Changing Schools Your Senior Year

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Moving has been identified as a very stressful activity right up there with a death in the family. Changing schools in the senior year adds to the stress of the college admissions process. This is because you have to develop relationships with your new teachers and a new guidance counselor in a hurry. If you know about the move at the end of your junior year, you should attempt to get college recommendations from a favorite teacher in sealed, signed envelopes to take with you to your new school.


School districts have different graduation requirements especially if you are moving between states. A student I know named Matt, transferred his senior year without any language classes at all. That was a real problem because the colleges he liked had language requirments of at least one year. Fortunately, he was able to demonstrate progress toward the goal of one year of language by fitting in an online course and he was accepted by the college of his choice. This type of problem is fairly common for transfers. I recommend meeting with a guidance counselor at your new school as soon as possible to make sure your course selection together with your transcripts will meet all the graduation requirements. There are a number of colleges that will not accept you if you are short a course or two and end up getting a GED rather than a high school diploma.

Another pitfall related to moving is that you won't be plugged into the information network. This means you will have to be extra alert to find out about college admissions workshops in the community, any special SAT or ACT classes, and opportunities to apply for awards and honore.

Coming into a new school is not all bad though. You have an opportuniy to meet lots of new people who have no pre-conceptions about you. The novelty of the new school environment can also help to stave off senioritis that strikes so many students who have been in the same district since elementary school. The adjustment to college may also come easier because you just had to adjust to a new environment, so you are better at it!