Graduating Early

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Hi everyone,
I am a senior and I might have the option to graduate a semester early. This is a very attractive option for me because actually walking across the stage doesn’t mean that much to me and I would like to get a head start on my college career. I already have 6 credits from taking summer classes at local colleges, and if I were to graduate early I figure I would take online courses somewhere in the spring, go to University at Albany (I live nearby and could take a bus) in the summer, and still have time to work at my job at a daycare. My only problem with all of this is that I already submitted applications for my schools and if I were to graduate early and do all these classes I would be considered a transfer student. Does anybody have any tips for this? I wouldn’t mind going to Ualbany at all I just wanted to see my aid packages first from other places because I have a possibility (based off of the net price calculator) of getting full rides at 2 schools. I’d really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

2

Your best bet is to call the schools your applying to and ask them if graduating early then taking more classes before officially matriculating will affect financial aid. In some cases it could be a big difference. Also see if they will accept the classes your thinking of taking since that can vary from school to school as well.

3

Actually, you don’t even need to phone to see if they would count it as a transfer: just look at their websites, on the transfer page. It will specify how many credits taken post-HS puts you in the transfer column. What might be less clear, though, is whether they would offer you the same FinAid package as a transfer student as they would a first time student. In general, the answer to that question is no, but that’s not a given.

Chase up the info on the specific schools you are interested in, but be ready with a plan B.

4

Things to consider:

  1. You are competing with other students for admission who have had an extra semester of classes, leadership, ECs.
  2. If you graduate in December, that means you won’t be able to take any AP classes and take the test to possibly get college credit
  3. You have to be very careful to not take courses such that you become a transfer student…you are not eligible for freshman scholarships/financial aid/full rides
  4. If you want to take college classes, why not take them through dual enrollment in HS? Then you don’t have to worry about paying for them or transfer issues and you get that head start.
  5. You will not be on the regular applications schedule and it will be more difficult to work with your GC /teachers for recommendations

So in general, I would not recommend this at all. There is no real upside.