Graduating one year early from high school, any anecdotes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:USC (University of Southern California) has a special program for kids who graduate a year early. A friend of my child did this a few years back

Was looking for this program a while back, but couldn't find it - guessing it ended. If anyone knows otherwise, please post.

Google is your friend:

To apply to the University of Southern California (USC) as a junior in high school, you need to submit your application through the Common Application, including your official high school transcript, standardized test scores (if submitting), a counselor or teacher recommendation, and any required supplemental essays specific to USC; be sure to indicate your junior status on the application.

Key points about applying to USC as a junior:

Application platform:
Use the Common Application to submit your application.

Required documents:
Official high school transcript
Standardized test scores (optional, but considered if submitted)
Counselor or teacher recommendation letter
USC supplemental essays

Consider Early Action:
If you want to know your admissions decision earlier, consider applying Early Action.

Check specific requirements:
Depending on your intended major, especially in the School of Cinematic Arts, you might need additional application materials like a portfolio or audition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I graduated early, went to a top 15 and took a gap year - it made me realize how annoying many college freshman are, since I’d been working and doing my laundry, making my own food etc. and they could barely function! But in all seriousness, it was the best decision ever - high school was awful (and we did not have APs), I got to pursue something I loved, and I was a capable human as a freshman. The one thing I do remember vividly was a rejection from Stanford that specifically said “we do not take three year high school students for the class of XXXX”.

This is why some kids skip a year BEFORE high school. My brother and I skipped one and my younger sister skipped two. Traditional school is not for everyone.

More directly skipping a year of elementary or middle school is much less disruptive to college preparation than skipping a year of high school.

And the effect of skipping a year also varies by how old you are relatve to your grade. Oldest in K class skipping a year later is different from a youngest in the K class skipping a year later.

My kid is the youngest by age and skipped K. We were at a private and kid could clearly handle more so we moved them up. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

have you seen the competition in this area? I just cannot see how a junior (who has completed 2-2.5 years of high school only) could compete with all other georgetown/UVA/t50 applicants...

what is the motivation behind this?

[Anonymous]

Two of my kids did this, and now graduating from college early as well.
I support their choices.

[Anonymous]

I am old, but I went to college at 16, and my birthday is in the spring, so I was on the younger end even before skipping. I skipped k, so most of my classmates were already one year older. Then I was taking ALL classes with kids at least another year older, so skipping another grade in high school just put me with the kids I was hanging out with anyway. I was an RA at my boarding school and an RA in college, so I wasn’t immature amongst my cohort. I went to a top 3 SLAC. I knew I would have difficulty in a big school. Starting college then was absolutely the right decision and absolutely no one cares about it now. When I applied to my boarding school two years younger than my peers, they said they’d never seen it work before, but see above—I did just fine both academically and socially. I was the driver, not my parents, so that probably helped—I really wanted out of the academic environment available to me at home. I wasn’t thrilled about being away from my parents, but, frankly, my relationship with them was probably better in the teen years for having a little distance. My brother is much smarter than me (he has been part of a Nobel Prize winning project), and he didn’t skip any grades—also the right call. You know your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I graduated early, went to a top 15 and took a gap year - it made me realize how annoying many college freshman are, since I’d been working and doing my laundry, making my own food etc. and they could barely function! But in all seriousness, it was the best decision ever - high school was awful (and we did not have APs), I got to pursue something I loved, and I was a capable human as a freshman. The one thing I do remember vividly was a rejection from Stanford that specifically said “we do not take three year high school students for the class of XXXX”.

This is why some kids skip a year BEFORE high school. My brother and I skipped one and my younger sister skipped two. Traditional school is not for everyone.

More directly skipping a year of elementary or middle school is much less disruptive to college preparation than skipping a year of high school.

And the effect of skipping a year also varies by how old you are relatve to your grade. Oldest in K class skipping a year later is different from a youngest in the K class skipping a year later.

My kid is the youngest by age and skipped K. We were at a private and kid could clearly handle more so we moved them up. No big deal.

I think starting school early (which is essentially what skipping K amounts to - I did this and started college at a young 17) is a very different scenario than not doing 4 years of hs.

I grew up with the same peer group from 1st grade on. Other than the age-limited milestones, it was barely noticed that I was younger than my classmates. Other than being small, I was always one of those mature for my age kids. I also think my parents did a good thing sending me to camps every summer so I learned how to be more self sufficient. I graduated college just after my 21st birthday and it never felt weird or out of place.

I think shortening HS would be difficult for most maturity wise and difficult for college admissions. I mean, yes, everything is kid dependent, but it just feels strange to rush through HS requirements.

[Anonymous]

When the kid gets to college No. One. Will. Care. An even younger and less mature freshman isn't a prodigy; they're a burden on a system that isn't set up to parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry to bump an older thread, but I the same question as OP. Also looking to hear about high stats applicants who graduated feom high school after 3 years, just one year early, and what their admission results looked like. 4.0 uw, 1570, 13 APs.

Sounds like this just isn't done often, which is why few, if any, recent admission results were shared above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it comes across as a negative because it suggests social or emotional difficulties in HS. The kid needs a good narrative to counter that.

This is what I think.

My kids have a friend who did this. She was "so miserable" in high school, she just HAD to. Was sure that college would be better. Spoiler alert: She's just an unhappy person, and college was not better.

Her outcomes were the same as they would have been had she stayed for four years. A couple of state flagships, a few well-regarded SLACs.

[Anonymous]

I think if you have a kid autonomous to decide they want to do this - and able to figure out how to do it - then you sit back and let them take the wheel. No need to interfere. I might offer the option of a gap year.

[Anonymous]

I know a kid that graduated early and was accepted to Penn State. I think the kid did fine academically but not as well socially......

[Anonymous]

These kids always struggle socially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:USC (University of Southern California) has a special program for kids who graduate a year early. A friend of my child did this a few years back

Same here. Had a friend who skipped senior year and started at USC early. Also heard of a credible parent story whose kid got into Vanderbilt during junior year.

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to add another idea to the mix. I know at least two kids who were just done with their high school and wanted the chance to go to college with their peers. Both kids were sent to "senior year abroad" programs where they lived with a host family and became fluent in another language. Also applied for colleges at the same time and I'm sure their applications were more interesting than someone applying junior year with only 2.5 years on their transcript.

[Anonymous]

if you can afford it, there is also the option of going to a couple one-semester school programs, such as the High Mountain Institute in CO.