<p>The link you provided showed that the number of students taking any of the 18 credit options has dropped considerably over the years, even though the data is now 5 years old. That’s probably a sign that the 18 credit option is not the best for the vast majority of students. There are a few cases where I could see it being worthwhile, but for most kids, taking the standard length course is probably the best option, not to mention the additional year of maturity they’ll gain and that most of them need, particularly boys.</p>