<p>I'm in tenth grade now but I want to graduate early next year. I think I have legitimate reasons ,but I want to make sure I am graduating early for the right reasons and get cc feedback. I go to a very small school(less than 800). I want to graduate because of the immaturity and drama in highschool and because I think its also just overrated. Next year I will be taken all of the available courses my highschool offers meaning I wont have any more AP courses left because it only offers 4. I can't join academic teams because we dont have them besides model UN but I'm more into science. Can anyone tell me if these sound like good reasons to graduate early?</p>
<p>If you want to get into a top school, then don’t. Instead of escaping drama/immaturity by moving you should avoid those people and their situations. Believe it or not there’s still drama and immaturity in college, at least in some circles.</p>
<p>Anyway, I’ve had a few friends graduate early and go to our state flagship with no issues. But then again Texas makes this extremely easy with their 9% rule.</p>
<p>If you graduate early you have one fewer year to build your credentials. There are still things you can do to build your resume, like research or college classes. Unless you’re truly competitive for your dream school by the end of this year, I’d recommend against it.</p>
<p>I graduated early and don’t regret it, but that being said, I got into Caltech. If I hadn’t I probably would have stayed another year and taken real analysis or something.</p>
<p>TheJuanSoto- Whats the 9% rule?
fizix2- Can I ask why you graduated early? These is no where to do research where I live and I have the chance to take college classes next year instead of AP’s which is better then AP or college classes?</p>
<p>please help!</p>
<p>1) I ran out of math and science classes at my high school and had already taken a few at my local college. I also felt that my app was as strong as a graduating senior’s; if it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have applied early.</p>
<p>2) If you have the financial means to rent an apartment next to a top school, I’d suggest doing research there for a summer. I did research at Caltech the summer after 10th grade (despite being from the East Coast) and I think it really helped my application and future career. You might want to consider Caltech specifically since most undergrads do research there and professors may be more likely to take on high school students. There’s also research summer programs you can apply for (such as RSI), but I think it’s harder to get into those than to get a professor to take you on.</p>
<p>3) Probably AP, you’ll be with smarter kids. But don’t quote me on that.</p>
<p>^@fizix2: What is RSI? Oh, and, did you graduate high school in 10th grade?</p>
<p>11th</p>
<p>[Research</a> Science Institute](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_Science_Institute]Research”>Research Science Institute - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Also <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/summer-programs/343495-summer-programs-look-good-college-applications.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/summer-programs/343495-summer-programs-look-good-college-applications.html</a></p>
<p>@fizix2: Thanks for the link!!!</p>
<p>No problem,</p>
<p>I do have the option to take college at the local cc my senior yr but wouldnt it just make sense to graduate early?</p>
<p>I think you have excellent reasons to graduate early. Staying on at high school when you are not challenged, just leaves you open to boredom and disillusionment. If you are "done " with high school, then get out of there. The question is, what do you plan to do next? If you plan to go to your state flagship, then definately apply and, if you can get in, go. If you can’t get in, then start at cc and transfer. You could theoretically improve your credentials, but if there are no advanced classes or extracurriculars to be involved in, it isn’t going to help, is it?</p>
<p>Many people on CollegeConfidential assume that everyone is trying to get into an Ivy League, a top tier Uni or a top LAC. That isn’t the case, most students go to public colleges. Don’t hang around high school because somebody else thinks you would have better chances getting into a top tier school, if that isn’t your plan anyway.</p>
<p>^^Depends on where you want to go to college. At top-tier schools it is common to have taken college courses while still in high school. But if you would like to graduate early, then by all means do so.</p>
<p>What about graduating early, going for a School Year Abroad and/or a gap year? </p>
<p>And the 9% rule, in Texas, means that if you graduate in the top 9% if your high school class, you’re guaranteed a spot at U of Texas. (There are other details involved, but that’s basically it.)</p>
<p>I graduated two years early because I had the option and I was already taking many classes at community college. My plan was (and still is) to go to community college for two years and then transfer to a state school. </p>
<p>I would definitely recommend it to you. It’s sounds like you’re ready for it. A lot of people, like someone mentioned earlier, will tell you to stick it out and then try and get into a better college, blah, blah. If you’re looking to get into an Ivy, then yes, I think you should stick out. But, if not, just graduate. High school is so superficial and it wears you out. There is some drama in college but it’s not anywhere near the extent of high school and college is far less superficial. College students are also far less judgmental than high school students in my opinion and I like it much better. </p>
<p>Good luck! :)</p>