# define "rising senior" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068 "2007-05-14T17:59:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068/1 "2007-05-14T17:59:02Z")
Googling seems to indicate that “rising senior” is rather similar to “junior”. What little detail am I missing? Is it that the school year hasn’t started yet? So, the summer before your senior year, you are a “rising senior”? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068/2 "2007-05-14T18:01:02Z")
That’s basically it. It is just someone within spitting distance of being a senior. The summer between junior and senior year may count but you might here it right at the end of someone’s junior year as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068/3 "2007-05-14T18:01:10Z")
I thought it meant “Grandpa who just tried the Viagra he bought over the Internet”. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068/4 "2007-05-14T18:19:24Z")
**Jackmannii** , I just knew some smart apple would fire off a “joke”… 🙂 Thanks, **Shagnasty**. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068/5 "2007-05-14T21:21:07Z")
You need a term like this because it’s not clear exactly when one year finishes and the next year starts. One might reasonably suppose that a student ceases to be a junior at the end of the spring semester, but one might also reasonably suppose that a student does not become a senior until the start of the fall semester. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068/6 "2007-05-14T23:25:41Z")
Well, we have teachers who cannot use a red pencil when grading papers and exams because of the trauma kids suffer these days. Now we have rising seniors? Is this another nanny state approach to wrap children in kid gloves? Sheeesh! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Meleemancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Meleemancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meleemancer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068/7 "2007-05-14T23:37:15Z")
The situation I know the term from is the on-campus housing lottery for the subsequent school year, in which they also used “rising junior” and “rising sophomore”. It made sense to me then, since in this case it’s referring to housing you’ll have when you’re the grade you’re currently ‘rising’ to. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-rising-senior/404068/8 "2007-05-15T00:00:53Z")
[QUOTE=Meleemancer] The situation I know the term from is the on-campus housing lottery for the subsequent school year, in which they also used “rising junior” and “rising sophomore”. It made sense to me then, since in this case it’s referring to housing you’ll have when you’re the grade you’re currently ‘rising’ to. [/QUOTE] Yep, this (which reminded me I need to return my housing contract for next year, so thanks!). It’s to alleviate any confusion when the form asks what year you are - I’m currently a sophomore, but the room I’m signing a contract for will be inhabited by a junior, thus, a ‘rising junior’.