We polled parents to learn the biggest things they wish they had known about their high school student’s senior year. Here is a compilation of the top 10 things they said...
1. The senior year really starts before the junior year has ended.
Because the senior year moves at such an intense pace, parents must begin discussions and plans with students BEFORE the summer of their senior year!
2. Senior photos are one of the biggest portrait sessions of their life. It commemorates who they were, what they have achieved, and reveals a little on whom they will become.
The best professional photographers are guaranteed to book up early, even BEFORE SCHOOL HAS STARTED!
Research and choose a photographer no less than 3-6 months before the yearbook deadline.
Summer has the best weather for portraits. Summer is when the best locations are available. You have more flexibility in your schedule during the summer. HOWEVER, summer gets busy and will slip by you in the blink of an eye. Plan ahead.
Parents who wait until the last minute to schedule a photographer will often be turned away by the best photographer and have to settle for a low-budget or free friend photographer.
3. The deadline for the yearbook portrait submission is sooner than you think. Do you know when it is for your student’s school?
Most area high schools have a yearbook deadline within the first two weeks of October.
Most parents will wait until school starts to contact their photographer and will find it is ALREADY TOO LATE to book the photographer they wanted.
4. Start researching and applying for scholarships early or your student may miss out entirely.
Your student must take the PSAT in their Junior year to be eligible for National Merit Scholarships in their senior year.
5. Service projects and tracking service hours are a graduation requirement for most high schools. The easiest way to get them is through existing programs like…
Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts, or 4-H
Local service clubs in the community like Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, Loins Club, Habitat for Humanity, and more.
Look into local festivals, non-profits, or government interest groups who need volunteers at their big annual events.
Missions work or service projects organized by your church or a local youth group
Common High School Clubs like Key Club, DECA, Future Business Leaders of America, Lions Club, Civil Air Patrol, and Junior ROTC, and many more.
Look into things that fit their passions like Adopt-a-Highway, Animal Rescue, Hospital Volunteering, Mentoring, Red Cross, Tutoring, Volunteer Fire Department, or the local community soup kitchen.
Check what the high school offers and check which service organizations operate in your community.
6. Check-in regularly with your student on what credit items are required for graduation and where they are at with their progress.
Senior year is a little different than the others and failing to stay on top of credits can effect a percentage of their grade or endanger graduation.
7. Plan ahead for the senior year costs...
Senior Photographer
Yearbook
Senior grad portrait keepsakes for yourself and relatives
Graduation items like cap/gown, grad card announcements, and graduation ceremony invites
Senior party with the school and Senior party or BBQ hosted by you
8. Begin mapping out some of the next steps after high school
Will they attend college, trade school, take a year off, travel, or do an internship? Don't necessarily try to choose their major now, but do have a working plan and timeline in place so key dates or application periods do not slip by.
There is nothing wrong with taking a gap year before college. Most colleges recognize it as a good and healthy step in the educational journey. It will not count against them.
Remember and be sensitive to the fact that they are beginning their life plan, not yours. It is okay if they want to do one thing before another. Your role is to guide them toward some assemblage of their own plan.
9. The big senior year goes by faster than you think.
Be intentional about being present with them.
Encourage them to reflect and savor the key moments and the activities. Remind them to take pictures, scrapbook, or journal if they are into any of these things.
Grades are important, but in the grand scheme of life, they are not everything. Overpressure may affect a student's health, rest, confidence, or ability to cope or maintain motivation more than you may realize.
10. Think about what the coming change means to you and your family
Are they moving out on their own? Are they going to attend a college out of state? The deeply bitter/sweet feelings you will experience cannot be overstated. This is last year you are all together under the same roof home as a family. What activities or vacations are left that you always wanted to do together?
When was your last family portrait together? Most parents realize all too late they forgot to update the family portrait since the kids were all little. The best time for a family portrait is the summer or early fall before the senior year or late spring or early summer before they leave for college.
We can’t help you with PSAT’s or college plans, but we can photograph the memories. It’s about your student’s last year of high school, their unique personality, and their biggest transition captured in one epic photography experience!