<p>My son will grauate HS at age 16 (he's a 13 y.o. sophomore). So far, I can see three option:</p>
<p>Enter College Early</p>
<p>Take Gap Year</p>
<p>Chill, Study, Travel, Intern, then apply.</p>
<p>What'd y'all think?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>What about taking classes at the community college?</p>
<p>My dd is taking Math, English, History, and Lab Science there (she's 16) and wiping out a slew of freshman classes at the same time! (She hopes to use the extra time at a 4-year college to double major)</p>
<p>Nice intro to college life and college-level classes w/o leaving home.</p>
<p>I would also consider doing a post graduate year at one of the elite boarding schools. Still a sheltered environment, but away from home, and surrounded by academically talented classmates. I'd pick a school that offered advanced coursework in the specific areas of interest for my child.</p>
<p>I like the gap year, chill, study, travel option. After that, he will probably have a good idea what he would like to do next.</p>
<p>They're only young once. This is an opportunity to grow outside of the routine of the classroom. Let him research some options and make a plan for himself. I think that would be much more rewarding than a "school" option.</p>
<p>Where we are, the community college would NOT be an option. It's just too full of kids doing remedial work to provide any sort of stimulation for a talented student. I am told this by guidance counselors regarding acceleration opportunities for my high schooler. </p>
<p>I am quite certain that your mileage will vary on this one -- but all community colleges are not created equal!</p>
<p>My S will be be starting courses this spring (age 14 is as early as will be admitted). All his useful, academic CC courses, here, will be "all used up" by HS graduation.</p>
<p>ASAP,
Thanks for the reply. To make a distinction; "Gap Year" (apply, get admitted, then asking for a year off) and "Chill, Study, Travel" (waiting, and not applying to any college imediately after HS graduation).</p>
<p>Dadomax, the community college option may not be a good one if your son has already graduated. If he is not enrolled as a high school student while taking the college courses, he may have to apply to other colleges as a transfer student rather than as a freshman. Very different situation.</p>
<p>I like options 2 and 3 better than the first, but you will probably hear from a few cc regulars who started college young and thought it worked well for them. My son could have graduated early, but instead he went to hs part time and took classes at the univ. down the street. He maintained his eligibility as a freshman when he applied to college, and is using the college credits to allow him to pursue multiple majors. It sounds like that may not work for your son, though, if he is definitely on track to graduate at 16.</p>
<p>I'll have to concur with the warning about checking out the quality of classes at your local cc. There is wide variation among them.</p>
<p>Gap years sound nicer and nicer to me, at least when the year is well-planned.</p>
<p>And of course, much depends on the maturity level of your son. Only you can assess that.</p>
<p>Oh, I see your response now that I already posted. So the cc option is not what I thought it was.</p>
<p>My senior son will be graduating a few months after he turns 17, and is planning to go to college in the fall. I would be in favor of him taking a gap year, but he doesn't want to.</p>
<p>It really depends on your son's maturity and desires. If he feels ready for college, and you feel he can live on his own, then I don't think it matters if he's a couple years younger than most of his peers. He's already used to that, anyway.</p>
<p>Why not apply as a senior then examine the acceptances you receive. If your son is accepted at his first choice, he can defer and take a year to "Chill, Study, Travel [and] Intern" without any pressure. He could even get a job and save some $$ for College. If the acceptances don't come in, he could try to beef up his stats and take a PG year at a boarding school or do some interning or something then reapply for freshman admissions. </p>
<p>Best of both worlds, no?</p>
<p>i agree with davnasca :D</p>
<p>Thanks all,</p>
<p>My kid is extra bright, but not driven. I would like him to go to a really good college, but I don't want to throw him to the wolves. </p>
<p>I agree that early (right out of HS) to a highly competetive college seems harsh (and probably unsuitable), but going into to a lower level (boring) college, just because he's young, seem counter productive.</p>
<p>How do highly selective admission officers view an applicant coming out of nowhere; having graduated from HS "awhile ago"?</p>
<p>The "gap year" is quite common, including for those who have graduated at a young age, so I don't think the admissions officers think it is that unusual.</p>
<p>There are two ways to do it: the actual gap year route means taking advantage of the high school counselor's services and the presence of the teachers to get a normal application together during the student's last year in high school. Apply by the normal dates. Then, ask the accepting college to postpone enrollment for a year. The Common Data Set of individual colleges includes information about whether or not they allow a gap year. Or, you could call various schools and ask someone in admissions.</p>
<p>Or, the student could wait to apply until the year following graduation, which might work out well if the year is spent doing something that improves the overall application. It might be more difficult to get teacher recs, to get the high school guidance counselor to fill out the necessary forms, etc.</p>
<p>In either case, I don't think it should hurt a 16 yr old student's chances. It should be self-evident to admissions officers why the student wanted to postpone going away to college.</p>
<p>I am a 13 y.o. junior, and I plan to go directly to college after high school - it will not be an issue for me.</p>
<p>That said, however, a gap year in another country could be really cool. Could your S attend HS in another country? does he know another language? Is he interested in improving that language or learning a new one?</p>
<p>I'll be graduating at 17 if I don't graduate early. I'm going straight into college. It really depends on the kid's maturity, especially socially.</p>
<p>It should also be up to the kid - if he feels ready for college, let him at it, or if he wants to do something else, that's his choice.</p>
<p>At that age, one year makes a difference. Niece and Nephew are late babies and missed the cutoff. The niece is obviously more mature and capable in her class. My nephew even though older than most of his classmates, took until he was in HS to have the maturity of his peer classmates. My son skipped one year, and is always the youngest in his group but academically and socially he is par but everyone knows he is the youngest. </p>
<p>two years difference in his cohort may mean a big difference socially. Getting through college in 3 years will also put him in a social disadvantage when he starts in the professional world.</p>
<p>I'm gonna be a young graduate and, at least for me, I've so acclimated into the life at high school that I wouldn't have a problem with being a little younger when I went off to college. That being said, I'd love to travel and I might take a gap year anyway. Being 16 when you graduate isn't to extreme. I'd expect that come Senior year, he'll have acclimated into the school environment and with his peers that he will be an 18 y/o mind in a 16 y'o body, ie he would have started growing up sooner than most.</p>