grade accumulation to genuine learning and mastery. Rather than asking "How can I get an A?" ask "Am I actually learning this material?" Choose depth over breadth by selecting fewer courses where you can achieve genuine mastery and strong standardized test performance. Instead of retaking tests for higher grades, spend that time ensuring you understand the underlying concepts that will serve you in college. Seek meaningful challenges by choosing a few substantial extracurricular commitments over multiple superficial activities that you believe will look good on applications.

Parents play a crucial role in helping their children maintain perspective. While it's natural to want children to succeed, the definition of success needs to include happiness, health, and genuine preparation for future challenges. Remember that straight A's don't guarantee admission to selective schools, and the goal isn't just to accumulate impressive-looking credentials but to develop skills and knowledge needed for lifelong success.

This doesn't mean grades don't matter or that students should stop working hard. Rather, it means putting grades in their proper context as one measure among many, and recognizing that in an era of grade inflation, objective demonstrations of knowledge and skill carry more weight than ever before.

The students who will thrive in college and beyond are those who focus on genuine mastery, maintain their well-being, and develop the critical thinking and learning skills that no amount of grade inflation can fake. Colleges increasingly want students who can actually succeed in their programs, not just students with perfect GPAs.

In a world where an A has become average, the real differentiator isn't the grade itself but the authentic learning and growth it's supposed to represent. By keeping this perspective and focusing on substance over statistics, students and families can navigate the current educational landscape more successfully while preserving what matters most: genuine education, personal growth, and the foundation for lifelong learning and achievement.

Transitioning from Subject Interest to College Major

One of the most significant decisions your child will face in college is choosing a major. As a parent, your role is to decide guide, support, and help them explore options with confidence.

Choosing a major isn’t a one-time decision; it’s a process of exploration. By combining honest self-assessment, real conversations with professionals, and ongoing curiosity, your student can make thoughtful choices that lead to both fulfillment and opportunity. Keep in mind that only about 46% of graduates end up working directly in their field of study, which shows how often skills transfer across careers.

High school coursework lays an important foundation. Students who complete a well-rounded set of challenging academic classes keep more doors open when it comes to college majors. They enter college better prepared and less likely to spend time catching up in subjects they avoided. Remember, roughly one-third to half of the classes a college student takes will be in their major, so a strong general foundation pays off.

Encourage exploration beyond the classroom. Support your child’s involvement in extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and hobbies that reflect genuine interests. Summer enrichment programs, internships, or part-time jobs help students “test drive” interests. Just as valuable are conversations with adults who work in careers that interest your teen. Encourage your student to ask questions: What does a typical day look like? What did you major in? What do you wish you’d known in college? These conversations often spark insight and confidence.

Many high schoolers have only a vague idea of how majors differ in focus, workload, or style of learning. Together, look at curriculum guides on college websites to see what courses are required for different majors. Marquette University’s “Choosing Your Major” page offers a clear overview of how to explore academic interests and connect them to career paths.

Encourage them to use free online tools to understand their strengths and interests better. Students can also explore the O*NET Interest Profiler, which matches personal interests with potential career fields, the 123test Career Test, or the University of Arizona’s CareerExplorer, which links personality traits and skills to career options. Using multiple assessments helps reveal consistent patterns and new ideas.

When your student gets their results, encourage reflection rather than rigid conclusions. Ask: Which careers sound exciting or surprising? Which feels like me? Then take it a step further, talk with professionals or family members in various fields, seek out summer internships or programs where you can explore majors/fields.  Interests often evolve, so revisiting these tools every year or two can be eye-opening.

As you and your student look at colleges, ask about academic advising and career support. A good advising program helps students make informed choices, plan course loads, and connect with internships and mentors. Even the best services, however, only work when students use them. Encourage your child to meet with advisors early, even if they think they already know their path.

Finally, reassure your teen that it’s okay to change direction. According to several sources, 35%-80% of students change majors. Studies show that switching majors doesn’t always delay graduation and can actually lead to a better academic fit.