Should I graduate High School early?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Ok, I want to graduate High School in 3 Years, I just entered Junior year. I have a few questions.</p>

<p>What do colleges (Such as MIT, Caltech, UC Berkeley, University of Illinois) think of early grads?
Is this a good schedule for early grad?
Is it a good idea to graduate early?
Should I do Senior Year? I've reached the end of all the course paths, it would mainly be for electives, clubs, and the social things (prom, etc)</p>

<p>These are the Requirements to graduate in my state:
6 Math Credits (3 Years)
8 English Credits (4 Years)
6 History Credits (3 Years)
6 Science Credits (3 Years)
6 Credits of World Language (3 Years)
1 Fine Art Credit
2 P.E Credits (2 Years)
1 Health Credit (1 Year)
6 Elective Credits
5 Directed Elective Credits (World Language counts in this, but you need 6 credits of World Language)</p>

<p>What I have done:</p>

<p>Before Freshman Year:
Summer P.E (1 Credit)
Honors Biology (2 Science Credits)
2 World Language Credits</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
AP World History (2 History Credits)
Honors Pre-Calculus (2 Math Credits)
Honors Chemistry (2 Science Credits)
Honors English, 9 (2 English Credits)
Journalism Newspaper (2 Elective Credits)
Spanish II (2 Directed Elective and 2 World Language credits)
Introduction to Engineering Design (2 Directed Elective Credits, also look up "Project Lead the Way")</p>

<p>Summer Before Sophomore Year:
Summer P.E (1 Credit)
350 Volunteer Hours
Spanish III (Community College, counts as 2 World Language Credits)</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
AP European History (2 History Credits)
AP Calc BC (2 Math Credits)
AP Physics B (2 Science Credits)
Honors English, 10 (2 English Credits)
HiLite Staff * (2 Elective Credits, I am an Editor on this staff, that is hard to become)
Photography (1 Fine Art Credit)
Principles of Engineering (2 Directed Elective Credit, Project Lead the Way)</p>

<p>Summer Before Junior Year:
Honors English 11 (2 English Credits)
200 Work Hours
300 Volunteer Hours</p>

<p>Junior Year:
AP US History (2 History Credits)
AP Multivariable Calculus (2 Math Credits)
AP Physics C (2 Science Credits)
Honors English 12 (2 English Credits)
HiLite Staff (2 Elective Credits, Still an Editor, but higher ranked)
Health (1 Health Credit)
Digital Electronics (2 Directed Elective Credit, Project Lead the Way)</p>

<p>Other:
2300 on SAT
34 ACT
School Senate in Sophomore Year and Junior Year
Nation Honors Society
Key Club
Model UN
TechHounds (Robotics Competition, we have done very well in past years)
Physics Olympiad
Science Olympiad
Academic Super Bowl</p>

<ul>
<li>HiLite is my School's newspaper, which is one of the US's most reputed high school newspapers</li>
</ul>

2

<p>It’s not a good idea to graduate early.</p>

3

<p>See my reply to your other post</p>

4

<p>I’m gonna sound like a creep, but why does your profile state that you’re 14 years old and why did you post your freshman schedule on the Rate My Schedule thread?</p>

5

<p>Don’t graduate early.</p>

6

<p>There is no AP multivariable calculus. Where did you get something like that? Anyway, you don’t have sufficient advanced science preparation for a technical school like MIT or CalTech. You definitely have the mathematical preparation, just not enough advanced biology/chemistry. For instance, I had the option of graduating a semester early but chose not to since I would miss the second semester of physics and calculus. It’s usually not a good idea to do so.</p>

7

<p>Swinter, You caught me :p. It’s actually a copy paste from a post (by me) on Yahoo Answers, most of the people there act like ******s some times if you say what you plan, so I had to pretend as if I already did them. Most of the things on here I know I can do and the scores I know I can get, but as of now, it is just a plan. </p>

<p>Ptontiger, Sorry typing the AP must have been a mistake. As I replied to Swinter, other than Freshman year, anything can be changed for Summers and Sophomore/Junior Year. Could You maybe recommend what to do to get those courses in if I wanted to graduate early?</p>

<p>Also, I don’t understand why it isn’t a good idea to graduate early? Even if I graduate early, I don’t necessarily need to go into College (MIT, CalTech, etc) afterwards. Are there like research programs that last 9 months or something I could do?</p>

8

<p>You could pick up a job or intern position but it is not advisable to have a break in your studies, especially if you want to go to a technical school. Math and science are subjects in which retainment is inefficient at best, given a year off from it. Here’s the question you want to ask yourself. Why do you want to graduate early?</p>

9

<p>When choosing between someone who went to school for three years versus four, most can guess the obvious choice.</p>

<p>You need 44 credits to graduate high school in New York - at least half of students do that after junior year but they don’t graduate early. It’s just not a good idea. You’re missing a year of education and a college will see it as taking a year vacation.</p>

10

<p>Let’s put it this way, even top-performing kids who have gone beyond in their academics and ECs, have trouble conveying their maturity, judgment and perspective to adcoms.
Kids who are accelerated in hs (eg, the 16 y.o. hs senior) are also checked for these attributes. You would need a better than darned-good reason to leave hs early and relevant high productivity in any interim. </p>

<p>Right now, you are looking at this from a hs perspective- “I could do it.” You need to step outside that and look at it as an adcom will. What you list here is very formulaic- typical CC take on what they should do. Very focused on hs courses, hs clubs and what too many high schoolers see as “achievements.” It doesn’t show you are some sort of prodigy who should be snapped up early. Ie, someone already making an impact. </p>

<p>Check back in a year.</p>

11

<p>@imscared6 I am on Yahoo answers :slight_smile: I’m always there, I’m on the leaderboard lol</p>

12

<p>On Yahoo Answers I used to be a top answerer for… I forgot. It was either religion, movies, or languages xD</p>

13

<p>I’m a top contributor on Yahoo Answers too lol. </p>

<p>If you decide not to graduate a year early you can join the party on the class of 2016 thread. If not we’ll accept you anyway.</p>

14

<p>Well, my thought was to go into college a year early. Since I have reached the ended of the course paths at my high school (or would have :p) I don’t want to waste an entire year doing electives and what not. I would rather go to college, and keep studying and learning.</p>

15

<p>Oh yay yahoo answers. My name is Librio and I’m #2 on the volleyball section if you wanna hit me up</p>

16

<p>Other than the fact it’s hilarious that you’ve planned this far ahead without thinking about schedule conflicts or the possibility of not becoming an editor of your school newspaper… How are you planning to take English during the summer? Summer school for juniors that failed the class? What makes you think you’re school is going to allow you to just skip ahead because you feel like it?</p>

17

<p>Why do you want to graduate early? It’s not like your family needs you to support them (financially, I’m assuming). Did you get held back a year? Or is it just for bragging rights? I know several people who graduated early and now they regret it. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t graduate early. I would build up AP credit so I can graduate early in college.</p>

18

<p>^In all reality, why graduate early from college? College will be the best four years of your life and when you’re old and sitting around reminiscing, you’ll want those memories to fall back upon. What’s the rush to get into the workforce anyway? College is fun!</p>

19

<p>Someone might want to graduate college early to save on cost. There’s no real reason to leave HS though</p>

20

<p>^Exactly what I was thinking! Besides, once you graduate from college, not everyone goes to work. Some go to graduate school. I guess it’s just a matter of opinion…</p>