<p>We are a few years away, but my ds was grade accelerated in the middle of 8th grade to grade 9. He was already young for his class with a summer birthday. As such, and looking ahead, he will be 17 his entire freshman year of college. What challenges/issues will this present (if any)?</p>
<p>At my S’s college, a parent has to be present when a minor is getting his/her student ID done. There maybe other issues but I don’t know what.</p>
<p>Here are some:</p>
<p>Parent must sign housing contract.</p>
<p>Parent must agree to, approve medical treatment, flu shots. Highly recommend that you put a statement in place in their files, preapproving whatever you can.</p>
<p>Parent must sign waivers for events such as river rafting that might occur during orientation or other times.</p>
<p>Wow - that spells trouble for my will-be-17-freshman-year, would-lose-his-head-if-it-weren’t-attached DS! He’s had to replace his HS ID several times…</p>
<p>Maybe I need to make sure he goes close to home!</p>
<p>My D turns 18 the day before classes start, her roommate will not be 18 till spring. I have had to sign all the things mentioned by Denise. Yesterday we went to the bank to switch her custodial account to a checking account- we want her to control her “own money” etc. This has been the biggest problem. Took us nearly 2 hrs to close her custodial account and switch it to a teen checking. Very frustrating… and I am still listed on the account because she is under 18 aaarghhhhh!</p>
<p>I didn’t have to be present for her to get her student ID at Orientation.</p>
<p>Other than signing the housing contract we had no issues with son who was 17 and was across the country from us. Nothing with student ID or Bank of America checking.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the state your child goes to college in. S1 was also 17 his entire freshman year at a college in PA. I believe in PA, if you’re a HS grad, you’re considered an adult at college no matter what your age. We didn’t have to approve anything he did - getting his ID, flu shot or any health services, etc. I felt uneasy at orientation when I heard all this, but it all worked out fine.</p>
<p>My son was still 17 when he got his ID and we didn’t have to do anything.</p>
<p>Didn’t have to do anything for S1. Did not have to sign an on-campus housing contract. We did make sure that he signed FERPA waivers (which he was happy to do), since we worked on the assumption that they’d assume he was 18+ unless told otherwise. In case of emergency, we didn’t want to have to jump through hoops.</p>
<p>My S is 17 (but will 18 in Oct) and is heading off to PA to school. I had to sign his housing form because he’s under 18. I’ve also reminded him that once he turns 18 he will be responsible for what he signs and needs to take care. Am on his youth checking account but will have him open his own account at PNC after school starts…then he doesn’t need my signature. </p>
<p>If he still seems “young” when he’s a Senior, keep him close to you (LOL). But if he’s ready to spread his wings and go, how exciting!</p>
<p>None. I was 17 when I went to college. D1 was 17(no problem so fare). D2 will be 17(hoping for no problem). We all have birthdays in Nov/Dec time frame.</p>
<p>Our older S was 17 when he went to college - we weren’t required to sign anything, he got his ID on his own, visited the infirmary, opened a bank account, etc. Maybe this differs by college and/or state? One of his friends was 17 for the first month, and the parents had to sign a waiver for him to participate in intercollegiate athletics.</p>
<p>The main problem will be someone to sign the paperwork if he goes to the ER . I guess you could give consent to someone at the college ,like the RA .</p>
<p>My daughter was 17 as a Freshman and I don’t remember anything special because of it. It’s actually a bit of a pain once they turn 18 because your kid has to sign a waiver for you to get medical information of any sort and I found that to be important.</p>
<p>My younger daughter went to college when she was still 16 and turned 17 during freshman year and didn’t turn 18 until during soph year. I don’t recall having to do anything special or different AT her college. </p>
<p>The only problem we had was unrelated to her college and had to do with her opening a bank account in NYC where she was attending school. The bank in NYC (which was different than our home bank which did not have offices in NYC) would not allow her to open an account unless it was joint with me and so I was still in town that day we moved her in and had to go with her and have my name on the account as well. But that would not have been true at some other banks in some other locations.</p>
<p>Both of my older two were 17 when they began college. The only issue we encountered was having to sign the oldest one’s NCAA forms for her sport.</p>
<p>We sent 17 yr old with a signed, notarized consent for medical treatment - just in case. My kids have been traveling alone since they were 15 (including internationally) and we always send the notarized consent, as well as the insurance card. I assume that there wouldn’t have been a problem with campus health center, but hospitals will not treat minors without consent.</p>
<p>Son was 16 at public flagship (fall birthday, early K entry plus skipped grade). The U treated him just like every other student- we did not need to sign anything, from application to admissions to course choices et al. We also needed his permission to access his records. </p>
<p>Housing- did need to cosign contracts. We would not let him have an apartment his second year and I later found out campus area landlords would not have rented to him before he was 18 even with our cosigning (they require a parent or other to cosign leases there- a way of being more sure of getting the rent money). Something to consider for the following year.</p>
<p>Medical- would have needed to give permission for treatment until he was 18. After that- all the rights to privacy applied.</p>
<p>Track club- not an official U only organization although connected in some ways, needed our signature (they are mostly U students but others, including other adults and HS et al students can join).</p>
<p>Bank account- checking. We changed his account so he could write checks without a parent signature. However the bank made a mistake which had to be corrected when he first tried to withdraw money at the campus area branch. Therefore, be sure this is done properly by your/his bank. Keeping a local bank for his account made it easy to put funds into it- including those birthday and Xmas checks he didn’t take care of. He still hasn’t changed his account to remove his dad- the two of them haven’t bothered.</p>
<p>As far as the rest of college- no problems. He wasn’t even the youngest in his freshman honors physics- there was a 14 year old girl doing it through her local HS, plus another HS student. No one cared in the dorms or classes. All freshmen were underage for alcohol- made that a whole lot easier on him. He may have been rejected by older women, but socially it wouldn’t have mattered knowing him and his parents in this area. Had flown as a minor, this would not be a problem either.</p>
<p>I’m glad you let him advance instead of being (more) bored as a child. There is no perfect fit for the gifted.</p>
<p>D1 didn’t turn 18 until three weeks after school started. We didn’t have any problems with IDs, etc.</p>
<p>Sounds like, as with so many other things, there is an “it depends” factor depending on the school, state, etc. I do appreciate the tips regarding health issues. We will have to figure out a way to make sure he can get treated if that came up as an issue.</p>