<p>Hello CC,</p>
<p>I am a junior in high school, but most recently, I have been considering taking 11th grade again. No, I haven't failed any classes. In fact, I have a 3.95 cumulative GPA. However, I don't feel like I'll be ready to go to college in 2 summers. I am a year younger than my class, and I would enjoy graduating having taken all classes offered.</p>
<p>How would this look in the college admissions office? Would I be crossed out automatically for repeating a grade?</p>
<p>Let me know what arguments you have that are for or against this proposition.</p>
<p>Repeating a class except for the most serious of academic issues is unwise, both socially and academically. If you feel unready for college when you graduate, take a gap year. Some colleges will allow you to do that and enter a year late. There are many gap year programs available, and you can always create your own.</p>
<p>Got it. I won’t do it. I was just curious.</p>
<p>While I understand where you’re coming from (skipping a grade is often detrimental in the long run even if the kid is academically successful, as I know firsthand from my older sister’s experience), for college admissions this would not be a good idea, unfortunately. A gap year is a better idea, but you’d have to do something quite meaningful in that year rather than just sitting at home having fun or even studying.</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore in college and a year to two years younger than my class, and I think it’s not as worth it as you think it is to spend time taking more classes in high school. If you graduate a year early and take a gap year, you can take challenging college classes instead. Or you can “cash in” the extra year later and take a year off after college-- who knows?</p>
<p>And, all things considered, you will be a very different person two years from now. Maybe at that point you’ll decide to take a gap year, which is fine, or maybe you’ll even be ready to go off to college. :)</p>