Should I Graduate High School Early?

<p>As my school begins to schedule for next year, I've found myself struggling to decide whether or not I will graduate next year as a junior. I've thought about this possibility for quite some time, usually finding the path to early graduation most favorable; and although this choice may not be the wisest, I personally feel that it's best for me.</p>

<p>I plan on going to an out-of-state college, and my only fear regarding early graduation would be that I would be unable to get accepted into the college I want, or somehow I would regret my plans and choose to graduate on time, however unlikely that such an occurrence may be. Moreover, should I chose to take the classes needed to graduate early (hopefully with honors), I would be unable to pursue a full I.B. diploma. </p>

<p>Currently I'm doing relatively well in school, and I'm taking the most difficult classes possible. I have around a 3.6 or so G.P.A., and I'm well involved in my community and in extracurricular activities. Additionally, I scored around a 1700 on my PSAT.</p>

<p>First, can you afford the OOS school? You’ll need to talk to your parents about that. Second, will that level SAT help you get into your preferred school? It’s a little low for most of the schools usually discussed on CC. An additional year of schooling will usually help your SAT or ACT to go up.</p>

<p>For most of the juniors who want to skip senior year, “get into college and then worry about graduating” is probably the answer.</p>

<p>99–I left high school after my junior year for a variety of reasons. I went to a small high school in a small town with few opportunities (no APs and no honors classes), my EC was going to be discontinued at my school my senior year, and I had a college scholarship offer in my EC. My choice worked well for me, and I ultimately graduated from law school at U.Va. and practiced law. </p>

<p>Leaving high school early doesn’t make sense for everyone, though. Why would you want to do so? It sounds as though you have the opportunity to get a full IB diploma, so lack of opportunity at your high school can’t be the reason.</p>

<p>I agree with Erin’s Dad. While you might be admitted to college, it doesn’t seem as though you would be able to get lots of merit aid based on your current stats. Perhaps you could bring up both your grades and your standardized test scores with another year of school. </p>

<p>What do your parents think?</p>