Once you have solidified your college choice, it is almost as if a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders. It is easy to say that the bulk of the work is done, however you still need to make sure that you complete your senior year strong with strong grades for multiple reasons.

• You can still get rescinded

Albeit, senior year grades are known to not carry as much weight as junior year grades do. However, colleges still expect students to keep their GPA and overall grades constant. You cannot make As and Bs all three years of high school and then expect your college to overlook the 4 Cs on your senior year transcript.

• You may still need to apply for scholarships

No matter the amount of the scholarship, every college student will need extra money to cover travel costs, new college gear, etc. You may or may not realize these miscellaneous costs until it is your senior year and you have already enrolled in a specific college, as many do. That being said,  many students then depend on extra scholarships that are available during the summer before your first-year to come through with the extra coverage. Therefore, your grades on your transcript should continue to remain high in order to seem competitive to these scholarships.

• Everyone needs to apply to summer programs

You need a strong transcript and therefore grades in order to apply to summer programs. Once you graduate, everything you’ve done in high school, from programs to standardized testing, becomes meaningless. So, it is always a good idea to do programs and internships fresh out of high school. This way, they can stay on your resume a little longer before you have to retire the high school activities.

Do not abandon your classes, clubs and extracurricular activities after application season. Not only will you need to maintain your grades and involvement for obvious reasons, but staying involved will also allow you to stay in the swing of things, potentially making your transition to college easier.