@thumper1- Bard College and Bard at Simon’s Rock are different schools. They are even in different states. (Bard is in NY and Bard at Simon’s Rock is in Massachusetts (the Berkshires).)
Simon’s Rock is unique because it is designed specifically for high-school-aged kids who want to start college early.
I’m familiar with both schools.
But especially Bard at Simons Rock. One needs to see it before one applies, in my opinion. It is “unique” fo sure…and migh not appeal to some early HS grads. Then again, it’s perfect for others.
I feel the same way about Bard College.
I had a roommate in college who had gone to Bards at Simon’s Rock - after a couple of years there she attended Harvard on a normal schedule. I looked at Bard College in NY more recently with my younger son. He couldn’t get out of their fast enough! (Too small, too rural.)
My son had persistent migraines that made Jr and Sr year tough as we tried different therapies so, i am empathetic to your situation. (I’d add, he has them under control now pursuing his dream at a school that is perfect for him. Never give up hope)
Your mileage may vary but, the kids I’ve known who graduated high school at 16 struggled with the social scene at college and subsequently when they entered the workforce at 20. I am no expert in the topic but, I would guess his ADHD won’t help on that front.
Since we are talking about MIT as an option, I know he hasn’t taken the SAT yet is it fair to presume and 4.5+ GPA? Since few do, I am guessing not. I am not trying to be flippant here but, be sure his goals are at least realistic. MIT rejects 92% of applicants, almost all of whom have perfect transcripts, test scores and unbelievable ECs.
As several others suggest, concurrent enrollment at a CC or CSU is a great idea as he wraps up high school. Also, take the time to get the certificates to document his coding skills - trust me, they aren’t useless pieces of paper and may open opportunities for some great work experience while in school.
I also agree, it is a great idea to sign him up for the next SAT/ACT date. It is really hart to slot kids without a score on one of these tests. A stellar score will help open doors to elite schools but, even a mediocre score may help him understand that he has more to learn in high school.
Good luck
Thank you for the stats; I printed them out for him.
Your mileage may vary but, the kids I’ve known who graduated high school at 16 struggled with the social scene at college and subsequently when they entered the workforce at 20. I am no expert in the topic but, I would guess his ADHD won’t help on that front.
Since we are talking about MIT as an option, I know he hasn’t taken the SAT yet is it fair to presume and 4.5+ GPA? Since few do, I am guessing not. I am not trying to be flippant here but, be sure his goals are at least realistic. MIT rejects 92% of applicants, almost all of whom have perfect transcripts, test scores and unbelievable ECs.
MY MISTAKE as I didn’t explain correctly…if he graduates in June 2019 , he will be 17 1/2 as he just turned 16 on 1/28. Yes, I would most definitely think 16 is too young for college but 17 1/2, I feel is appropriate. His ADHD isn’t really a problem (besides the fact that he gets bored easily) He is very passionate about air-softing, computer programming, music, and video games
He went to a treatment facility for depression/anxiety this time last year. (genetics/ middle school, puberty exacerbated his symptoms). At the treatment center, he focused on his 9th gr studies. Due to $$$, we had to withdraw him early (insurance refused to pay) at which time he decided he didn’t want to go to the local hs and chose where he currently attends. I am used to 9/10/11/12 gr whereas this school focuses on what he needs to complete high school and not necessarily in the same order as a local high school; this is why he is currently doing 11th gr English.
I definitely know he doesn’t have a 4.5 GPA and think that his GPA falls between 3.8 and 4.0. The charter school that he goes to hasn’t given me any reports so I am going upon his final 8th gr GPA and him earning all A’s afterwards.
I currently am looking at other colleges based upon what you/others have stated about $$$ and whether is scores are realistic. My dilemma is how much should I pursue this as it may not happen as planned. I learned this lesson the hard way last year.
Feel free to continue with the helpful advice
Do you have some local options where he could dual enroll? California has a free program for dual enrolled kids I think which could be great if you have financial concerns about college. I would definitely look into that. My kids are homeschool/dual enrolled for various reasons and I totally get having a situation where one educational situation is just not a good fit. Is he not happy with his current school?
Especially with a kid with a tendency toward anxiety/depression that is coming off a rough year, I would not be anxious to launch him from home early. If he is really interested in tech, I’d want at least Calc under the belt too. I used to work/hire in the comp sci/software engineering world and my husband still does. We have 4 tech degrees between us from competitive tech programs. MANY kids crash and burn in these programs. I’d just sign him up for the next ACT and/or SAT and see where he’s at. It’s not a bad idea anyway even if he doesn’t graduate next year. It would be a good baseline. That could probably make it clear really quickly if it’s realistic or not at least on the academic end. Even at17 1/2, I think there can be social ramifications both in college and on the back end to going early. My oldest has been doing the ACT since the 7th grade and he will be closer to 19 when he starts college. Boys are still changing a bunch at these ages.
Thank you. Yes, he does like his school; he didn’t want to go to the local high school.
Calculus will probably be next Math class
I am going to look for either PSAT, SAT, or ACT classes.
Keep the ideas coming.
i am not a professional in this space - just the dad of a 19 year old college freshman and 23 year old recent college grad. In my experience, there is no advantage to heading off to college early. @musakparent is right, CS is a BRUTAL, high wash out major and you have to be a very disciplined and focused student to get through - which it doesn’t sound like you have yet. This is especially true if he is away from home in a dorm where there are unlimited distractions and limited short term accountability. I also agree, your son will change more between 17 and 19 than you think, which could result in a big shift in interest in specific major and his ability to manage a college workload. Concurrent enrollment, as recommended by several people above, will allow him to earn some college credit while is brain matures - he’d likely wind up with 2-3 HS classes and another 2-3 at a CSU or CC, graduate ‘on schedule’ but, have a semester or more of college already knocked out - including more foundational math. (that will come in handy WHEN he fails a class and/or changes his major- again, just one man’s experience).
Also, a 3.8 ain’t gonna do it for the schools he says he is interested in. With a 1300 SAT ( a pretty solid score) he’d be a good candidate for UCR, UCM, SDSU, Cal Poly Pomona and a bunch of other CSUs (which turn out great CS grads btw), But, without an SAT or ACT score and a real GPA, this whole exercise is conjecture. Since he’s still a minor his school must have a student/parent portal like Edline or Powershcool. Get access to his grades, sign him up for the next SAT you can and check back in with his stats.
You might also want to give some thought to whether your (both of you) goals/objectives are aligned with those of the charter school he attends. IMHO, highschool shouldn’t be a race to meet the minimum standard to graduate.
With anxiety/depression when the time comes for colleges, I’d spend a good amount of time looking for a college that’s an intellectual fit but not a pressure cooker and also collaborative in nature.
If your son’s bored with the curriculum, rather than trying to move through the curriculum quickly, how about as your son goes through things, when he finds something interesting he pauses and digs deep into that particular area. Would his teachers be willing to work with him on that? If he does a DE class, maybe he’ll get access to college profs who will have a research project that he can work on?
Does the charter allow dual-enrollment? Can you have your son take the SAT this spring? My middle son took the SAT as a sophomore and a junior-sophomore was for a baseline and junior year was for real. Getting a baseline SAT will really help you and he know where he stands.
I also agree that you really can’t help him if you don’t know more about his school, gpa, what they allow and so forth. I strongly suggest you be proactive and find out more about options at the charter, his gpa, planned junior year courses (and when he selects them) and whether or not they allow dual-enrolled.
I’m a college consultant, and I’ve worked with a number of students with unusual educational backgrounds (I’ve graduated two homeschoolers myself; one graduated from MIT, and the other, who had mental health challenges, went to an Ivy before coming back home and shifting gears), and I’m in California. Some charter schools are easier to work with through the application process, and some are a bit trickier. The key is to really understand what this charter will do for your son, and how much they will be advocates for him, if that makes sense.
If he stays with this school, really communicate with the GC there. Work as a team to get the best education he can. Once he’s taken some tests (SAT, SAT IIs in Math and probably Physics), you’ll have a better idea of how competitive he might be at various schools.
I honestly don’t understand the concept of taking a SAT or ACT as a baseline, and then studying hard and taking it for real later. Some colleges want ALL your test scores. Other colleges don’t care and will look at your highest score or even your highest sub scores on all tests taken. I’m only a parent, but I think that if your S applies to a school that wants ALL scores, a low baseline score won’t look good. I think you’re better off taking a practice one at home under timed conditions and scoring it yourself in order to get your baseline. And your kid should take a practice of each of the SAT and ACT because some kids do better on one test than the other, and colleges don’t care which one you take.
Just having gone through the admissions process, I’ve been struck by how important strong test scores are for admission to top 100 schools, if that’s what your son’s interested in, and for merit money (which of course us parents are interested in
Sorry, got cut off.
My point is that the difference between a 28 and a 30 on the ACT is huge, as is the difference between a 30 and a 33. If your son graduates a year early, will he have sufficient time to study and do well on these tests?
Also, some colleges require kids to submit scores from the SAT Subject Matter tests. These tests are given on the same day as the SAT, so kids can’t take both tests on the same day. If your son plans to graduate early, you need to look carefully at all this because test scheduling could be tight.
Having lower scores in sophomore year does not hurt a student. My son had never taken a standardized test. His sophomore year score was 2090. It was so helpful for him to get his feet wet with that and gain familiarity with both testing and the SAT. His junior year score was 2230. He improved by using that sophomore year test and focusing on the weaker areas (math and essay). He was admitted to an Ivy League.
And no one (at least I didn’t) said to take a baseline SAT without studying. My son did a 4 week SAT prep class at a local high school before he took his “baseline” SAT.
In the case of the OP, I still think OP’s son would do better not graduating early and trying the SAT this year. If this year turns out to be the boy’s junior year, even better to take it this year and then again in the fall. It’s not uncommon for kids to take the SAT or ACT up to three times.
And my own middle son took all his SAT IIs in his senior year. You can double up on those, so it’s pretty easy to get in a couple or three in senior year by December.
I’ve been through this process twice with my own kids and many, many times with other students. As long as test scores show improvement, schools really don’t penalize for lower scores in earlier years. My eldest has his 7th grade and 8th grade SAT scores saved. It certainly didn’t hurt to have those scores on his record even though they were a good deal lower than his junior year SAT.
Are their any duel enrollment options in your county? My eldest was part of a junior/senior program with 40 kids who took high school level English and history together in a classroom at the community college and then took everything else at the college for duel credit. It was great for her. She graduated with 38 college units that we didn’t have to pay for AND still qualified as a freshman applicant upon graduation. She got to take all sorts of classes just because she was interested in them. The pacing was right for her. Older students. She had already been grade accelerated once so we weren’t interested in her graduating high school early. She got into a highly selective university and will graduate in May. My middle child is in a project based charter that has allowed him to take duel enrollment courses at a local university. Could something like that be an option?
We’ve not seen kids who graduate early have much luck in more competitive university applications. If they were graduating young due to earlier grade skip sure but cutting the high school years short? Not so much. I probably wouldn’t encourage it if he has his sight set on any school that’s very competitive.
My kid’s sophomore score on the ACT with almost no prep other than test familiarity was a 31. If that hurts him in admissions, well so be it. But I don’t think it will. He is hoping for a 33+ later this spring as a junior.
It is NORMAL to go up like 3-4 points composite in a year with just good academic work and a little more mature focusing. My kid went up 4 points composite each year 8th to 9th to 10th. My kid tested profoundly gifted in early elementary, but the focusing and meticulous piece with a timer at play is not natural for him and practice was helpful. Some kids can go up more if there is some reason they scored low on their first test (illness, anxiety, etc) that they overcame or they spent a bunch of time studying. But I think most of the time should be spent on high quality academics. It would be very rare to bomb it your sophomore year and score super high your junior year. But if there were a good reason for that, it could be addressed in you application package for a more competitive school. It’s normal to see growth there.
Most 2019 grads ARE finishing up their testing this spring, so for someone pondering it, go for it. I only think the familiarity and exposure could help. My kid is much less anxious about this type of testing now that he has done it once a year. The early exposure has been a good thing. We homeschool, so that has fulfilled out state requirements for a nationally normed standardized test. I don’t think it would be a bad thing for a sophomore to take it at all. If it doesn’t go as well as hoped, wait a year.
Where I live (Brooklyn, NY), the prep company Princeton Review offer free SAT and ACT sample tests under test conditions. They grade it and then try to sell the parent their prep course.
I didn’t know you could dual enroll; I will do research on that. I do agree, this is a mute if it doesn’t happen but I did learn some valuable information and will sign in up for the SAT/ACT testing. Thank you.
@oldmom4896, my eldest son did that when he was in 6th grade, simply to see if he could sit still that long (adhd), since he began taking college courses in 7th grade.
@ptamom, I see this in San Diego. Not sure where you are in CA.
https://www.princetonreview.com/college/free-sat-practice-test
If Princeton Review isn’t in your area, Kaplan or another test prep organiztion might be. You can also pick up an exam prep book from your public library, and run through one or two at home under timed conditions. Not the same as a real exam situation, close enough for many students.