i’m stressed because, i’ve been looking at a bunch of summer programs and everything that is involved with my interests (research intensives, medical programs, NIH involved) requires that you be 16. even others that allow you to be 15 say you must turn 15 by june 30th, i’ll only be 15 in late july. this wouldn’t be a problem if i wasn’t going into my junior year. even next year, i won’t be 16 until july 23rd, which is too late for most NIH programs. i’m so stressed because people that are a NORMAL age and didn’t skip a grade have so many more opportunities and if you look at the programs i participate it in, it will be so much more limited because of my age. i don’t know what to dooooo argh
It’s not going to change the rules by your worrying about them. You can’t have those internships/jobs. You also can’t have a driver’s license early, you can’t drink alcohol early, you can’t sign your own contracts early just because you skipped a grade. There are often threads on CC about how it doesn’t matter if you skip grades or start college at 15. Well, sometimes it DOES matter.
My daughter started college at 17 and couldn’t apply for or receive several government scholarship programs (DOD, other research labs) because one has to be 18. Unfair, but nothing she could do about it.
Somewhere along the way someone, parents or teachers most likely, thought it would benefit you to be accelerated in school. Now you are young for grade and programs. It’s one of the side effects of acceleration and one of the reasons some parents opt to leave their brilliant kids with same aged peers. I am sure, however, that this choice came with benefits to you along the way.
You don’t have to attend one of these national programs to be successful. You can try for one between junior and senior year when you will be old enough. If there is a college near where you live, some professor might take you on as a summer volunteer in their lab. There are lots of summer activities where you don’t have to be 15, like music camp, computer camp, etc. Then there’s just doing stuff to earn money to save for college; babysitting, dog walking, lawn mowing, etc.
Seriously, your life is not over because you are younger than everyone else in your grade. You just might have to be creative.
thanks for your response. where does your daughter go to school, if you don’t mind my asking
I also skipped a grade and graduated high school at 17. I couldn’t drink my first year in college (stone ages with an 18-year-old drinking age).
I graduated college at 19. I was in grad school, working as a grad ass and grading the papers of kids three and four years older than me. I was precocious as hell and it got pretty annoying to be around me, I’m sure.
I don’t think it did me any good, either. I was immature well into my 30s and got a lot wrong about my life.
You can volunteer at any age. You can work with many clubs and community groups. Maybe a gap year is an option. I would NOT suggest continuing to accelerate. I hate all that I missed and it took me a very long time to realize it.
You could stay in high school longer and do more DE.
I have the same birthday!
As an accelerated student, you are doing more than kids your age normally do in school. Being able to work in an NIH lab would just have been icing on the cake. Appreciate that you still have the cake.
You don’t have to attend a fancy summer program to get into college. Spend the summer working at a job (it looks great on college applications and you get money!), doing independent study (lots of online classes and MOOCs are available, MIT OCW, buy some books on Amazon), or work on an informal learning experience such as creating a science fair or contest entry.
It. Will. Be. Okay.