<p>I'm a 15 y/o currently in the 11th grade. Caucasian/African American. I am already a year ahead and plan to graduate early at this Spring, at the age of 16.
-Top 10%
-3.5 GPA unweighted GPA at beginning of 11th grade (this year)
-3.9 SC UGP GPA (South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy GPA)
-PSAT (Start of 10th grade): 144, only 9th grade knowledge.
-Updated PSAT, SAT, and possibly ACT to come.
-Finished up to Span II
-AP US History, (possibly AP Stats online but not sure if it would be best to do AP Online- Input?)
-NOTE: AP US History is the only AP class offered in my school while AP Stat and AP Art History are available online.
-If you're familiar with it, my school offers the IB track (11th to 12th) if I were to decide to not graduate early. But I've heard from many people the graduated through this program that the time spent and rigourous courses weren't worth it other than the fact it may have prepared them better for college.
-Several online classes
-NOTE: If I do not graduate early, having finished nearly all core classes and not being enrolled in IB, I would likely only be enrolled in Calculus Honors and some electives that would just boost my GPA.</p>
<p>I have family ties in South Carolina and Rhode Island.
I want to follow the Pre-Med curriculum in college and not sure on major. Possibly Bio/Chem?
What do you think I should do? Also, what colleges should I consider?</p>
<p>No classes to take next year. No AP or Honors. So I would maybe have 1 or 2 push-over electives each semester and then just go home after 2nd period or 1st…</p>
<p>Why don’t you take the IB courses and prepare yourself for college? You’ll be accepted to more colleges if they feel you are prepared to succeed. If you want to go to college, then you should enjoy learning and want to learn more. If you have the opportunity to take IB classes, take them. If IB classes “aren’t worth the effort,” then maybe you aren’t ready for college.</p>
<p>I realize that you are young for your grade at 15, but being less mature than your peers doesn’t give you an excuse to take shortcuts. How can you expect to succeed in college when you can’t even bother with IB classes?</p>
<p>If you want college credit for the effort you’re putting in, look into duel enrollment at your local community college.</p>
<p>But first: have you spoken to your guidance counselor or any teachers about how you feel the IB curriculum?</p>
<p>There is a social component to college as well as an academic component. If you start college at 16 I’m afraid you will miss an important part of the college experience. I would wait to enroll in college. I’d take some CC or IB classes in the meantime or even take a gap semester experience.</p>
<p>Yes, I’ve talked to several past graduates of the IB program along with the director and my guidance counselor. Don’t get me wrong… when I say “aren’t worth the effort” I don’t mean “I don’t feel like it”. I’m friends with the people who graduated, #1 aswell as #2, in last year’s class. Not positive which college #1 ended up going to but I’m positive it was not Ivy League. Although you’re school of choice doesn’t have to be Ivy League and he may have chosen a better engineering college. #2 went to Howard. Both of them were members/presidents of several programs around the school such as FBLA and more. Now, I’m nearly positive with my current standing, I could make it into Howard or something of the level, if not higher, as long as I add on some extra curriculars (plan on joining HOSA and more). It may just be that my school isn’t in good academic standing for the most part, making IB less rigorous and/or successful but can’t say for sure. I’m still not positive what I want to do. But I may just continue with AP US History and AP English Composition/Lit online. Then take one-two classes a semester next year and take AP Stat online. But I still need to make a college list so I know what GPA, extra curriculars, etc, I should aim for. If I graduate next year my first choice may be NYU depending on how my GPA increases but at 16 I don’t find it too smart to live in the city alone, even on campus.</p>
<p>NYU doesn’t really have a campus either, so attending NYU is a lot like living right in the city. It’s very safe–as long as you don’t walk around alone at night. It’s hard as an 18 year old to think about living independently for the first time, so it must be even harder for you. Have you thought about going somewhere close to home and commuting? You could transfer later. You should also look into duel enrollment at a local college or state university and then applying to colleges as a freshman in 2015.</p>
<p>I recently moved from Rhode Island to South Carolina but in both states I can’t really find any colleges that match me very well. In RI, I feel like I can do better than colleges such as Bryant or URI but then a college like Brown is a big reach. I was considering BU since it’s an hour away but not sure how good their pre-med program is, if they offer one. In SC, I live minutes away SCSU and Claflin which are VERY mediocre, and I also feel I can do better than Clemson which is not too far away. As for dual-credit courses, the local tech college offers them to my school so that is an option I am aware of and would definitely enroll in. Can you or anyone suggest some colleges to look into? 3 I’ve looked into are NYU, GWU, and Howard… Gotta check into BU.</p>
<p>Have you looked into Simon Rock’s Early College at Bard? It’s a college designed for students like you, who don’t have any more classes they can take at the high school leve, are ready for the autonomy of college, but in a controlled environment (for minors). All admitted freshmen are 16.</p>
<p>Thank you so much! I never even heard about it and it’s right in MA. Although the price is kind of hefty. I have a couple questions:
-Is this an actual college or high school that offers college credit for when you apply (transfer?) to college? Because you can’t go to college without a high school diploma and a college can’t accept certain age groups, and deny admissions to others…</p>
<p>It’s a special college for 15 and16 year olds. They only admit kids that age. It’s a real college so during your second year you can apply to all kinds of colleges and graduate with a degree at age 20. They have financial aid too. Contact them. You sound like the kind of applicants they’re looking for.</p>
<p>I’ll definitely look in to it. I’m in 11th grade at 15 so next year I’ll be 16 in the 12th, will I still be able to go next year even though I’m technically in 12th grade?
Also, I need an argument for my parents. They believe that you should go to a cheap state college to get rid of the basic curriculum classes then transfer to save money. I have a $5000 Life scholarship after graduation if I attend a school in SC which means if I go to SCSU (which is a terrible college-5 mins away) I will not have to pay 1 cent but I don’t see why I did all this advanced work in HS for a state college because when I transfer the college will only look at prior college grades. How can I convince them paying the $ for a good college is better than going to a free state college?</p>
<p>First email Simon rock to see if you could transfer this year. After all you are 15 and are in your ‘predicament’ because you used us all the classes offered at your school - although it sounds like they tried to turn it into a magnet.
I agree you can aim for a better school than the one next door. You obviously like challenges. Keep that college for your safety. Then look for private schools 500+ miles from home that meet need and/or needs merit.
But if you attend Simon Rock. you’ll be a college student - a freshman- so things will go differently when you graduate with your AS degree instead of a high school diploma. Many students them attend Bard which is a top ranked college - nothing like Scsu. There’s real value in the networking, the type of internships you can get, and the academic challenge with peers who are driven and well prepared. I’d advise you contact them Now and see if it’d be doable. Explain you’d apply for cc freshman spot because you’re 15 and you’ve almost exhausted the offerings at your high school. see if you could start this Spring. If not ask if you could apply as a freshman for fall 2014. Be very clear about needing financial aid, being from a small sc town, biracial. Are you also first generation or did your parents graduate from a four year college?</p>
<p>Appreciate it. I requested information and a call from a student from Thursday so I’ll wait until after that. Is there a application fee? And no, I’m not first gen. My mother graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree although my father did not even attend middle school. Not sure if my father’s predicament changes anything?</p>