DD graduating a year early from HS?

[TargaDave]

DD is finishing her sophomore year. She decided about 6 months ago she wants to graduate a year early to start college the same time as most of her closest friends who are juniors, though most would end up at different schools. Wants to go to an in-state public university . When she gets a serious bug about something she generally stays with it (serious track commitment and a part time restaurant job for the last 2 1/2 yrs) so we figure this is more than a passing phase.

She's mostly mature for her age though she has her PATA not-so-mature moments. Does well grade wise with all AP courses. Even does OK at saving-spending. We just said, "sure, go for it as long as you're headed straight to college with no detours involved".

Curious on any opinions out there? Bad-good experiences? Other things to consider?

 

[Coach]

TargaDave, one thing she might want to consider (she probably has) is that if she's "normal" age she'll end up being one of the youngest in her college class. Some additional social options open up at 21 that she might be a year late for compared to her classmates.

Or maybe it just means she has to use her fake id a year longer

Coach

 

[gandalf42]

I was still 16 by a few days when I graduated from HS. Didn't notice any issues in college. No one cares what your age is..just assume you're in the same ball park.

 

[justin]

Wow - a sophomore taking all AP classes? That's a year ahead of where I was (and I thought I was "advanced")! I'd say go for it. In my experience, the AP classes I took were on par (or sometimes harder and more work) than similar college courses. I started college at the local State U part time during my high school year taking a few courses a semester and during the summer sessions.

Everyone assumed I was just another 20-something guy, until I let my age slip when talking with friends/classmates.

One thing I sort of missed out on was the drinking/bar/club scene - I turned 21 a while after I graduated. Although I don't want to mislead by saying that you have to be 21 to get drunk in your dorm room or at keggers! (I know, just try not to think your daughter will ever engage in any of that irresponsible behaviour).

Most of the other freshmen-juniors will be under 21 anyway.

 

[CCdaCE]

See if she can get high school credit for college courses... and start even sooner. My old roommate did this for his senior year of high school.

-CC

 

[Sandy]

Often kids need/take a down a year - either they take a year off or bomb their classes becuase they are not "there" mentally. You know you kid. If she is doing well, ok, but give her permission to slow down and take some time off when and if she needs it, even if she had planned otherwise.

 

[Achiever51]

The biggest issue might be her living away from home. My DD was among the youngest in her class and while the intellectual challenges were not an issue, she did struggle at first with the emotional/maturity issues.

She's now 25 and admits that she probably would have benefitted from taking a year off after HS before jumping into the college scene.

That said, only you and your DD know what's best for her. Good luck and congratulations to her for her achievements.

 

[TromboneAl]

My DD did that. She skipped eighth grade, and she's now finishing her sophomore year in college. At the time, there was a lot of discussion about whether she should skip, but it worked out fine. She would have been so bored had she not advanced.

When's your daughter's birthday? Ours was born in mid-February, so when someone said "Oh, maybe she'll be too young," I mentioned that had she been born 6 weeks earlier, she'd be in the next grade level anyway.

Our daughter has not done well with managing her money, even though she seemed very good about saving/spending. Age-related? It's not clear.

Just asked DW, and she says she can't think of any disadvantages that came from having had her skip a grade.

I say: GO FOR IT!

And remember, you'll be done with most PITA moments a year earlier, and you can store your kite-surfing equipment in her room.

 

[Brat]

I say her goal is great, but I would also encourage her to take college classes during HS rather than AP classes her senior year. Some HS districts permit students to receive HS credit and many colleges accept those credits as college work if she asks, particularly if taken during the senior year. A great low-risk option academically.

Lots of girls skip a grade so unless she has also skipped a grade in primary school she won't be too young. It is really important to protect her from peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol... even in HS. She may not be as street-wise as she thinks.

 

[Nords]

When she gets a serious bug about something she generally stays with it (serious track commitment and a part time restaurant job for the last 2 1/2 yrs) so we figure this is more than a passing phase.
Does well grade wise with all AP courses.
Curious on any opinions out there? Bad-good experiences? Other things to consider?

Lemme get this straight-- would she be leaving the nest a year earlier and not boomeranging? This seems too good to be true-- there has to be a catch. Wanna swap with my daughter?

Considering her achievements, would your daughter like to apply to the Naval Academy? Just kidding. I think.

Gotta know your kid. It boils down to whether you want to have her bored, frustrated, immature behavior in your house or in the dorm at State U. They both involve a certain amount of pain on her part, but the latter is much less painful on your part...

 

[deserat]

I skipped second grade and frankly spent the last year/semester of high school just finishing up two classes - could have graduated at 16 - missed it by three months - I'm OK (at least I think I am ) - have always been the youngest in my group anyhow even at work now - although that is changing.

Also spent my last four months of high school living alone - long story - Dad had to go learn to fly another type of plane before being shipped overseas and Mom had sort of disappeared after their divorce.

Caveats - I worked part-time either as a babysitter or in restaurants from age 12 onward (time management skills and ability to prioritize, etc) early; I wasn't a hell-raiser at all - in fact when I tell people even today what the situation was back then they are surprised - heck I'm surprised now when I find out what most people were doing then - I had a deep respect for my Dad and did not want to disappoint him----plus, I wanted to go to college - so as the others have said, you've got to gage the maturity level of your daughter - based on the minimal you've provided, she seems like she would do fine - sometimes high school ain't all it's cracked up to be......

Deserat

 

[TargaDave]

Thanks for all the responses. Actually spent some time talking to her about it today.

See if she can get high school credit for college courses... and start even sooner. My old roommate did this for his senior year of high school.

She says she will have two HS courses next year that she will get college credit for. Says it would be impossible to do fall-winter track and college courses at the same time. Her plan is to use the summer to prep for the fall SAT’s with a tutor. She only gets one crack at them with the fall application deadlines. She took the PSAT's last fall (99th percentile in math and I guess what is a more normal 80th percentile on the English part).

When's your daughter's birthday?

Good point. The grade cut-off here is Sept. Her birthday is late November so she isn't that much younger than most juniors.

I have no idea whether this is ambition, a desire to escape HS, or something else altogether. We’re definitely not the pushing type. Even the steady restuarant job (bussing right into waitressing) surprises us. Of course during the same time she was acing her math PSAT’s last fall she was getting grounded for 2 months after lying to us about a party at the house (some kids were drinking and smoking) the first time we left her home alone for the weekend. Smart kid but a terrible liar. Guess that's a good thing 8)

The next dilema is whether we will let her get her own car this summer. Just seems too soon, but she keeps rreminding me she has $4k saved up for one. And I thought boys would be tough to handle at this age

 

[Nords]

The next dilema is whether we will let her get her own car this summer. Just seems too soon, but she keeps rreminding me she has $4k saved up for one. And I thought boys would be tough to handle at this age

Seems to me that the decision has already been made, and your only assistance would be to support it or to give her the challenge of evading it.

Maybe your contribution would be a little help to keep her from buying into a lemon or a dragster... or a big station wagon with a mattress pile of roadside safety equipment in the back.

No offense intended-- these are the thoughts of a guy raising his own 14-year-old daughter (who sounds very similar to yours) as God's Old-Testament retribution for my own teenage years. Not, of course, that I had anything to do with the mattress issue. A buddy borrowed the car for the evening and I never knew anything about it. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

BTW our next-door neighbor's daughter is 17+ and a senior in high school. She still has not been able to persuade her parents to sign for her learner's permit due to her temper-control issues which have raised concerns about road rage. (Having heard her when she's on a roll at all hours of the day & night, I share their concern.) So I guess it could be worse...

 

[TargaDave]

Seems to me that the decision has already been made, and your only assistance would be to support it or to give her the challenge of evading it.

Maybe your contribution would be a little help to keep her from buying into a lemon or a dragster... or a big station wagon with a mattress pile of roadside safety equipment in the back.

Yep, I am probably observing way more than I pretend to myself I am actually steering. The car project is an easier one for me since she wants me to pick it out and we'll end up buying it for her anyway. If she follows through with her plan on the in-state public Univ a year early I figure I am gettin one heck of deal. Another positive I cling to: the first boyfriend (senior with his own car) got dumped after 2 months for being too serious. Never even met the guy. : Agreed that it could always be much much worse.

 

[TromboneAl]

On the car in high school issue, we got a lot of "What, she doesn't have her own car?" comments, but it turned out that worked fine to share two cars between three people. It simply meant that once in a while we had to do some "OK, you drive me to that, and then you have the car, and pick me up here, yada yada."

Of course DW was retired and I was working at home during that time, so our situation was different from that of most. But my point is you may find that you don't really need another car.

 

[WanderALot]

One thing I sort of missed out on was the drinking/bar/club scene - I turned 21 a while after I graduated. Although I don't want to mislead by saying that you have to be 21 to get drunk in your dorm room or at keggers! (I know, just try not to think your daughter will ever engage in any of that irresponsible behaviour).

I graduated high school 2 months before I turned 16. I think it's turned out to be a good thing financially but I think it's not so clear socially. Part of the reason was the maturity factor and the second part is missing the bar/club scene. Although, I think that was mostly because I still lived at home and went to a non-party school. I feel like I missed out a little bit on the college partying lifestyle. DW claims that I'm making up for it now in my early 30's!