<p>So, I found out a little over a week ago that my school is going to let me graduate a year early by taking my planned junior classes, recieving a certificate of attendence, and depending on what my college says taking my last english credit next summer, during freshman year, or the summer after. My PSAT scores are CR-720 M-520 W-620 and I am taking an SAT prep class so i can take the june SAT. The only subject test I've taken so far is in Biology-E and I got a 700. My college list is: American University, College of William and Mary, Macalester (ED), Northwestern, Ohio University, and University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I guess I just need advice on how to combine my junior and senior year!</p>
<p>I just have one question: Why? Why do you want to graduate a year early? Is there any particular reason? I mean, and this is not meant offensively, but you don’t have a 2400 on the SATs, and I’m assuming your grades are good but not ridiculous. I honestly think you should just enjoy your high school years; I have an increasing feeling that you will wish you had stayed for your senior year. I have a friend who skipped eighth grade, and she even regrets that. You miss out on so much! As goood as your college app may be now, think of how much better it could be after two more years? I technically could have tried to graduate this year, as I have exhausted all of my schools math and science courses, but I didn’t because I wanted to enjoy my senior year.
If you really are deadset on this though, try to do a few things. Treat junior year like your senior year; take courses in subjects that you like, especially electives. If you aren’t already going to be in it, try to take Calc (preferably AP). Also, try to take an AP science and an AP English if possible. Just do your best and really get those SATs up.</p>
<p>^total agreement</p>
<p>take a gap year abroad or something, but make a use of that fourth year. don’t just jump ahead. unless you are clearly head and shoulders above, with a perfect SAT and 4.0 and intel and USAMO and all of that, some kind of child prodigy, it just isn’t worth it and you should show colleges your capacity to cope well with four tough years, not just get all of the basic requirements done in three years. i could’ve done that, and i chose not to. i don’t think i was quite ready for college at the end of my junior year.</p>
<p>I completely agree. There are plenty of interesting things you could learn in your senior year. College life is challenging and requires maturity. I’m not saying you aren’t mature, but this could give you the edge. Besides, you didn’t apply and you aren’t going to college in the fall, right? So what is it you’re going to do for a whole year? Hang around the house? I don’t understand this whole situation, but I do think that if nothing else, you could gain a tremendous amount of enrichment by taking courses that interest you next year in school.</p>
<p>I may be wrong, but if I had to guess I would say macademy is a sophomore. I think he/she is asking what to do during his/her junior year.</p>
<p>You wouldn’t really be graduating early; you would be receiving a certificate of attendance, and probably not obtaining your high school diploma until the end of your freshman year of college. It is done infrequently but it is not uncommon. A lot of universities have what is called “early admissions” for exceptional juniors who apply and spend their senior year as a freshman at the university.</p>
<p>Like everyone else, I’m not really sure what your rush is to get out of high school – it is only one more year, and there is so much you can do during the next year to improve your chances to get into your dream schools. You have more time to retake the SAT. You have more time to take Subject Tests. More AP classes, more time in your dedicated ECs.</p>
<p>In any event, though, if you are already set on it the best person who can give you advice about how to combine the years (academically speaking) is your guidance counselor.</p>
<p>Beyond setting yourself up for your target colleges, senior year is a huge year – both socially and developmentally. Getting educational requirements out of the way early only helps you discover yourself in 12th grade. Many (especially cc) kids have the requirements to graduate early, although most schools put 10-12 unit requirements in so that rarely happens.</p>
<p>Most of us old folk would love to live 12th grade again.</p>
<p>Have you considered being an exchange student?</p>
<p>Hey everyone, when you say graduating early is bad, does it count if you are graduating early solely for the purpose of being an exchange student during what would have been senior year? I mean all of you are saying you will mature/learn/experience so much during senior year, but that’s nothing compared to how much you will mature, learn, and experience as an exchange student. Will that really be detrimental to graduate early and then be an exchange student (high schooler in a different country)?</p>
<p>Actually, being an exchange student sounds kind of great, if it’s possible to do that.</p>
<p>Interesting thread…Our d spent the first semester of jr year in france. Returned fluent in the language and the culture. After being home for three months or so she realized that she had to graduate early for her sanity. She is now planning on spending her “senior” year in another foreign country and hopes to be trilingual by college. She’s not your average student and clearly marches to the beat of her own drummer. I’m guessing she do well in the admissions game, but then again who knows.</p>
<p>I am a sophmore this year, and I’m graduating a year early because my father got a job in Minnesota, but my mom has to stay in Ohio with me while I finish high school.</p>