<p>I should add that my D wasn’t dealing with depression and so in your case, I would make sure all of that was under control. </p>
<p>I also agree that readiness for college must be in all developmental areas and not just intellectually/academically. One thing going for my kid was that her rationale for going to college early was in all developmental areas…intellectually, socially, emotionally and also in her case, artistically. On the one hand I read the OP as saying that the D had difficulty socially in her public HS but on the other hand, that D relates well to older peers. My D also has always had older friends. However, she did not have difficulty in high school socially.</p>
<p>Even colleges that do not explicitly say so on their website have Early Admissions programs. (NO, this is not EA Early Action). One does not need a high school diploma to enter. Students enter usually after junior year of high school, or the equivalent, and the high school generally awards a high school diploma after a year of successful college course work. These are not dual enrollment programs. These are usually programs where the student LEAVES high school and enrolls full time as a college freshman. More often then not the student leaves the house, moves to college, lives in the dorm, etc. The students are usually academically gifted and very mature. They often THRIVE in this environment, rather than staying in the high school or home school environment. I think being home schooled makes it more tricky, as there is no GC to vouch for the student and their maturity. Plenty of testing (SAT, PSAT, AP, SAT II) helps when a student is homeschooled.</p>
<p>I left HS after Junior year some 30+ years ago to do this. In my neck of the woods, there was not the AP classes and dual enrollment classes there are now. I was academically ready and socially ready. Was I a bit nerdy back then, when being nerdy was not so cool? Yes. But I had plenty of HS friends, I just was not being stimulated. I applied and was accepted to a state flagship and to a LAC. With merit aid and FA I went to the LAC. I was never happier. Heck, this nerd joined a sorority. I was never more successful. And I loved it. I was stimulated, and around others who were motivated. I left the drama of HS behind and never looked back. </p>
<p>One of my daughters was miserable is HS. She was also an exceptional student, but socially was not gifted. Her maturity level was more middle school. She would likely have crashed and burned doing what I did. She took the dual enrollment route sophomore year, and graduated on time from HS, but with her AA. She is in her “first year” away at state U as a junior. She is thriving also. She is taking her time, and will likely take 3 years to graduate instead of two. She still has some maturing to do, and I am uneasy about her as a 20 yo college grad. So she will have two majors, or will take a semester “off” to do some hands on learning (her dream is to be an exotic animal vet, her hope is to have a semester in Africa.)</p>
<p>Many students take different paths. If your student is mature and ready, apply. If she will not have enough credits to “graduate” early, look for and ask about early admissions programs. She will be scrutinized even more closely being home schooled. And I suggest she not go too far from home in doing this. She does not HAVE to go if accepted. See what her options for acceptance and FA are. What part of the country are you in?</p>
<p>As usual, I agree with Soozievt across the board, and she said everything I was planning to say.</p>
<p>Add my mother to the list of those who left for college at 16 (after graduating HS at 15) and thrived academically and socially. I think she was one of those who was 15 going on 30.</p>
<p>Also, my sister-in-law (who is much younger) graduated HS right after turning 16 too (she did grades 7-12 in four years instead of six) and got into elite colleges. She went on to earn a doctorate and became a tenured professor. I guess she did everything early as she retired from her career at age 38 (no kids)!</p>
<p>I am the parent of a rising senior in USC’s early-leaver Resident Honors program (30-40 students enter after junior year of high school), and it’s been seamless. The students have a small group of chronological peers with organized social and cultural activities in which they may or may not choose to participate and dedicated administrators available to them. They are also part of a 200 person humanities honors program, with all of their GE’s taught in tiny, multidisciplinary seminars.</p>
<p>Our situation was that our son knew exactly what he wanted to study and had exhausted the resources of his otherwise excellent and good-fit high school in that field. USC was a top university in his field and he was eager to get started. Having the opportunity to work with other students who share his passion (overused word but quite accurate in the case of these young people), and the exposure to USC’s wide variety of offerings in the arts, has been wonderful for him from the first moment he stepped onto the campus. It has worked for him both academically and socially.</p>
<p>One final thought: OP, if your daughter is even considering USC, be sure she takes the PSAT. If she is a finalist, she will be guaranteed a 50% tuition scholarship. Also, apply before the Dec. 1 deadline to be considered for further merit aid; the school is quite generous.</p>
<p>That struck me too. If she is ready for them, I think she could take 3 in October and 3 in November, which would mean the scores would be available for the next round of regular-admissions applications. I think her SAT should be current enough to use, but she should take the PSAT in order to qualify for the National Merit program, just in case she goes to a school where that means significant FA.</p>
<p>I would be wary of going straight to CC for two reasons.</p>
<p>Firstly, the academic quality can vary widely. In some places, CCs routinely offer advanced courses to high-achieving HS students. In others, CC offers traditional academics aimed at students who did poorly in HS, and a student like your D would not be appropriately challenged. For example, last time I checked, our local CC did not offer calculus at all, while students in other areas go to CC because they have outgrown the math program at their HS. An AP student at one of our local HSs would never think of taking regular academic classes at the CC.</p>
<p>Secondly, if she goes to CC and is not also enrolled at a HS she may have to apply to 4-year schools as a transfer student. Often, FA for transfer students is significantly less.</p>
<p>^All three of my sons had their 2 year degree before they went off to college. Neither Cornell or MIT considered them transfer students. It did not effect their aid at either school. Son at MIT did not use any credits from CC but I believe 1 of my sons from Cornell used a few credits. He was in a different college from his brother so he was able to apply two or three liberal arts classes. </p>
<p>As far as the quality of CC education: It really depends on the state and the school I guess. All three of my sons started at 14 and enjoyed taking the classes and being with older students and engaging with professors. To this day they still speak of many wonderful experiences they had at the CC.</p>
<p>momma-three, your sons’ cases are different as they were enrolled in CC as dual enrollment while enrolled in high schools. </p>
<p>The OP is a homeschool student and would have to inquire if enrollment at CC would be considered having started college and if she would then be considered a transfer student.</p>
<p>My son is 15 and on schedule to begin college at 17. I don’t think it is “too” early. </p>
<p>My concerns socially would be to have frank talks about sex, drugs and alcohol. Your child may be mature, but there are a slew of academically inclined kids who are not. She needs to be prepared for the roommate who “hooks-up” often or the neighbor who gets drunk and vomits in the bathroom. </p>
<p>Look at your financial options. InState Honors colleges, no-loan/meet EFC schools, generous OOS publics like Alabama that post 3.5 GPA/1400 SAT=merit up to full tuition.</p>
<p>One option that could be researched is what GED policies are in your state. For us, D took the GED when she was 16 or 17, after her JR year in HS & was allowed to start CC the next month. She otherwise could not have enrolled in CC & would have had to either be homeschooled or enroll in a HS for SR year. After one semester of CC, she applied to transfer & was accepted to begin after her 3rd semester of CC. It might be an inexpensive way for your D to get some college credits that could be applied toward her degree.</p>
<p>I would also want to be as sure as possible that your child has no depression or other issues that can & should be optimally treated now, before considering her going away to college & all that such a transition will entail.</p>
<p>My son was homeschooled while dual-enrolled at an excellent CC. He applied one year young, but we were calling it senior year since he skipped once in elementary. He was accepted to some very selective schools. He is not particularly socially mature, so he took a gap year. He will be entering a top school with age-mates this fall, as a freshman, and with an Associate of Science degree.</p>
<p>The top-tier schools are the ones most likely to meet full need, and the next-tier ones are the ones most likely to come up with merit aid for your daughter.</p>
<p>You wrote “the community college is unavailable to homeschoolers”. I bet if you hunt harder, especially with SAT scores in hand, you would find that they’re available. What’s probably unavailable is Post Secondary Enrollment Options, where the public high school actually pays part of the bill. I called three different CCs in the area before I got satisfaction; one even told me it was illegal for someone under 16 to take college classes. Totally bogus.</p>
<p>
PLEASE DON’T! Not if you want her to go to the most selective schools, anyway. They will consider classes taken after high school graduation to mean that the student is a transfer student. Many scholarships are just for freshmen, and many top schools are FAR easier to get into as a freshman than as a transfer. I agree with LoremIpsum that she can probably go to the CC, but I totally disagree with graduating her from high school first. Use dual-enrollment with homeschool. </p>
<p>Your daughter’s awesome, but if she applies to school a year early she will be competing with awesome kids who have had an additional year to mature and to accomplish. But it would certainly be academically reasonable for her to go a year early. Try reading around the homeschool forum - you’ll find lots of paths that can work. </p>
<p>In our experience this was true across a range of friends. Kids who graduated early, young, especially those who skipped a grade of HS were more likely to not get into the amazing schools. That might be because the school looked twice at their transcript & age or it could be that they were actually less mature and did not write as well. I have no way to know, it is only anecdotal, but our HS GC said that skipping a grade of HS was only issing out on the opportunity to experience more in HS and build a resume.</p>
<p>That being said, one of my kids graduated at 15 and had no interest in an Ivy type school, the LAC she attended worked with us quite wonderfully and tailored their treatment of her to her individual situation.</p>
<p>OP has not provided further details other than one posting on what our D is interested in.</p>
<p>If your D is interested in Science and Math, CalTech is a school to look at. They have 16 years olds and even a case of a 14 year old joining. High school diploma is not mandatory but passion for math and science is.</p>
<p>I need some help also. I would like to graduate early from high school with the class of 2012 due to more reasons than I can list (but read on please). I am a current junior with a 4.2 GPA (GIEP in Art with an IQ of 136) who does winter/spring track, Girl Scouts, Art Lessons (and I also teach at the art studio as a job), Student Council, Key Club, Interim Club, and I am in different art organizations outside of school. My school has not given out the senior projects yet and I am taking the SAT on November 5th. I also have volunteered on my own with 240 hours since freshman year. I have taken as many honors classes as I can so far in high school (including a class called “Great Books” last year which is an equivalent to 12th grade english. It is a prerequisite to AP enlgish for senior year. But I also had 10th grade honors english in the same year) I need 22 credits to graduate and I would have 21.75 by the end of junior year. The only requirements I haven’t fulfilled class-wise would be another social studies/or social studies elective and senior gym. I’ve heard that your senior year gym can get waived though. If I took a social studies elective class online I believe that would fulfill my classes and credit requirements as set by my school district. I have yet to ask my parents (who say I should enjoy high school). Some reasons why I would like to graduate are mental maturity and because I’d only have 2 required classes next year (Great Books counts as a fourth year english class). I always feel kind of strange at school since I’ve always been more mature for my age and I (and other adults I know) feel that I would be ready to start college a year early so I can get “ahead of the game”. This would help me to be academically challenged/feel more fulfilled with school knowing that I am not wasting time of petty, not useful high school classes (yes senior gym and home ec are a couple of them). My plan is to go to my local communtiy college for Social Science with a minor in Art for two years then transfer to another college (possibly Marywood in Scranton, Pa.) for my masters in Art Therapy. Or do my as many courses at I can at Penn State Main Campus to save on money before going to Marywood (both Penn State and LCCC are far cheaper than Marywood). On a side note about being mentally mature…I meant that i am not one for the “waaaah my shoe’s untied the world’s going to end” or “come and fight me, girl”. I just steer away from drama/complaining/slacking with school or life. It’s hard to describe my maturity but I’m sure any of you who are on this blog would probably understand what I mean. I also am very used to an extremely heavy workload and busy schedule in and out of school. When I sent a request slip to have a meeting with my Guidance Counselor, i put the reason as “Questions about graduating early”. The sad thing is that she called me during Trig class and said “Oh honey we don’t do that here, even though youre ontop of your credits and extracurriculars you need to do four years. I’ll just give you some extra electives for your senior year.” HA, more electives with slower kids, thanks mrs. guidance counselor. Anyways, I didnt know what to say back to her since I know of a kid last year from my school who graduated a year early. He said that he took courses over the previous summer since he was behind on requirements. Plus my school got rid of dual enrollment. So do I need to petition to graduate early (how does that work?) or combine my senior year with my college freshman year or is it still possible that i can combine my junior and senior year now? I’ll stop at that so I do not write too much, but any suggestions or advice would be extremely appreciated. Nervousness is filling my brain about what you’ve written on petitioning to graduate a year early and also I am worried about what my parents will say. Thank you to anybody that responds!!</p>
<p>My homeschooled d. entered college at 16, after what would have been her sophomore high school year. She already had 66 college credits from two- and four-year institutions, and threw them all away. She was accepted by Williams (where she was recruited), Smith (where she attended) and a host of other prestige privates. The issue of her age never even came up.</p>
<p>Smith is pretty spectacular these days in science and engineering. (But my d. was a music/Italian Studies major.)</p>
<p>The posters might also take a look at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia, if they are female. They have an early entrance program that then transitions students into the regular college. We have a young friend who’s in her senior year and it’s been a great experience.</p>
<p>I would suggest the OP investigate the possibility of enrolling his D in a top boarding school. It might be a good idea to apply to BOTH top colleges and top boarding schools.</p>
<p>The top boarding schools give generous financial aid these days. If she really is “all that,” letters of rec from boarding school faculty saying so will definitely help her get into top colleges. Your D would have the experience of living away from home and the odds are that she would be more challenged academically as well. She’d get some socialization which would help her mature. She’d get less supervision in college than in boarding school.</p>
<p>She can apply to both boarding schools and colleges and wait to see the results before making a decision. If she got into a top school like Caltech or some of the others mentioned on this thread and by the time next May rolls around you think she’s mature enough to handle it, then let her go to college.</p>
<p>However, if it’s a choice between a top boarding school and directional state u, then the right choice might be a year or two in boarding school and another chance of getting into a top college. And, of course, you’ll have this year to figure out if she might just need that extra year in “high school” for social reasons.</p>