<p>Here is what one school (Reed, just an example) says about early admission:
</p>
<p>Many (not all) students at USC’s Resident Honors Program, which takes 30 or 40 students after junior year of high school, make arrangements with their high schools so that their first year of college doubles as their senior year of high school, enabling them to graduate with their hs classes. In addition to offering merit $, RHP also allows its students to enter USC’s Thematic Option honors program, small muti-disciplinary seminars that substitute for almost all GE’s, offered to 200 entering students a year. There is a Dec. 1 application deadline for RHP and for USC merit scholarships, so students need to take SAT/ACT fairly early if they want to participate. Exhausting the resources of the high school is one rationale for attending, but some students are simply ready to make the transition to college early, perhaps wanting to study a particular area with more intensity and focus than what they could find in high school, study areas not taught in depth in their high schools, or participate in the arts in a way their secondary schools cannot facilitate.</p>
<p>That last bit in the piece copied from the Reed website is not correct. It is something that has been repeated, incorrectly, by colleges for years now. The Dept. of Education has issued a memo clarifying the issue, but some colleges haven’t yet caught on. They usually respond well when you just send them the link to the DOE memo.</p>
<p>My son’s college used to have that on their website last year, but I notice it has been removed now.</p>
<p>You do not need a high school diploma or a GED to receive federal financial aid. Neither of my children have a high school diploma and neither took the GED, but both are receiving federal financial aid. One at a top private LAC, one at a large public U. (The latter homeschooled for two years of “high school” and went to college at 16. It’s been a great choice for her.)</p>
<p>That last bit in the piece copied from the Reed website is not correct. It is something that has been repeated, incorrectly, by colleges for years now. The Dept. of Education has issued a memo clarifying the issue, but some colleges haven’t yet caught on. They usually respond well when you just send them the link to the DOE memo.</p>
<p>My son’s college used to have that on their website last year, but I notice it has been removed now.</p>
<p>You do not need a high school diploma or a GED to receive federal financial aid. Neither of my children have a high school diploma and neither took the GED, but both are receiving federal financial aid. One at a top private LAC, one at a large public U. (The latter homeschooled for two years of “high school” and went to college at 16. It’s been a great choice for her.)</p>
<p>I need some help. I would like to graduate early from high school with the class of 2012due to more reasons than I can list (but read on please). I am a current junior with a 4.2 GPA (GIEP in Art with an IQ of 136, I believe) who does winter/spring track, Girl Scouts, Art Lessons (and I also teach at the art studio as a job), Student Council, Key Club, Interim Club, and I am in different art organizations outside of school. My school has not given out the senior projects yet and I am taking the SAT on November 5th. I also have volunteered on my own with 240 hours since freshman year. I have taken as many honors classes as I can so far in high school (including a class called “Great Books” last year which is an equivalent to 12th grade english. It is a prerequisite to AP enlgish for senior year. But I also had 10th grade honors english in the same year) I need 22 credits to graduate and I would have 21.75 by the end of junior year. The only requirements I haven’t fullfilled class-wise would be another social studies/or social studies elective and senior gym. I’ve heard that your senior year gym can get waived though. If I took a social studies elective class online I believe that would fulfill my classes and credit requirements as set by my school district. I have yet to ask my parents (who say I should enjoy high school) or my guidance counselor (who I plan on making an appt with tomorrow). Some reasons why I would like to graduate are mental maturity and because I’d only have 2 required classes next year (Great Books counts as a fourth year english class). I always feel kind of strange at school since I’ve always been more mature for my age and I (and other adults I know) feel that I would be ready to start college a year early so I can get “ahead of the game”. This would help me to be academically challenged/feel more fullfilled with school knowing that I am not wasting time of petty, not useful high school classes (yes senior gym and home ec are a couple of them). My plan is to go to my local communtiy college for Social Science with a minor in Art for two years then transfer to another college (possibly Marywood in Scranton, Pa.) for my masters in Art Therapy. On a side note about being mentally mature…I meant that i am not one for the “waaaah my shoe’s untied the world’s going to end” or “come and fight me, girl”. I just steer away from drama/complaining/slacking with school or life. It’s hard to describe my maturity but I’m sure any of you who are on this blog would probably understand what I mean. I also am very used to an extremely heavy workload and busy schedule in and out of school. I’ll stop at that so I do not write too much, but any suggestions or advice would be extremely appreciated. Nervousness is filling my brain about what you’ve written on petitioning to graduate a year early and also I am worried about what my parents will say. Thank you to anybody that responds!!</p>
<p>ndelevan – If the University of Southern California is a university that interests you, you might want to consider their RHP (Resident Honors Program), which accepts students who have finished their junior year of high school – a high school diploma is not required. These students enter the uni as freshmen and graduate in four years – or conceivably less if they have a lot of AP credit. Also take a look at the Thematic Options program at USC, which is a small honors program that all RHP students may participate in. There are 30-40 RHP students each year, they all have at least 1/4 tuition scholarships for four years, and are eligible for more if they apply by Dec. 1. (USC gives merit scholarships.)
I have a kid who is in the program now, liked high school, but felt he was done with it. He knew what he wanted to study in college and was extremely focused. His hs let him count his first year of college as his senior year of hs, so he graduated with his class following his freshman year of college. He was ready, and there hasn’t been a moment of regret.<br>
If this interests you, you might want to go onto the USC board and find some students who are in the program now who could tell you more about it and about their experiences.</p>
<p>ndelevan, this thread is two years old…your question is a good one but you might want to start your own thread…rather than hook onto one that is so old.</p>