graduating high school a semestery early? help?

<p>hi everyone! Hope your winter break is going well!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!</p>

<p>I was skimming the planbook we have @ our high school and I came across 'Early Graduation'. Now I'm really interested in it, because I would do anything to get out of high school early and do something more productive. I would be graduating a semester early in my senior year (I am currently a junior). What I need to graduate is one more year of english and one more year of history (Gov and econ). Before I came across this, I was planning on taking Gov. and Econ. online over summer through Indiana University HS just because I want to get it over with.</p>

<p>This is my schedule now (AP sciences are 2 period long)
English 11 H
AP Chem
Span. 4 H
Orchestra!!!
Lunch
AP Bio
Pre-Calc H</p>

<p>As a senior this is what I was planning on my schedule:
AP Physics
AP Calc
AP Span 5
AP Lang
Lunch
Orchestra
(empty-idk what course yet)
(Empty-idk what course yet)</p>

<p>I have a 4.33 GPA right now, by the end of this year I will have taken 5 science courses, 4 Spanish courses, 4 math courses, 3 english courses, and 2 history courses.</p>

<p>I have no idea if collegeboard allows people to take AP tests after the student graduates, because these courses could give significant college credit. I don't know if colleges would accept these as credit if the student passes well after they graduate because these tests happen well into the 2nd semester after graduating. I was hoping if they did allow this, I could take AP Lang over the summer as well and pass it, and take the test when I needed to.</p>

<p>I really don't care about the social parts of high school because I do not have a social life. I spent this winter break working, studying, reading, playing some video games, and sleeping a lot. I don't have many friends at all, maybe one or two, but they're too busy for anything. I have never been to a dance so i really could care less about prom.</p>

<p>In college I'm really interested in majoring in Biology and going off from there. I am extremely passionate about birds so I would love to study them or do something with them in my future. I work at the library and I come across a BUNCH of really cool topics I didn't even know existed and I want to learn about them allll.</p>

<p>IF I decide to do this, would entering a large university in the spring semester or fall semester be best? We are a family trying to save money and CC courses after graduation would result in us having to spend money. I don't want to graduate just to sit around the house and do nothing, I really want to learn things just for the sake of learning. It's fun and it can never hurt. If I did graduate a semester early</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something, but I was wondering what the rest of you think. Should i talk to my counselor about it? Do you think it's a good idea to do this (ignoring all social aspects of it)?</p>

<p>if I did this I might use the extra semester to either study for the AP tests <em>if I can still take them for credit</em>, study just for my own sake, do volunteer work in some cool places (most likely in state..gotta love parents). That following summer I could do an internship at a local hospital that allows high school graduates to intern before entering their first year of college.</p>

<p>Also, I'm looking at applying to: Stanford, Berkeley, Ohio State, U of Mich., Mich. State, Miami University in Ohio</p>

<p>Enjoy your time in high school - don’t rush it. Also, try to get as much college credit as possible in high school to save money and to make college less stressful.</p>

<p>^
This.</p>

<p>If you decide to do it, take the semester off and matriculate in the fall with everyone else. You’ll probably be happiest in college if you do this.</p>

<p>However, I would not recommend graduating a semester early. I’m not sure about the APs, but if you take them while you’re still in school you’ll probably be in a better mental state to take them, and you can fit in some more AP classes in that last semester.</p>