<p>So I am 16 years old and a rising sophomore, I am interested in graduating early and my parent's also agree I should. During my freshman year I took; French II, Advanced Orchestra, Pre AP Language Arts 9, Pre AP Geometry, PE 9, Pre AP World History, and Pre AP Biology. This Autumn I am taking AP European History, Advanced Orchestra, Pre AP Language Arts 10, Pre AP French III, Algebra II, Advanced Earth Science, and Pre AP Chemistry. So by the time I am a senior I will most likely only need one class to fulfill my graduation requirements, which I can easily do as an online class. I am currently in Model United Nations and am the treasurer of Orchestra Club. I know that I should just enjoy my senior year and the events that come with it but I couldn't care less. When it comes to graduating early I know that there is a level of maturity when it comes to graduating early however, I feel like I am ready for college and the responsibilities that come with college. When I do get into college, I do not plan on wasting my study time on partying and hanging out with friends because I know my top priority is my education. The only problem is when I was looking for policies for early graduation in Virginia I could not find any. The closest thing to it was the Early Scholars Program which lets you get ahead in college while in High School. So is there still a way to graduate early in Virginia or should I just give up on the entire idea.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would opt for the early scholars program. There is nothing wrong with graduating early, however there are two things you will miss out on. First of all senior year is an extra year of free schooling. I don’t know much about the ESP, but they probably offer scholarships and you are very high-achieving. Second, senior year is most definitely the time to secure more leadership positions and experience, to fully thrive per say. You are obviously ambitious so I would definitely use the ESP to challenge yourself since a challenge is what you are looking for. And it will be easier for you to secure leadership positions which is very good on your application. In the end, it all comes down on what you want to do. Students who graduate early usually do so to join the army, save on
college tutition, to enter a certain program early, or to be employed. However, I have seen students graduate early to get a head start on studying medicine. Check out these two sisters on YouTube, SabsBeauty and Makeupbyal, who are graduating early to pursue medicine. You may not want to pursue medicine, but their experience could give you more perspective.</p>
<p>Are you taking pre calculus or AP calculus junior year? I would strongly suggest taking some sort of calculus before going to college.</p>
<p>I also finished my high school graduation requirements by the end of my junior year, and I considered graduating early for awhile until I learned that my school has a board policy that doesn’t allow it.
So I’m not graduating until the normal age, but instead of taking classes at my high school during my senior year, I’m taking all my classes at a local-ish university. In my state these classes are free, but depending on where you live they might just cost less than regular college classes.
I think dual enrollment is a far better option than graduating early because it gives you more time to prepare for admissions to a better college.</p>
<p>I was two credits away from graduating this past year (junior year), and have been aware of this for quite some time. I decided to not go after those last two credits simply because I decided it was not worth it. The college application process is stressful, not something I would want to begin any earlier then necessary and there are lots of experiences that are unique to senior year. I know I am most excited for senior year because of the classes I am going to be taking and because of my various roles in activities that I have been working towards (editor of yearbook, president of clubs). It is up to you, but think of both the stress you will go through and the experiences you will miss out on.</p>