Graduating Early???

Applying to College
1

Hello,
I am currently a junior, but have enough credits to graduate this year. I have a projected 3.83 gpa and will have a total of 23 credits at the end of the school year. (I took advanced high school level classes in 8th grade). Here is what I will have completed by the end of this school year:

English- 4 years
Math- Algebra I&II, geometry, and PreCalculus
Science- Biology, Chemistry, A&P, and Physics
Social Studies- World Geography, World History, American History, US Government, Economics
Foreign language- Spanish I and ASL I&II (American sign language counts as a foreign language in my state)
+Electives

I have been involved in a choral group for 2 years, but that is the extent of my ECs. (I know it’s pitiful, but circumstances have prevented me from participating in more.)

My problem is that I am not sure whether or not to graduate this year or hold off and graduate with my class. I have really wanted to graduate early because I do not feel challenged with any of the high school level classes I am able to take. But if I do, I would lose a lot of opportunities as opposed to waiting.

If I graduate this year, I would just apply to rolling-admission policy schools after I take the SAT/ACT in March/April. But in doing so, I would lose scholarship opportunities that I would have if I wait (I am aiming for AT LEAST a 30 on the ACT which would result in full tuition scholarships at the schools I’m considering. But of course, many scholarship deadlines are in the fall…)

My question is… should I wait and build up my applications with more ECs and classes to get better scholarships? Or should I graduate this year to get a head start on college? And if I do graduate a year early, will colleges look down upon it?

Thanks in advance for any insight!!

Note: My parents are allowing me to graduate this year if that is what I choose, and I would be able to because my school will allow me.

2

No. It is too late to apply most colleges anyway. It is usually not a good idea to graduate early. Try to do DE or take other classes. You have not even deplete what your HS offers.

3

Wait. If you have spare time, study hard for the SAT or ACT. The nettervyour scores, the more opportunities you will have.

4

Yes, you’re too late if you want to enroll for fall.

And honestly, people applying to competitive programs are a year older and have had a year more to build an impressive application. An early graduate will almost always have an uphill battle for competitive programs. It’s not fun to be the youngest in your peer group in college anyway - there are some real challenges to that. You will have many more doors open to you in another year. Go look at some of the chance me kids stats and classes under schools you are interested in. Even if you aren’t interested in highly competitive schools, your merit options will be better in a year too.

You should consider dual enrolling next year and getting some college credits and/or AP under your belt. Take calc for sure.

5

It is perfectly fine for you to graduate now, and take a gap year. Apply for admission for fall 2019.

Don’t take any classes for college credit during that time off. Get some job experience, do volunteer stuff (if you like politics at all, you could easily spend half the year working on a political campaign for a senator, representative, or state office-holder), re-take the ACT/SAT, work up a good college application list, and generally de-tox from academics for a while.

6

I agree. Wait until fall, and see work to get a higher ACT score.

7

Agree, I would stay in HS.

  1. You have missed the application deadline for most colleges to start in the fall.
  2. Taking courses like calculus, a third year of ASL and some AP or dual enrollment classes will strengthen your application.
  3. You can work on improving your ACT or try the SAT.
  4. There is time to get more involved in your school and/or community to bolster your ECs.
  5. You will be more mature when you start college.