<p>Does anybody have a son or daughter who completed high school in three years? If all goes according to my daughter's plan, she will jump from a sophomore this year to an '08 HS grad and then...a college student. I am interested in how colleges handle this when admitting. The official word from admissions officers who my daughter has called is to the effect that they "applaud the rigor" of what she is trying to do, and they will evaluate her qualifications in context of early graduation. My daughter is interested in studying both studio art and creative writing and would prefer to be close to a city with a good music scene since she performs semi-professionally. We are not looking at ivies, by the way. Any info would be appreciated.</p>
<p>My D will have completed high school in two years and 48 college credits all simultaneously. Her high school courses are completed at her high school and then she attends college in the evening. What we have encountered from admissions is that most would view her as freshmen due to the fact that she completed the college courses while still in high school. So, she was able to receive all scholarships available to her as a incoming freshmen. However, there were a few schools that would classify her as a transfer thus making her ineligible for scholarship monies. When I was calling the schools about this all they wanted to know at the time was what her GPA was and her SAT/ACT score. Based on my D's stats two schools where interested in her based on phone conversation. One was in NY and the other in Penn. She applied to both schools and was offered a full ride from both. The best thing you can do is call each school and ask a string of questions. I will say that if your child has completed high school early due to a dual enrollment of highschool/college- meaning they took college credits to offset some high school courses then you really want to call the colleges of choice because most colleges that I called frowned upon that type of advancement. My D did not do dual courses but, they asked me if she did. D's high school gpa 3.85 unw, college gpa 4.0 ACT 33 accepted to 5/6 schools including 1 ivy and she is representing the minorities.</p>
<p>I completed high school in three years and I think it was a mistake. There is more to high school than classes, and you miss a lot of maturation and socialization by skipping that senior year experience. There's no reason to rush through childhood -- it is full of unique experiences that (by definition) cannot ever be replicated. Obviously, this is just my own experience, but I would think long and hard about accelerating your child through this period of her life.</p>
<p>Does the plan include taking the PSAT/NMSQT at the right time to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship program?</p>
<p>Insanity 68--All I can say is "wow"! Congrats on the remarkable ride! We have a different situation in that D's academics are average--some honors classes last year (Freshman) and some this year (Sophomore), but no APs yet. Next year she will be doubling up on English (a regular class and one taken at high school through the local community college), but her only AP class will be AP Environmental. Who knows what next year will bring, but right now her two-year average is about a 3.0. This, combined with the heavy doubled schedule next year gives me cause for concern. </p>
<p>BurnThis--I hear you. The plan is entirely driven by D and was sprung a couple of weeks ago. D got Guidance on board before she even discussed the idea with me. While the academics are average (see above), D's perspective is different from most kids her age in part because of the music component.</p>
<p>tokenadult--the PSAT was taken this year as part of being in an honors Enlgish class; SATs will be taken this June and next September. </p>
<p>Although D has talked to a random sampling of admissions folks, I have not. I didn't think it would be a good idea (thought I might mess up by inadvertently saying the wrong thing!), but I am going to reconsider that.</p>
<p>from what I have heard, colleges consider applicants equally and don't discount their expectations for early grads. This means courses, ECs, and most importantly from your D's position the portfolio of art work. This doesn't sound like what your D is hearing, though.</p>
<p>I would suggest talking a bit more to D and find out why the sudden urgency to get out of HS. Sometimes kids are trying to escape their HS situation. Leaving early is no panacea, though, and can bring its own can of worms. Making the transition into college brings its own challenges, and your D will be around kids who at the *youngest<a href="the%20frosh">/i</a> are more than a year older than her. A year to a teenager brings a lot of maturity. There is no universal answer here that applies to every kid in every circumstance, but I'd recommend spending some time finding out why she wants to get out early and exploring if she's really ready to handle the challenges of college.</p>
<p>gardenmom14- Thanks! My D is very disciplined, which translates focused. I guess it came from all those years of her seeing the "be all that you can be military commercials", I guess she thought they were talking to her. LOL! We are retired military. My D will have skipped her 9th and 12th grade. She took a total of 8 AP classes and did not do well on her PSAT. D is great at math/science.
This kid is very well rounded and extremely cultured. D has not sacrificed friends (she has them as far as Alaska), family and the odd things that are her passion-rocks,dirt ice skating, cartoons, etc.. She had to meet school requirements in order to graduate and has worked hard to do so. Our journey started in elementary school when they kept suggesting that she skip a grade. I refused. This is a true case of " what will be will be" because despite my concerns she is still graduating early-2 years.
I chose to call the admissions because:
A. I wanted to make sure she would not have any surprises.
B. She is only 15.
C. Although she knows how to handle "adult" questions, I am a lot more skilled.
D. Someone has to advocate for her situation
I am excited for her and I enjoy watching her take each step in this journey. She is a beautiful blessing.
Her chosen major is a little bizarre but w/e.
Goodluck!</p>
<p>mikemac--You have hit it on the head. This is not what D is hearing from anybody but me. Perhaps it is because she has spoken to admissions at small residential colleges (such as Hiram in Ohio and Hampshire in Vermont). I understand from my reading that colleges like these tend to focus on the "whole student" in the admissions process although college readiness clearly is imperative. D is well spoken about her motivations and we have and will continue to discuss her plans but right now I am spinning safety nets in my head. I take comfort in knowing that socially she will probably be okay. She often visits her older sister at college and has developed frienships with college students. At home her friends are typically 17 and 18 (she just turned 16) and professionally she is completely at home with adults.</p>
<p>Insanity68--Are you comfortable sharing the "weird major"? And, I know exactly what you mean by the "what will be will be" comment. Buckle up for the ride! I like your list and will refer to it when I feel chicken about calling.</p>
<p>Since she loves rocks, dirt and fossils- Paleontology/Geology Engineering. Whoda thunk it?</p>
<p>My son skipped both K and 12th grades, starting at MIT at age 16 (without a high school diploma)... theoretically he'll graduate in a few weeks from now at age 20. His friends have always been older, he thought high school was a waste of time, and he's been mostly well-challenged at MIT. There have been numerous threads on the topic of early entrance (not early admission) to college and skipping senior year.</p>
<p>Insanity,
Has she looked at Bryn Mawr? I'd read they are good in geology...</p>
<p>Yes, she looked at Bryn Mawr and a few others in Pennsy. I loved Bryn but she did not choose to attend this school.</p>
<p>dmd77, Thanks for your post! </p>
<p>My ds is in 6th grade and is taking college courses now but we have been told it would seriously hurt any chances of him getting into a great college in the future because he will graduate high school and get an aa degree all at the same time. The "naysayers" said no good college will want him as either a transfer junior or a new freshman but reading a post like yours gives us some hope. We were told not to even think of expecting any type of financial aid or scholarship if we go this route.</p>
<p>Naturally at 11 years old, he is just interested in being challenged NOW and has not even considered the implications of what he is doing to his "future chances." He can not receive high school credit since he is still in elementary school but the college is giving him college credit and he is on track for "transfer" programs! It is a tough plan to map out so any hints and tips from your experiences would be appreciated! I am looking for other similar posts for "early entrance" but am not finding any other similar situations. Can you point me to some other discussions or posts? Thanks!</p>
<p>Fidoprincess--MIT will take students as young as 15 if they think they're academically ready, although you have to be sixteen to live in the dorms. With a child who "just wants challenge" now, ignore the naysayers and give him the challenge he craves. I would ignore the whole question of credit/no credit, since you can always have him apply as a homeschooler. I don't know where you're located, but you're getting bad advice.</p>
<p>Search on early entrance (not early admission) and you might also want to look at Mini's posts on homeschooling, since his D was taking college courses and homeschooling and went to college quite young as well.</p>
<p>Fidoprincess, since this is a topic you are worried about, perhaps you could supplement his education in non-traditional ways, such as in depth science projects, keeping a writing portfolio, or researching and presenting an interesting historical or social issue.</p>
<p>fidoprincess,
there is some helpful information at the duke tip site.
see............the Duke Gifted Letter and try a search on concurrent enrollment or dual enrollment. </p>
<p>there is also information at the Duke tip site on E-Studies and Independent Learning. </p>
<p>if your son were to take AP courses rather than college courses .......would AP be more helpful in the admissions process?</p>
<p>Insanity68, when you recommended calling the admissions department and asking "a string of questions". Would you be so kind as to give an example or overview of the "string of questions" you suggest?</p>
<p>My freshman daughter is pushing to graduate high school in three years and I'm trying to figure out how best to evaluate whether that would be a mistake or not. The only guidance we've been given by her guidance counsellor was the recommendation to "call the colleges you are interested in and see what they say." However, this is our first experience with current day college admissions (back in our day, we simply took the ACT once, filled out applications, chose a college that accepted us, and went), so I'm not quite sure just where to start or what the critical areas to cover are.</p>
<p>I'd appreciate any help in getting started on a useable guideline set of questions.</p>
<p>
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The only guidance we've been given by her guidance counsellor was the recommendation to "call the colleges you are interested in and see what they say."
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</p>
<p>Actually, I would recommend making the first two or three calls to colleges that you're not particularly interested in. The flow of the conversation will probably suggest better questions to ask when you do the calls that really matter. This is better than calling the college you care about most first, asking the wrong questions, and then calling back again a week later when you've figured out what you should have asked.</p>
<p>Hmm, some practice runs do make sense. I, particularly, hate to do 'cold calling'. </p>
<p>But, I'm still hoping for some suggestions on just what areas and topics are pertinent and ones that I definitely should be asking about. Somehow, I'm thinking "would you consider admitting my kid if she graduates with a full academics honors diploma after three years?" is a little too blunt and narrow to help me really evaluate the situation. :) But, I'm not quite sure just what the larger issues and concerns are that I should be teasing out.</p>
<p>treemaven:</p>
<p>Before you cold call admission offices, look up the websites for the recommended high school curriculum; there should also be information about AP/IB credit. Some APs may count, others not. Some scores may count, lower ones not.</p>
<p>One key issue for early graduates is AP vs. college courses. Many colleges will grant credit for APs but not for community or even university courses. Others, however, will give credit for either. To play it safe, students who take introductory college courses also take the AP exam as this is more portable. For example, my S took a college intro Biology for which there was a final exam and a grade, but he also took the AP exam. As it turns out, his college does not give credit for college courses (even those taken at that very college) but gives credit for AP scores of 5. If getting credit for college level work is not of interest (i.e. your child does not wish to graduate early from college), it would still be useful to find out how college courses are evaluated. </p>
<p>Depending on the college, you may also want to ask about the types of ECs and positions the college looks for.</p>