Senior (education)

The twelfth grade is the fourth and final year of a student's high school education. The year and the student are both referred to as senior. Senior year is when most students take college entrance exams (ACT or SAT) and actually apply to college/university. A common stereotype of high school seniors in the Unites States is that they suffer from "senioritis", a perceived laziness or lack of motivation to complete schoolwork in this year. This is due to the assumption that colleges and universities place greater emphasis on a student's performance during junior year when making admission decisions, and that poor academic performance during senior year won't matter because the senior will already have been admitted to college at the time of graduation. Alternatively, senior year is when students decide to pursue a trade and enroll in a relevant school or program rather than attending college/university. Some seniors decide to put off higher education in favor of entering the work force.

The fourth year of an undergraduate program is known as senior year, and 4th year students are known as seniors. Bachelor's degree programs are designed to be completed in four years, so the senior year is usually the final year of the program. Seniors are encouraged to take professional licensure exams, begin the process of job-hunting, or apply to graduate school in their senior year. Many colleges and universities might also require capstone projects or the completion of special seminars that require the student to demonstrate everything they've learned in their major or time at university in general.

The term super senior is used in the United States to refer to a student who has not completed graduation requirements by the end of the fourth year, who is continuing to attempt to complete said requirements. The term refers primarily to college students taking additional courses, rather than high school students who would most likely be required to repeat courses. Although super seniors are stereotyped as students who were unable to complete their graduation requirements due to some personal failing or unforeseen circumstances, many super seniors take an additional year intentionally to take additional courses or acquire additional credentials.[3]