<p>Usually I just read through the threads on here, but now I actually have a question.</p>
<p>I should start off by saying that I'm currently a junior in high school and am interested in going to college for some sort of engineering. My main interests are mechanical, chemical, and biomedical for right now. SDSU and UCSD are the nearby colleges that im looking at, but i wouldnt say im dead set on anything. </p>
<p>U/W GPA 10-12 4.00
SAT: 730/720/620
ACT: 27/31/28/30 (hopefully gonna do much better in june when i retake)</p>
<p>My question ultimately boils down to how it will affect my admissions chances if I end up not taking any AP classes during high school. Without getting into a long explanation, If i decide to not take AP government and econ next year like im currently planning to do, I will be able to graduate high school in december of 2013 rather than june 2014.</p>
<p>I am currently enrolled in calculus 1 at my local community college, and will go on to take 2 and 3 as well as I've had a relatively easy time maintaining an A in the class. These dual enrollment credits are also part of the reason i would be able to graduate ahead of time. I originally chose to take calculus 1-3 at a community college though hoping that colleges will look at it similarly to AP calc BC. However, I'm not too sure how it will be viewed.</p>
<p>My second question then stems from the first but is a little more subjective. I just want to hear some opinions on graduating early and if its worth it or not. There could also be another side to the situation that I'm not seeing so any other perspective is welcome.</p>
<p>early graduation has been discussed several times here. Do a search. </p>
<p>Generally, it doesn’t do anything to enhance ones’ chances. Each states’ minimum grad requirements are pretty low. Top colleges will understand if you’ve literally exhausted all your school has to offer. But if I were you, I’d stay, take AP Govt and AP Econ and enjoy your time with other meaningful classes. I assume these exist. Knock out As in all of them to give breadth to your GPA/Transcript. Also you’ll have time to get great rec letters and apply to colleges alongside your mates.</p>
<p>I agree that taking AP Calc may be a time waster – but you might want to take the exam – that’s an option.</p>
<p>What you’ve described is not unique. Graduating early isn’t a PLUS.</p>
<p>I graduated a year and a half early. With no AP’s and only one honors course. I was accepted into three of four colleges I applied to including UCDavis: </p>
<p>Everyone says that colleges don’t like it. I don’t see this as true. If you make good grades, good extra curricular, and take advanced courses then it doesn’t really matter to colleges if you graduated a semester early. In my opinion that is. I don’t believe colleges see this as a weakness. </p>
<p>Talk with the colleges you are going to apply to and see what they recommend, talk with your guidance counsellor as well.</p>
<p>I didn’t claim to be unique. I’m asking about this because I wanted to know if it would negatively impact admissions, not because I believe colleges will look favorably upon me for getting it over with a semester early.
Also the only meaningful courses left I must take are Senior English and the college prep version of AP govt/econ that my school offers.</p>
<p>@fostergirl</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply, it’s good to know that it is apparently not a negative.</p>
<p>Depending on how much aid colleges are willing to offer me I will definitely need to work a part time job to support the cost of attending and I was thinking that using the extra semester to work will help me save up some money.</p>
<p>I graduated a year early from high school (and from college) and I would absolutely encourage it, if your mental aptitude is heading that way. I did a gap year between high school and college though, so my gap year acted as my senior year. In this year, I took 27 credits at a community college and worked on getting some of my gen ed reqs out of the way (english, math, spanish, history, etc). All of these credits transferred to my undergraduate institution, which allowed me to graduate early from there, and now I am headed to Medical School. </p>
<p>In high school, I had a 4.0 GPA, took no AP classes (only honors because my school didn’t offer APs), and had a 29 on the ACT. I was accepted into all 13 of the schools I applied to, so I don’t think you will have a problem.</p>
<p>I would also add that my brother is in college right now for engineering and also graduated a year early. He applied to 8 schools I believe and was offered full tuition scholarship at 5 of them, I think. All this to say, I don’t think graduating early will hurt you at all.</p>