<p>I’d be on track to graduate a year early from a “selective university” were I not planning on studying abroad. The biggest thing to look for is the AP/community college credit policy of the institution. Some schools severely cap the number of AP and community college credits a freshman can come in with, while others have a more generous policy (Emory has one of the most generous policies of the highly ranked national universities, but someone looking at MIT usually doesn’t consider Emory).</p>
<p>Additionally, look at how easy it is to overload on credits once at the university. While there’s good reason to cap the number of credits a freshman can take, many universities gladly grant permission for someone to take more than the recommended number of credits each semester.</p>
<p>Finally, check out the school’s policy regarding summer school credits. Do they cap the credits you can take in summer school, or are they more generous with them?</p>
<p>Note; if you’re in a sequential major like engineering, or doing something like pre-med, graduating in three years probably isn’t going to happen no matter how generous the school is with AP credits or summer school classes.</p>