Repeating the Senior Year: Implications for College Admission
Are you considering repeating your senior year in high school to bolster your college application? If you maintain a 4.0 GPA in both junior and senior years, it might reflect a significant transformation, readiness for higher education, and an exceptional academic performance. However, such a strategy comes with its own challenges and is not a guarantee of a better future in college. To achieve this, you must alter your approach and eliminate distractions such as social media, texting, and unplanned absences.
Nonetheless, repeating a year in school is not uncommon, as evidenced by my personal experience. In 1967, at the age of five, I was a student who required an extra year in kindergarten due to being on the autism spectrum. This decision was not made lightly; it marked a period of growth that would eventually benefit me.
Positive Outcomes and Challenges
The extra year of kindergarten had a positive impact on my maturity level, preparing me better for the challenges ahead. However, this decision also came with its downsides. For instance, I faced ridicule from my peers, who called me names like “retard” simply because I was one year older. Despite maintaining high grades for the next decade, I always felt out of place. Furthermore, due to this extra year, I did not graduate high school until 1980, six years later than my peers. Additionally, I seemed to be the only person in my college class who had failed a grade. To graduate, it took me another six years, resulting in a significant delay in aligning with my age cohort.
How High Schools Work
High schools are not structured around age but rather around credits. To graduate, you must accumulate a specific number of credits. Some of these credits are prerequisites for others, while some courses may be mandatory in the sense that the number of required courses in a particular category matches the number of credits required in that category. This structure has several implications. For instance, if you need to retake a course, the timeline for doing so depends on the course format—whether it is yearly, semester-based, or quarter-based. In a quarter-based school, you can usually retake a course the following quarter, while in a semester-based school, you would have to wait until the next semester. If you are in a school with year-long courses, you may not be able to retake the course until the following year, which could place you a year behind if the credit is needed for another course.
Summer School as a Solution
To address this delay, you can attend summer school to catch up on the credits you missed. It is important to note that if you need to retake several courses taken at the same time, it could signal a significant personal or academic issue. This situation would require explanation to potential colleges or universities. Most post-secondary institutions do not pay much attention to your entire high school transcript, but some may have specific concerns about repeated courses. Therefore, it is crucial to research each institution's requirements and determine how best to explain such a situation.
The decision to repeat a senior year is a significant one. While it can have positive academic outcomes, it also comes with potential social and personal challenges. Before making such a decision, consider the long-term implications on your college application and your future academic journey.