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Senioritis might not be considered a bona fide disease, but it can be hazardous to your academic health.

You’re familiar with the term, right? It’s so prevalent, it’s even in the Urban Dictionary:

Senioritis: noun. A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as “graduation.”

OK, OK – it might sound kind of funny, but it is something I encourage you to take very seriously.

We know there are plenty of distractions in your senior year, from college visits (hopefully Campus Day, open houses, and even the burgeoning excitement of graduation. It is important to keep in mind how you finish will matter – it really does. Grades and graduating are still important. College admissions officers want to make sure the students they admitted are ready to arrive in the fall and hit the ground running.

First of all, at U-M every admitted student who wants to enroll has to do one thing: Graduate! We are going to ask you to prove that to us! We ask our admitted students to send their final high school transcripts with proof of graduation to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as soon as possible. Your final semester grades also will be evaluated.

It’s also important to note that as our admissions have become more selective, we haven’t just seen the quality of our admitted students rise. We’ve also had to tell many highly qualified students we don’t have room for them. Sometimes, it’s a thin line.

We simply can’t tell such strong students we don’t have room for them if we’re letting newly admitted students slide. Research will tell you that students who start declining in high school will struggle when they get to college.

If we see a major decline in grades on that final transcript, with no explanation forthcoming from the student, school or counselor, it’s a major red flag. Expect us to call you on it. College is a big transition for students. We tell our admitted students over and over again that we know it’s tough, but you’ve come this far – and now is not the time to give up.

Of course, we know that life often gets in the way of the best laid plans. If that happens – if there is a trauma, tragedy or a continuing issue in your personal life that starts to affect your grades, please don’t go it alone. Feel free to reach out to us. Or tell someone at your school, so they can tell your college admissions office. High schools are usually more than willing to work with students to make sure they’re not in jeopardy of revocation. It can make a difference; we’re always willing to listen.

So yes, revel in the fact that this is your last year of high school. Rejoice in your bright future, but hold off on those Senior Skip Days. Keep up those grades, even when it’s tempting to get caught up in all the last-semester excitement. Your hard work will pay off – and you’ll shake off those Senioritis symptoms in no time.