<p>We have block scheduling at our high school and the option of graduating half a year early. In other words, I only take the first semester of senior year and then graduate.</p>
<p>I'm number one in my class right now (4.0 unweighted) and will probably end up valedictorian if I stay on regular track. However, I feel that graduating early will give me more time to work on more meaningful things such as starting my own business and self-studying computer programming.</p>
<p>If I'm aiming for Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc. Will graduating half a year early hurt my chances of admission into these schools?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Note: I am currently a junior</p>
<p>^I don’t think so. But if your business does well, it could help you stand out.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply smorgasbord. By second semester of senior year, all the apps should be sent out already, so I don’t know if the business thing will matter to colleges anymore. Business is more of a personal asset at any rate. I just don’t know if early grad will matter to colleges because I know they usually want second semester grades.</p>
<p>^In your case, your first semester grades will be your first AND second semester grades, haha. You could always take classes at community college, though, and really show academic initiative. Or you could wait a year, focus solely on your business, and apply then. There are many possibilities.</p>