<p>I'm currently a sophomore at a Quaker school on Philadelphia's Main Line, and being dissatisfied with my high school, one thing I am looking at is the prospect of going to college a year early by applying to college next fall and beginning college instead of my Senior year of high school. I find that I have an intellectual pursuit that is not satisfied by high school, and that is why I want to apply to college a year early. Now I am not just thinking of leaving without trying to make the best of what I do have: my school has let me take a Philosophy class generally reserved for seniors, I am active in a variety of extracurricular activities, and I also run high-school outreach for a congressional campaign. I feel that I have done the best I can with what is available to me, and that I my intellectual, creative, and political pursuits would be best supported and enhanced in a college environment.</p>
<p>My grades are good, or at least that is what I'm told. While my school does not calculate GPAs, my grades were A in History, A in Language, A- in Literature, B+ in Math, and a B in Science. This year, I took a Science course over the summer which I received an A- in, and as the mid-trimester point passed Friday at my school I can confidently say that I most likely have As in all of my classes.</p>
<p>However, my question remains: how badly will having only 3 years of high school impact my chances of getting into a place such as University of Chicago?</p>
<p>You need to tell us more about the rigor of your course schedule. It also depends on whether or not your HS is competitive at all, and if you test well. You’ll need some very impressive SAT scores, etc.</p>
<p>Honestly I would stay in HS. Leaving high school a year early for college may come off as arrogance, especially judging by how you supported your reasoning. High school is supposed to be fun. Try and enjoy it… unless there is some reason that you aren’t having a great high school experience socially. Either way, I don’t suggest it, and I guarantee it will be difficult to be accepted, but go for it.</p>
<p>I am taking the most rigorous course-load available to me–I am taking what is essentially Honors Precalc this year, and then Honors Calculus next year (my school has no AP or IB like many independent schools to give teachers more freedom). As I also said, I am taking a philosophy class reserved for seniors academically equivalent to a college-level introductory course in philosophy. Also, I just took the PSATs this past Saturday and will be getting the results late November/early December.</p>
<p>Also I’m sorry if what I am saying comes off as arrogance, I really don’t mean it to. I guess a way to rephrase my point would be this: I’ve gone to the same school for 10 years, since 1st grade, in many ways they brought me up. I really adore my teachers and look up to them, however the class I’ve been with since I started at my school has always been very anti-intellectual. This has been something I’ve had trouble dealing with since I was in 6th grade. The idea someone could even be interested in current events, politics, the writings of people like Marx and Machivaelli, is considered absurd, weird, and ultimately, is looked down upon. Even in my classes I feel discouraged from sharing my own analysis of whatever we’re reading, which I feel could cause me to lose any interest in school. This past year I began pursuing my passions more than I have in the past, reading more political and social theory, interning with a Congressional campaign, etc… and in a certain sense this has socially alienated me because no one truly understands why someone would be committed to these things–to knowledge, to working towards political change and social reform.</p>
<p>So, I guess that would be a better explanation of my reasoning. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Also, as something to add, at this point I am either leaving my school or applying to college a year early. However, I want to know how much of a possibility going a year early is (people from my school have done it before) and whether people would think this is right for me. People have told me that I will love college–the intellectual pursuit, the academic freedom, and the people I will meet. I have believed them, and so badly want to be at a place like that.</p>
<p>I agree with shonie. Although I understand what you are trying to say matthewblock7, I don’t think going to college a year early is the solution. You should either try as best as you can to ignore the attitudes of your fellow classmates and continue to try your best, or either transfer to another high school if you have the opportunity.</p>
<p>My comments weren’t intended to depict you as arrogant, all I was saying was that the context is very important. Your description of your high school makes it sound like a school that is not at all competitive, offering no AP courses and with a bunch of kids who are not motivated (besides yourself). </p>
<p>Because of this, it will be VERY difficult to get into a college that will suit your needs. You will need to have an extremely high GPA (which you should, at least it sounds like you do), you will need to score well on the PSATs and then take the SATs or ACTs as soon as possible and score well on them, and you will need to write some magnificent essays. </p>
<p>I do agree that it sounds like college will be a wonderful option for you, it sounds like the perfect environment for you to excel, however I honestly think that one more year of high school will do you some good, even if it is at another school. That one more year will give you time for test taking, essay writing, and more. You’d need to apply pretty soon if you wanted any shot at early admissions, which you can’t even do since you have no test scores. So you’d basically be scrambling to take as many tests as possible in the next few months. </p>
<p>Honestly you should try and transfer, take the extra year, find somewhere you’re hopefully happy, enjoy the summer, and prepare yourself better for college. You’ll be giving yourself a better chance to get into better schools that you will LOVE as opposed to “like,” and you’ll have taken more advanced courses that will better prepare you for the academic intensity that your college will most likely offer, which will probably be a HUGE change from your high school based on what you’ve said.</p>
<p>Well, if I did go to college a year early I would still have the rest of this year and then all of next year in high school. I’m not sure that got communicated well…</p>
<p>Nonetheless, thanks so much for the advice. I’m talking to my parents, my adviser, etc… about what I should do. I just feel that should I get in, it might be easier to start college a year early than to transfer high schools after the 10th grade.</p>