@TheBigChef Self studied all of them. 5: Micro, Macro, Us gov and politics, comparative government and politics, 4: human geography, psychology, us history
Colleges are not impressed by self-studied AP exams. There’s no harm in it, but they would far rather see grades for those classes.
A couple of self studied AP exams, especially if a student clearly shows related interest or plans to major in that subject, are not necessarily negative, especially if a student attends a school where that class isn’t offered.
Most college seniors don’t hang out with freshmen.
I have been 18. I have been 16. I have been 22. As has everyone else who has responded to your questions here. We all know the changes in maturity, brain development, socialization skills, ability to accept constructive criticism, the ability to process good advice that conflicts with our desires, and many other things. On the other hand, you have not been 22, or 18, or even 16 yet. You don’t really know what changes you will undergo.
As someone who started college at 17 myself, I can tell you I was very immature, naive, and socially illiterate compared to college freshmen who were 19 years old. Not immature in an academic sense, but in most every other way.
Trust us when we tell you that you will benefit from waiting at least a year beyond your plans before starting college. Of course this is your life, and you and your parents make the final decision. You can choose to ignore the advice of everyone who has taken the time to assist you in this thread, and you can proceed with your plans to enroll immediately.
BTW, one thing students can miss out on by being home schooled is having others (teachers and classmates) offer a different understanding of the assignments. Students can score an A on a test, but misunderstand nuances in the text. In a classroom, questions raised by other students (or ideas brought up by an instructor) can lead to greater understanding by you. Being exposed to different opinions is part of the overall process. I home school one of my children currently, and that is the second most important thing always in my mind.
You might have been able to read texts and pass 4 years of tests in a single year, but you have not enjoyed the depth of understanding that comes with the entire experience. Compressing 4 years of learning into 1 year can only lead to a higher chance of not being introduced to different opinions of all the texts (mentioned in the preceding paragraph.)
What if I did a year at a state U then tried to transfer to an elite college?
It’s not hard that I finished HS in 1 year. Much of the time in conventional school is wasted on useless things like behavior management, administrative things, teacher has to explain more in depth because people don’t get it. It’s easy to see why I graduated in a year when you realize all the time wasted in school.
The age difference thing can be subtle. It may not be that people reject you in any overt way, but they may be less likely to hang out with someone who can’t drive at night or drive other people as a freshman, can’t go to a bar legally until the spring of senior year, can’t legally have sex, and is just missing out on some of their life experiences.
As a homeschooler you have fewer people to attest to your emotional maturity, an issue that will cause some schools to pause before admitting you.
What are you doing currently? Are you taking classes? Doing something else?
I would suggest maybe attending a prep school for a year, if one will accept you for a senior year or +1 year. You might be able to take a year’s worth of AP classes that will stimulate you mentally. Meanwhile, you get to adjust to being in a social environment with peers your age.
Then if you do well, apply to colleges when you’re 16 to enroll when you are 17.
You asked a question, and got a nearly unanimous answer: tippy top colleges do not value speed and ambition nearly as highly as they do other qualities.
You then refused to accept and argued against the answer. In that you failed your first college readiness quiz, as colleges want people who are willing to explore new and different view points outside their own way of thinking AND they value students who are open to self improvement and personal growth. You may be open to that, sure, but only if it is business-related.
Perhaps you should go back and join that debate team, not for the speaking skills, but for the research skills that must carefully be learned beforehand to best prepare for the debate. Then you would know how to find out what your target colleges really want in an applicant. And perhaps that knitting club might have taught you some of the patience -and even some of the interpersonal skills - both of which will be extraordinarily useful, both while in college AND in the business world.
@Sue22 I am dual enrolled currently at a local college
So that helps in some ways, but it raises another question. Have you already graduated from high school? If so, you may run into the issue of having too many post-HS credits, meaning that you may have to apply as a transfer to some schools.
Or have you finished all requirements for graduation but are taking a second year of advanced classes before you officially graduate?
I don’t want to turn this into a chance me thread but what about a school thats not quite top 20 or 30 like Boston University or Fordham. My stats are well above the average for there but I am wondering will they reject me for the reasons everyone has said.
@Sue22 I’m taking more classes before I officially graduate
Mathematically, of course. I am not referring to a calculation of age but more to the specifics raised by @Sue22 in post 46. Legally being an adult and all of the rights/privileges that go along with that are important and create an invisible barrier.
Your AP self study courses are very one dimensional. Any advanced english, science, or math courses?
Have you taken bio, chem, physics and one of those AP?
What is the highest level of math you have completed?
Highest level of foreign language?
Have you taken SAT II subject tests?
Meeting your state’s HS graduation requirements is not enough to be competitive for an elite school. They are looking far above that minimum.
A friend’s child graduated from private college prep school at 16 having skipped grades twice. She was accepted into a top 10 LAC on the condition that she take a gap year. Her academics were there but I think they really didn’t want a 16 year old in the dorms. She’s now about halfway through at that LAC. Lots of fascinating things you could do during a gap year, as discussed above.
@helpingmom40 Well first of all, I am christian so I don’t believe in sex before marriage. But anyway, the age of consent in most states I would be going is 16. As for driving a car, I really am only interested in urban or suburban campuses connected to mass transit like in NYC and Boston. I wouldn’t want to go to Cornell or Dartmouth because of their horrible location (IMO). I don’t have any interest in bars or clubs.
What’s the rush anyway?
Believe me, you shouldn’t be in a hurry to become a bill-paying adult. Every person here would probably give their right eye to be a kid again. Enjoy being young. It’s a very short time of your life.
I don’t think you’re getting it. It’s not about sexual activity. Have you thought about what would happen if you are several hours away from home and need medical treatment that you legally can’t get on your own? Again, schools have to assume a certain level of liability for you to be on campus and some schools may not be willing to do that regardless of how many AP tests you take. Just throwing out names of other schools only illustrates what many here have taken issue with - a certain level of immaturity and lack of knowledge of what schools are looking for. Just because you want it, doesn’t make it so.
@helpingmom40 Because I stated names of schools I am immature and have little knowledge. I dont quite know how you get to that just by me stating names of other schools.