I have an opportunity to graduate at the end of next year (current freshman), & I wanted to know if I can get into a good school (top 25ish) if I do skip the last two years.
My GPA would be around a 4.3 (I'm in all honors right now, & plan on doing the same for next year), & I get straight A's. Gym class & electives are not available at the honors level so they bring my GPA down.
My SAT score would be around a 1470 at the very worst, going to try to push it up more.
I run a nonprofit.
I do debate at the national level.
I am politically active & have volunteered on numerous campaigns.
I have a TON of volunteer hours (will be over 700 by this June)
I got 2nd place in the state level of a robotics competition in middle school (though I doubt I would put that on because it was middle school).
Before I get 100 replies saying to not skip to college, please keep in mind, a) I’m an older freshman (missed the cutoff by two weeks) so I would be 17 going into college, b) my home environment isn’t good so I want to get out as soon as possible.
Will you have earned your HS diploma then, or will you apply to colleges for early enrollment without a HS diploma? Those are two different things. Yes, many (including T-25ish) institutions do admit students early who they consider to be ready for college. However, if you leave HS without a diploma and do not get a GED or whatever is equivalent in your state of residence, you won’t be eligible to file the FAFSA and so will not be able to get federally determined financial aid.
What have your parents told you about how they expect you to pay for your college education? Will they pay something? Nothing? Everything with no financial limit? Have that conversation with them. Choose a couple places they have heard of, a couple more you’ve heard of, and sit down with them and run the Net Price Calculators at those institutions’ websites. Run the NPCs for a couple of your own home-state public universities too. When you have a sense of what your education might come to, you will start to have a sense of your options.
I will be able to earn my highschool diploma at the end of sophomore year. Money isn’t really a problem, I definitely do not qualify for any financial aid. They both are okay with the idea.
It will be very difficult to get into a top 25 school with a 1470 SAT and only 2 years of high school courses. You’ll be competing with applicants who have 4 years of math (or more), 4 years of debate prizes, letters from teachers who have known them for 3 years, those who have taken multiple AP classes or have an IB diploma, who have perfect SAT/ACT scores, have participated in sports for 4 years. Honestly, ask yourself why they would take you over an 18 year old senior.
You won’t get bonus points for graduating in 2 years, for not having 4 years of English, for not trudging through band and gym for 4 years.
I think you’d get into your state public school(s) or a number of schools in the 50-100 range, but not the T-25 as those are just too competitive.
How about doing an additional year of high school as an exchange student abroad, through AFS, Rotary, or similar? I’m sure there would be additional coursework there for you to take, plus you could become fluent in a foreign language and gain an amazing, broadening life experience that would also make you a more interesting and attractive candidate for competitive colleges. You’d accomplish your goal of living away from home, without having to go straight to college. And all of your grades from the previous year would be on the books before you’d have to submit applications. Could be a win-win?
I would have 4 years of credits in english, I would be up to Calc in math, etc., but I see your point. Is there anything I could do to make myself more competitive?
Are you certain that you would be graduating after your “Sophomore year”? Or is it rather that you are currently the equivalent of a Junior, and that you have been accelerated in your studies?
i’m currently a freshman at least on paper, but i’m in sophomore/junior classes and have the credits of a sophomore. next year would be my sophomore year & i would have to double up on some classes (extra gym, extra english, extra history), to graduate at the end of what would be my sophomore year (June 2021) i could absolutely handle the three extra, i would just lose my frees, which i don’t use anyway. i would have all the necessary credits & test scores to graduate.
Your record is going to be compared to students who’ve taken 4 full years of rigorous courses and who have had the extra time to develop ECs and other interests. I think depth is important and you don’t get that by rushing through a program.
What’s your current SAT score? If it’s not in range for competitive schools it won’t help to graduate early. If you’ll be 16 this summer then you’ll only be 18 as a senior and 19 as a college freshman. You won’t be the only 19-year-old college freshman.
In most T25 colleges, having the right grades in the right coursework and the right test scores is really just a baseline. It is the rest of the app that will get you in or not. Barring being an absolute child protégé, it is extraordinarily difficult to develop the qualities these colleges look for to a sufficient extent in only 2-3 years. They aren’t making admissions decisions by throwing darts at a list of names of applicants who meet baseline. If you don’t know what qualities they’re looking for, how will you work to develop them, or show them on the application?
I can completely sympathize with the desire to get out of HS as quickly as possible. I also do know a number of people who gained admission to college at 15 or 16. Some of those were early (no HS diploma yet) entrants, and some (like you) had been accelerated at some point along the way. Some adapted readily to college, and some struggled more. Not knowing you as a person, none of us can predict your personal trajectory.
I think that you should contact each of the places currently on your college wish list, and discuss your specific situation with their admission teams. Yes, there are places that will be happy to admit you. Whether or not those are places you would be happy to attend is a different thing. This means that you need to be visiting colleges, talking with the admissions offices, and possibly with specific departments, and exploring your options.
I agree that your competition for tippy top schools probably will have the depth, grades, and everything else those schools look for. You’re starting off at the bottom of the hill compared to other applicants.
Or consider trying to get into a private boarding school for your final two years. Both of these ideas are more likely to make you a competitive tippy top college applicant than merely rushing to graduate early.
I graduated after 10th grade and was not able to get into a T-25 college. I ended up going to a CC and am now trying to transfer to a four year. Even now, after proving myself as an honors scholar, I am still having push back from my top choice universities - they don’t think outside the box. I don’t regret my decision but if your desire is to attend a top tier university, stay in HS for four years.
The issue is geting admitted. Its not just stats and a few ECs, even awards. It’s not just meeting your district’s high school grad requirements. There’s no list that says, won an award or was on a national team, check! he’s ready. Certainly not about being little older.
Top colleges look for growth, a record of stretch and personal traits that don’t equate with rushing through. You need a sense of what these are, what breadth, as well as depth, what extra efforts show your drives, add to your experiences and expertise and more.
As said, these are highly competitive colleges, with more than enough applicants who put every bit of their 4 years into high school. If you want to shift to a lower tier, or colleges that bases admits primarily on stats, your chances will improve.
You can start college whenever you graduate, especially if you’re over 16. The question is how competitive you will be for top schools, when they are hard for anyone to get in. T25’s are VERY hard to get into. If you get the SAT up a bit, or go to T50ish…
If you don’t mind, what state are you in? That may make a difference in what I would suggest.