Early Graduation

Applying to College
1

Ok here’s my dilemma.

I’m a freshman in high school but I’ve been thinking about early graduation and I’m not sure whether or not I should do it. I really want to get into an Ivy League or a BS/MD program (a program that accepts high school students into both an undergraduate college and a medical school). I know these programs are super competitive and people have told me that graduating early would really diminish my chances. Here’s a list of pros and cons that I’ve made out.

Pros:

  1. I’m practically a sophomore. I’m taking Precal honors, chemistry honors, biology honors, world history AP, band and Spanish 2 honors right now. I’ve planned out my high school path and have come to realize that if I don’t graduate early I would have seriously no classes to take senior year. I would be going to school just for 3 or 4 classes and coming back home early. So in this perspective, graduating early makes sense.
  2. I hate my class…a lot. I feel like I connect better with the sophomores and juniors than freshmen. Senior year would really suck because I don’t have very many freshmen friends but I have a ton of junior and sophomore friends. A lot of people say social maturity would be an issue but I don’t think it would.
  3. Earlier start on life….? I want to become a physician and that takes so many years anyways so I would be saving a year.

Cons:

  1. There would be less time to develop my ECs. I play piano and oboe, am a competitive chess player, a member of the math and science team at my school, among other things. Graduating early would mean way less time to achieve things in these clubs.
  2. I would have significantly less time to volunteer and to do research, which plays a big role in BS/MD applications.
  3. I won’t get a rank, which really sucks since my gpa right now is 5.8/6 (weighted) and my school’s gpa record is 5.81.
  4. I would be applying for college with around 6 or 7 AP tests already taken, but if I waited, it would be around 13.

I think I can still achieve a lot in 3 years and create a strong application but one extra year of high school is a lot of time. I’m not sure what to do because there are a lot of cons related to time, but if I stay senior year, I won’t have much to do and I feel like I would be wasting my time.

So my question is…do application officers at Ivy League schools and BS/MD programs look at early high school graduates the same way they look at regular high school seniors…? And even if they do, should I stay one year just to develop ECs or go ahead and graduate early if I feel like my application is strong enough?

2

You’re saying that without the extra year you’d only have 7 vs. 13? That’s like 6 courses right there at the AP level to show that you are capable. As to graduating early, I would not recommend it and it really doesn’t help for colleges in a significant way, and can hurt you since you are competing against folks with 4 years of activities versus your 3. For highly competitive institutions it is already almost a lottery, so you’ll need all the time you can get. My recommendation is if you really won’t have that much to do during senior year is to put the excess time and effort on an outside activity that’s important to you. Also take that extra time to polish your essays!

3

@Trickster2212 I think I phrased the AP courses wrong…I would still have around 13 AP courses when I graduate but I would have only taken 6 or 7 AP tests. But still, thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

4

As an alternative, D did a reduced schedule senior year: She took 4 classes in the morning, her math class on-line, and an ‘internship’ double period in the afternoon. That enabled her to do her internship for 20+ hr/week. (You might want to do your research instead). Not sure if you school is flexible enough to allow this, but it was perfect for her. She stayed connected to her friends, could do her ECs, and was able to focus on something really important to her. The highly selective schools to which she applied were all fine with this judging by her acceptances.

The other option is to graduate early and do your research as a Gap Year. The Gap Year Advantage by Haigler and Nelson is a great resource so check that out. I think ‘non-traditional’ applicants - those who have colored outside the lines - are at no disadvantage when applying to top schools. These schools are looking for kids who don’t just excel academically, but also are willing to think independently about how to get the most out their educations. That sometimes means not following the herd. If you can make good use of your time off, shaking off the herd mentality can serve you well, now and in the future.

I wouldn’t worry about not getting a class rank - the GC will be evaluating your transcript and rating it’s rigor compared to what the school offers and what other students are doing. He or she can easily indicate in their rec that you are a top student. And I wouldn’t think twice about how many AP tests you have if you’ve taken the coursework. (But if you took the class, why wouldn’t you take the exam?) As for developing your ECs, they are just ECs - unless you are nationally ranked at something and have to be a student to compete. The research (and medical volunteering) is what will stand out here if you have done anything of significance - especially for BS?MD programs.

5

Or Dual Enrollment with a local college.

6

@Shreyas0718 I advise against graduating early. You are maybe 15? Trust me, there is no rush to become an adult any earlier. Bills suck, apartments are expensive, groceries, gas, cars, repairs, etc…are a tiresome chore.

If you really want to to get a head start on life and look good to the best colleges at the same time, why don’t you take gen Ed classes at your local community college? I believe you can even get started as a sophomore, but contact the local college to check. Sounds like you will have free time as a senior, so you can easily manage that.

If you really want to get a head start on life and getting into med school, then test out of gen Ed classes too, by talking CLEP exams. That means college credit by exam, and you do not take a course. Of course, you have to use CLEP credits at colleges that accpet them, but many do. Some examples include Bucknell, Denison, Temple, American University, etc… Lots of state universities too. Google CLEP and you will find a lot of info.

You are obviously intelligent, but you have much to learn about the world, life, and the college game. If med school is the plan, then you might know that it is your post-grad education that really matters. Graduate early as a college undergrad, not while you are in HS. That will certainly be impresive, and a lot less expensive.

Maybe you hate your class, but you clearly like people in your HS. By the time you are a senior, I am betting you will like plenty of people in your class. And all the clubs, activities, etc…that are part of the school experience will serve you well when you are an adult, and also for getting into college. Slow down, my friend. Being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. One year of your life as a teenager is more precious than one year of your life as an adult.

7

This topic comes up rather regularly. Perhaps you can trawl through some prior threads? Good luck