<p>I know there have been a lot of different threads about people starting college early, but there haven't really been any that I can relate to my particular situation. I'm 16 (hs junior) with a September birthday and my plans for this fall are really up in the air right now. I've been taking dual enrollment college courses (both online and on campus) for a few years now, and I have about 60 credits. I feel for the most part that I fit in at my cpllege classes, and I have made friends, but the fact remains that I'm a good 3-4 years younger than the sophomores that I'm in class with. The university that I'm at is a small, friendly Christian school that my parents wouldn't have a problem with me living at this young. They admit on a rolling basis and I'm already in their system, so it's late but not TOO late to apply for this fall. I would just continue doing dual enrollment as a senior there this fall, but they only let me take two classes and I feel like I'm more than ready for a full load. My main concern is that I will feel lonely there, like I'm "accepted" socially but I don't really "belong." Does anyone have any experience with being in this position? Any freshmen with friends as young as I am? Obviously this isn't enough information to really know my situation, but would I regret it??
Thanks for your time yall!</p>
<p>Hi there, I lived abroad by myself when I was 14 and I’m now headed for college (turned 17 some days ago.)
If you are mature, there is absolutely no reason why you should not start college.
I don’t think you will regret it 
Why should you?
However, most universities don’t accept students anymore do they?
If you want to attend a Christian college, Wheaton in Illinois is the best one.<br>
Good luck! </p>
<p>Are you male or female? While perhaps it shouldn’t, I think that matters in this situation.</p>
<p>Wow thanks for the quick replies! I’m a female… What difference do you think that might make?</p>
<p>There will be things you cannot do - go to an R rated movie, go into some bars and restaurants after 6 pm (maybe) even if you aren’t drinking, go to some concerts or performances. I think it does matter.</p>
<p>When I was in school a girl joined our sorority who was only 17. She was treated by her parents like she still lived at home and she acted like it too. She never went out with any of us, even if we were going to places (like the movies) she could go. It just wasn’t a good mix. I went to college at 17 and lived in the dorm and acted like I was 25, but people did know I was younger and sometimes it was an issue. My own daughter is starting at 17 in August, and there are many times I wish she had started Kindergarten a year later. Being an adult and having adult responsibilities just isn’t fun.</p>
<p>There is also a cost difference. If you graduate from high school, any costs of dual enrollment the high school was paying will end and you will have to pay. You will also be starting school and may not be eligible for freshman benefits or scholarships if you decide to go to a 4 year school.</p>
<p>Relax. You will be surprise of how many 14 to 16 year olds are in college these days. If they do not tell you you might not know. The college does not publicize that information, so it serves everyone well. A 21 year old might look like he or she is 16 and V-V, so age is not rally going to be a major problem, but maturity will be.
So, just be yourself, be polite, respect everyone and enjoy your college life.
It might be time to get a social life as well while in college, ITS NOT A RACE.
BEST OF LUCK TO YOU.</p>
<p>There were some people that were 16 and f17 in my freshman class, and no one really cared.</p>
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<p>Movies won’t matter. First because come September she can go to R rated movies. Second is that unless she looks young (many young people look a lot older these days), they won’t ask her age. Bars are correct. Most big concerts are all ages, so that’s OK. But yeah, a lot of smaller concerts are 18+ or 21+, but is that a big deal? Unless her friends ONLY go to bars and ONLY go to 21+ concerts, she will be able to hang out and make friends easily. There are many other ways to socialize in college than those three.</p>
<p>Depending on the way you look or act, people might not ever ask you how old you are. nhoff has to be mature when she is there and not rely on her parents for everything. I am assuming her parents showing up every weekend would get weird for her roommates, but it seems that they trust her there. So I think it’s OK. It’s never too early to start.</p>
<p>
Becoming more common these days, especially in affluent areas where parents look for every advantage for their kid. Being one of the older kids in the class is often an advantage in elementary school and beyond. Search for “academic redshirting” and you’ll find lots of links.</p>
<p>This is all reassuring to hear; I skipped a grade in elementary school, so I’ll be going to college at seventeen and won’t be turning eighteen until the next May.
That said, in my uninformed opinion, it really depends on the individual situation. In many cases (ie. living in a dorm or simply taking a full courseload while conducting yourself with maturity), I doubt most people will even know your age. If they do know, I’d bet that a good proportion of them wouldn’t care all too much.</p>
<p>One question would be, does this small college have sufficient advanced offerings for your academic and professional goals?</p>
<p>Remember that the best scholarships are most available for frosh admits (as opposed to transfer admits), so matriculating to a college as a full time student may not be the best path if the college has insufficient offerings that could require you to transfer to a different one later.</p>
<p>It’s my opinion that guys are less likely to be mature enough to do this–and it’s still the case that many women won’t want to date younger men. The reverse is less likely to be an issue.</p>
<p>It just depends on how mature you are. If you feel ready to start college and are academically able to, then just do it. If act like your peers and you don’t volunteer your age constantly, few people will ask for it. The only time it’ll really come up is when you’re trying to do something that is 18+ or 21+. I started college at 17 and had friends who were younger, and the only time it ever really mattered was when we were waiting for people to turn 21. There were people I met in college in my year who were younger than me, and I had no idea until they celebrated their birthday and I asked. Age matters a lot less as you get older–I have good friends who are several years older and younger than me.</p>
<p>Seconding everything @ucbalumnus said.</p>
<p>As for me, I don’t worry as much about you fitting in or handling the workload or responsibility. Socially I’m sure you’d do fine as well. My concern is maturity in a different sense, choosing a course of study or career goal is hard enough when you are18 or older. With 60 hours of classes you should be ready to start making some upper division class choices, are you comfortable with that ?</p>
<p>Also, looking forward, if grad school is in the cards would it be a disadvantage to apply as a 19 year old ? </p>
<p>In the end there is a great deal of value in a challenging and rigorous education. If you are ready to take the next step and economics and administration don’t preclude your enrollment it sounds like a reasonable choice. Best of luck.</p>
<p>There’s nothing wrong with waiting a year for grad school.</p>
<p>OP, you don’t have interest in any other colleges? </p>
<p>Once again, thanks to all the posters for your time and opinions… I really appreciate it! To the various questions/concerns:
@twoinanddone- I’m homeschooled and we already pay for the dual enrollment, and I’m pretty sure I’m eligible for substantial scholarships (provided it’s not too late in the year), so the cost difference isn’t too big of a factor.
@matachines- I agree, I don’t see the movies/bars/concerts being a big deal at the school I want to go to, at least not for a few years. Those aren’t the kinds of things I would choose to do even if I was old enough.
@diaphanousdoll and @baktrax- it seems a little weird to me that my peers wouldn’t even know/care my age, but it seems like a lot of people on this forum have the same opinion so I guess I will trust it? Based on my experiences thus far at this school, I don’t think I have too much of a problem fitting in and being mature around an older crowd, but my age does seem to come up in conversation quite a bit.
@ucbalumnus- they have a strong pre-med program, so my tentative plan was to wrap that up in 2 or 3 years then go on to med school. Unfortunately I haven’t thought through my long-term plans too thoroughly yet.
@singersdad- I was a bit worried about that too. I am fairly sure that I want to go into med school, which I really have no clue if I would be at a disadvantage for being a 19 or 20 year old applicant. All I really know at this point is that I feel like I’m ready to get started. Any thoughts on whether it would be hard to get internships before I’m 18 or something?
@brownparent- no I’m pretty sure this is the school I want to go to long-term! things may change of course…
Thanks again you guys!</p>
<p>@nhoff7349 I can tell you this for what its worth. My wife is at director of nursing and by law some equipment can’t be operated by anyone under 18 I am sure you will face some challenges (and likely overcome them) also my D is a 16 year old dual enrollment student. Ironically as a certified human subject researcher she conducts tests on people who must be 18 or older to legally consent to the test. As if you didn’t already know, you are an outlier and will deal with unique challenges. Be patient and learn to laugh at the absurdity of life.</p>
<p>Oh, last thought, you sound committed to your course of study, but don’t be afraid to follow other passions especially if your interests change by the time you get your bachelors degree. </p>
<p>Don’t try to “rush” through college.
What do you want to major in? Premed isn’t a major, it’s just a set of courses preparing you for med school admissions and these are typically good about anywhere: 2 semesters each of calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, English, plus 1 semester each of biochemistry, psychology, sociology, and a diversity focused class, plus cognitive science (recommended) and for the top programs fluency in a language spoken by immigrants or cultural groups in the US, such as Creole, Russian, Soso, etc.
In addition to this, you could study Philosophy, French literature, History, Music, Economics, or any other major. What will matter most is your GPA and “core” (science) GPA and your MCAT score, the your research experience/professional experience/internships in the health professions + letters of recommendation.
Yes, applying to med school as a 19 year old will be a disadvantage as there may be legal issues and maturity concerns.</p>
<p>One of the advantages that home schooling gives us is time. You have time to pursue activities (internships, research, etc), that students in traditional settings can’t. You could attend college full-time at 16, but that option isn’t going anywhere. Are there other opportunities available to you locally that you could take advantage of next year? </p>
<p>Also, have you been getting A grades in your college courses? Grades in college courses taken while in high school do count for GPA when applying to medical schools.</p>
<p>Have you considered being in an exchange program for a year?</p>
<p>How about the Early College at Bard’s College at Simon Rock? Designed for 10th and 11th graders who have done everything they want to do in High School?</p>