Skipping Senior Year of HS--Pros and Cons

[indimom]

If you think he's ready (you know him best) I would certainly consider it. Ask your older kids their thoughts on the idea. They may have a better idea of whether this would be a good idea/good fit for him - I assume they have recently or are currently going to college? That gives them a pretty good vantage point on the situation; and, would make them aware of any pitfalls financially, socially, academically, etc.
My only thought is on the financial side... both of my kids took DE courses in high school. The only cost to us were the books and a small fee ($25-50 a semester, if I remember correctly). If they had taken the courses after going to college full time, it would have cost a whole lot more than that. If the DE courses he can take through high school meet the requirements of the university he wants to attend, this could save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Just thought I'd throw that out since you mentioned he likely will get no scholarships or grants. It could be a money saver in the long run.

 

[DisneyOma]

He has no interest in sports or more HS activities. His friend group is primarily his Scout troop--he just finished a year of being Senior Patrol Leader--the boy elected to run the troop. He gets along with kids older than he is, always has--as I mentioned, he has 3 older siblings--he's closest to his older sister (age 26). I think he's just DONE with HS and wants to move on with his life.

Keep in mind--he is pushing for this, not his parents. He actually approached his guidance counselor before us, because he thought we'd shoot him down.

I think for now, we're going to approach this as a realistic scenario--get him into ACT/SAT testing as soon as reasonable, visit the decent "nearby" (2 hours away) engineering school, really talk about what he's hoping to gain. Things are complicated slightly because we have an exchange student visiting at the moment (only through next week), so frank discussions are tricky. What will really sway things, one way or the other, will be how he does in his calculus class (at the college) in the fall. Bonus points to him if he pushes to take a second college class this fall (I had recommended only one, not wanting to overburden him). If he struggles with the college class(es), that's a good sign that he should back off this idea.

I have no doubt he'll be successful, whatever works out.

Will he be leaving HS without a diploma? Or will he get it (all classes done) by the end of his junior year?

 

[Needsanap]

My DD is chem engineering. She started college with 24 credits. It will still take her 4 years to complete. She took her first Eng class first semester. The schedule of courses have to be followed in a certain order.
I’m wondering why his dual enrollment can’t include more classes. Kids here spend half there day at the cc.

Is there a reason his hs won’t allow him to take more AP classes?

Would he feel differently if he was more academically challenged in high school?

 

[QueenIsabella]

Again, thanks to everyone for providing insights.

I believe we have to pay full tuition, since he's going the State U route vs community college. On the good side, tuition is fairly cheap--his sister goes to the same school full time, her tuition is ~$2200 a semester (it's the room, board and fees that kill you!).

The school presentation on DE was via Zoom--I remember them saying that you could only take 2 college courses as a junior--not sure if that's per semester or per year. We figured he'd start with one, make sure it was a good fit--that was before he hit us with "I want college early".

The only thing holding him back from a diploma is his English requirement, which is why he was asking the guidance counselor about doubling up on English next year.

I have talked to his siblings--they seemed very "no big deal" about it. I would like to talk more in-depth with my oldest, but haven't had a chance. She lives 800 miles away, but the two are very close. As it happens, she's a teacher (but--4th grade). She's also finishing her master's, so very busy.

While saving money and time (years in school) are considerations, they're less of an issue for us. While she was alive, his grandmother paid for college for all her grandchildren. She died a few years ago, and left provisions to cover the younger ones (he's the last one). So, he's going to college and it's paid for. Not that I'd turn down merit aid, but we're fortunate that money won't be a deciding factor.

He also may consider more AP classes next year--he hasn't said much to me about his schedule. I know he mentioned APUSH and either Honors or AP Physics. We've got the exchange student hanging around, it's tough to get my son alone for a serious conversation (love the exchange student BTW, he's great, he's just always around!).

 

[mjkacmom]

Again, thanks to everyone for providing insights.

I believe we have to pay full tuition, since he's going the State U route vs community college. On the good side, tuition is fairly cheap--his sister goes to the same school full time, her tuition is ~$2200 a semester (it's the room, board and fees that kill you!).

The school presentation on DE was via Zoom--I remember them saying that you could only take 2 college courses as a junior--not sure if that's per semester or per year. We figured he'd start with one, make sure it was a good fit--that was before he hit us with "I want college early".

The only thing holding him back from a diploma is his English requirement, which is why he was asking the guidance counselor about doubling up on English next year.

I have talked to his siblings--they seemed very "no big deal" about it. I would like to talk more in-depth with my oldest, but haven't had a chance. She lives 800 miles away, but the two are very close. As it happens, she's a teacher (but--4th grade). She's also finishing her master's, so very busy.

While saving money and time (years in school) are considerations, they're less of an issue for us. While she was alive, his grandmother paid for college for all her grandchildren. She died a few years ago, and left provisions to cover the younger ones (he's the last one). So, he's going to college and it's paid for. Not that I'd turn down merit aid, but we're fortunate that money won't be a deciding factor.

He also may consider more AP classes next year--he hasn't said much to me about his schedule. I know he mentioned APUSH and either Honors or AP Physics. We've got the exchange student hanging around, it's tough to get my son alone for a serious conversation (love the exchange student BTW, he's great, he's just always around!).

Wow, that’s cheap, our state schools start at around $7000 a semester.

 

[barkley]

i have'nt read all the replies so i apologize if this has been covered already-

if your state offers what ours calls a 'running start' program (dual enrollment jr/sr year but in reality it's almost entirely college classes with next to nothing at the high school) look to how it's written out ON THE STATE dept of education website. sometimes individual high schools don't implement as they should to the program's stated mandates (require more high school classes/don't count for high school graduation college courses that are legally required to be counted). with that information in hand you can look to see if one of these types of programs would benefit your son (in our state it would mean ZERO tuition with minimal fees and only books/supplies to be paid out of pocket).

i read that your son wants to take the more challenging classes but the reality is that college degrees do require those more vanilla general ed classes which are traditionally taken in freshman and sophomore years so if his major is going to require them he might as well knock them out now esp. if there's a program that would zero out or considerably save on costs (that college fund could serve as a great nest egg or offset grad school costs if that's in his future). the other advantage to some of the dual programs (at least here) is that the public and private universities consider the students in them to be 'incoming freshman' when they formally apply in their senior year of high school. they can still get into the junior year classes and finish up in 2 years (more or less) BUT it opens the door for all the much more generous scholarships AND some great on campus jobs/internships/opportunities in some programs that are exclusively offered to entice promising students to certain majors. with our program many of the general ed classes are offered both in person and on-line (esp. since covid) so students can opt to either go in person or remotely (great if the associated college is a distance from your home).

i think it's beneficial to talk to both the high school counseling staff as well as the university's-the university's will know what works best (financially and educationally) based on dealing with multiple schools/districts, as well as knowing what works best for the major you son wants to pursue.

 

[JLTraveling]

His interests aren't tied directly to school--he takes ballet, violin, and is active in Boy Scouts. Most of his friends are through Scouting.

I haven't read the replies, but this is the part that stood out most to me. As someone who graduated from high school at 14--and went through heck with various schools to be allowed to do so--I heard SO many arguments about how I would lose out on social development. But like your son, I did plenty of socializing....just not at school. My activities were theater and dance, and I had plenty of friends of all ages including my own in those activities. Many, many kids aren't cut out for the "traditional high school experience," but they get those needs met in other ways.

Let him do it. He sounds like a great kid with all the tools needed for success. I personally chose to go to community college, where I used CLEP credits to graduate in one year, and then take a gap year when I was 16. But he'll be close to traditional college age, so there shouldn't be any major issues or red flags with going on to a four-year university. Will it be a transition? Of course. Might he have a few adjustment issues? Sure. But that's true for any new college student, whether they're 17 or 18 or going back later in life.

If all he needs to graduate early is an English requirement, that's great news! Hopefully he can double up next year. If not, have him check into night school/adult school. Way back in the day, my dad dropped out in his junior year. Then he found out he only needed one English class, so he went back and took it at adult school and got his diploma. Didn't hurt him any, he went on to earn a Master's in Engineering. And just a couple of years ago, my cousin (who was not cut out for traditional high school) transferred in her sophomore year to an adult program. That one's designed for adults going back for a GED, but she was able to use it to earn an actual high school diploma.

Again, I would let him do it. There will be challenges along the way, but that's true for anyone on any path.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I started college at 17 due to starting kindergarten early and the one pitfall was not being of legal age to sign things or truly be independent. My parents had to sign all my paperwork, give permission for me to participate in activities . The worst part was when the dance team went to WDW and everyone went to pleasure island and I couldn’t go because I wasn’t 18.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I think it is such an individualized thing. Seeing as how it is his idea my OPINION would be you should seriously consider allowing him to finish high school early and move on to college. If he is motivated, it is almost like an extra year of high school is needlessly holding him back.

The Pros would be:
He has a chance to start pursuing what he wants to do sooner.
He will not spend another year basically wasting time (let's face it, senior year for a lot of kids is just goofing off and coasting to the finish line).

The (possible Cons):
He might miss out on some social stuff and regret it later (although I feel that is unlikely)
College might be a tougher transition at a younger age... but if he is focused and motivated, I doubt that.

I know my DH soooo strongly disagrees with me on this kind of thing.... he would be "Oh no, how could anybody miss that last football season"??? "He could not miss out on another year of going to high school, running around town, drinking beer with your buds on the weekend etc..." Not to compare him to Al Bundy or anything but that is not where everybody peaks. Not everybody needs that extra year, some people move on. Besides, those same guys will still be at all the high school football games, around town and drinking beer for decades to come.

Personally, I would have benefitted from graduating early. At the time I did not WANT to though. I wanted the senior year experience. It was truly a waste of time. All I did was goof off and hang out. The only class I needed was English because it was required all 4 years. From an educational standpoint, my senior year was pointless.

I just feel as if a 4th year of high school is not necessary to prepare many kids for college. If they WANT to graduate early, don't hold them back.

 

[OhhBother]

I haven't read the replies, but this is the part that stood out most to me. As someone who graduated from high school at 14--and went through heck with various schools to be allowed to do so--I heard SO many arguments about how I would lose out on social development. But like your son, I did plenty of socializing....just not at school. My activities were theater and dance, and I had plenty of friends of all ages including my own in those activities. Many, many kids aren't cut out for the "traditional high school experience," but they get those needs met in other ways.

Let him do it. He sounds like a great kid with all the tools needed for success. I personally chose to go to community college, where I used CLEP credits to graduate in one year, and then take a gap year when I was 16. But he'll be close to traditional college age, so there shouldn't be any major issues or red flags with going on to a four-year university. Will it be a transition? Of course. Might he have a few adjustment issues? Sure. But that's true for any new college student, whether they're 17 or 18 or going back later in life.

If all he needs to graduate early is an English requirement, that's great news! Hopefully he can double up next year. If not, have him check into night school/adult school. Way back in the day, my dad dropped out in his junior year. Then he found out he only needed one English class, so he went back and took it at adult school and got his diploma. Didn't hurt him any, he went on to earn a Master's in Engineering. And just a couple of years ago, my cousin (who was not cut out for traditional high school) transferred in her sophomore year to an adult program. That one's designed for adults going back for a GED, but she was able to use it to earn an actual high school diploma.

Again, I would let him do it. There will be challenges along the way, but that's true for anyone on any path.

I agree with this completely. I was an incredibly active teen - involved in all sorts of social activities including a teenage politics group, a church youth group, band (high school and college), drama club, etc. I never felt like I missed out on the social experiences of high school and college at all. I just got to skip a couple of years of classes that weren't challenging to me and move on to a college experience that was much more enjoyable.

 

[1GoldenSun]

My first reaction would be--why in the world would any kid be in a hurry to grow up? You have such a short time to be a kid and the vast majority of your life to be grown up--enjoy "childhood" as long as you can. Others may argue the value of that extra year of employment; with well-invested savings, the beauty of compound interest, etc., one extra year of income may make a huge difference to your retirement account. But if you're going into a lucrative field and will not really need to worry about adequate retirement savings, I think an extra year of childhood is worth it.

But I think there are a very, very few teens who are just...already adults. An extra year of "childhood" may just be wasted time for them. Your kid sounds like he just may be one of those few who are ready for adulthood early.

 

[Skippy918]

I have no advice on the high school part because for me, I wouldn’t have wanted to skip senior year. Between prom and a bunch of senior events, I have a lot of good memories.
For college though, I would look at schools with co-op programs. I majored in chem eng. It was hard. Building up work experience while in school was great though. It will help him see what he likes or doesn’t like in a job. He also should keep in mind that employers want well rounded candidates. They want to see good grades but also involvement in extracurricular activities in college and possibly volunteering. Many co-op programs are 5 years and having that extra year will be good. I had several friends who did co-op but also got their masters degrees in addition to their bachelors. Some came in with college credit so they didn’t have to overload their schedules as much.

 

[MrsPete]

From a high school teacher:
- You emphasized he's a smart kid -- that's the least important part of this equation.
- You say he's strongly motivated /a self-starter -- that's probably the most important part of this equation.

- You say starting at a community college isn't an option. I'd rethink that: I understand you don't want him to take his "intro classes" at the community college, but what about gen-ed classes that are required for a degree -- but won't build towards his upper-level engineering classes? I'm talking about basic English classes, social sciences, PE or arts classes, public speaking classes -- those don't build towards his future engineering classes. Seems to me that having him live at home (while he's still very young!), paying lower prices, yet having him rack up college credits is a win-win-win.

- You say financial aid and scholarships are no-gos. As a two-engineer household, yes, I suspect financial aid isn't in your cards, but not all scholarships are based upon need -- many of them are awarded for academic or athletic achievement, some for leadership or community service, some for proven ability in specific areas such as dance, scouting, music, JROTC, etc. Still others are awarded for odd things; for example, my daughters both attended a university in a rural mountain area -- the school offers multiple scholarships for students born in that rural area.

- Could he take online classes for his first year so that he doesn't have to live away from home just yet? My children both took online classes in college, and this was pre-Covid -- well, Covid hit in my youngest's last semester.

- If he leaves early, what will he leave un-done in high school? Time on low-academic classes could turn out to be worthwhile for him; for example, I know one student who is now an engineer ... he really got into ceramics in high school, and his mom said he loved that brain-break /loved having a part of his day that wasn't high-academic. Similarly, working as an assistant in the school office or media center could be a positive ... our smartest kids often don't grasp "how the world works" outside of their small, elite group. Taking basic auto mechanics could be a positive down the road. He will never again have the chance to do that France-trip /scout jamboree with a group of friends.

- I'm a big fan of having the student do something different in the senior year. My oldest spent half her day in the hospital and earned a CNA license in high school -- it also made senior year different from the other three years. My youngest was dual-enrolled between the high school and community college -- again, it worked out great for her. Could he do some job-shadowing? Could he add more AP classes? With online classes, he isn't limited to the AP classes offered by your high school.

Changing thought processes:
- If he leaves high school early, you're probably talking about him going away to college around 17. You say he's a loner by choice. It's one thing to be a loner at school, then come home to your family. How will that translate into living in a dorm 24 hours a day? Will he be ready to find himself surrounded by older students socially 24 hours a day? Will he be ready to deal with the unexpected problems that always pop up?

- Has he had a part-time job? Working at a job provides lessons that can't be learned in a classroom, and the confidence that comes with earning his own money would stand him in good stead as he heads out on his own. It's been my experience that super-smart kids sometimes miss these life experiences /trade them for more and more classes, and that doesn't always work out well.

- Still thinking about the part-time job thing -- scholarship committees and future employers definitely like to hear that recent college graduates have some experience clocking in on time, getting along with co-workers, etc. The super-smart kids don't always excel in these things; in my experience, a good number of them come out of high school with the idea they're the exception to all the rules.

- You don't sound ready to let him leave the nest a year early. As a mother, I'm with you on that.

Last thoughts:
- Visiting campuses is absolutely a great idea. Can he sign up to spend the night on campus /attend some classes so he will have an idea of what university would be like?

- Like a lot of other posters here, I wouldn't go for it. He has these few years to be in high school, and he has decades upon decades to be an adult. Let him be a kid -- maybe you need to force him to be a kid.

- Staying in high school the standard four years carries no risks. Sure, the classes won't be as challenging, but so what? On the other hand, moving ahead to college a year early carries significant risks -- more social than academic -- and you can't go back and change it, if you realize it was the wrong decision.

 

[QueenIsabella]

OP here. To answer a few questions:

Community college is off the table. He already applied and got accepted to do dual enrollment at the State U. He's already looked into the "humanities" type requirements at the engineering schools he's most interested in, they didn't look that bad to him. He might do college freshman English as part of dual enrollment, up to him.

He's applied for part-time jobs. He turned 16 at the end of Feb. He's planning on fully paying for his trip to South Korea next summer and wants to work (dream crappy HS job: barista. He makes his own cold brew every day.)

He's a pretty well-rounded student. As parents, we emphasize interesting and challenging classes, versus those that help the GPA/class rank. He's taking art this semester. Last semester, I think he was the only kid in the school who was taking Honors Chemistry, Honors Pre-calc, and Culinary Arts (he loves to cook!) at the same time. He aced all three, and wants to take Culinary 2 next year.

I AM a little concerned about him surviving dorm life. I think he'll get along fine with his dorm-mates, but the noise and chaos may bug him. Optimally, IMHO, would be to commute to State U for a year and transfer. I think having him stay over a night in a dorm might be a good idea--we'll look into that.

P.S. Yes, we know we're fortunate to live in a low-tuition state. Out Northeast friends are jealous.

 

[Sinder]

A pp posted that alot of non academic growth happens between 16-18. That is definitely true. It is also true that many college students are still 17 when they are freshman due to when their birthdays fall and when school enrollment begins. I wouldn’t use age as a factor in saying no, but his maturity instead.

 

[mom2rtk]

My son has a ChemE degree. And my daughter is a junior Mechanical Engineering major. Obviously you know your child best. And you're familiar with the rigors of engineering school. Personally I wouldn't encourage it. Why not lay the foundation with dual credit Calculus, Physics and Chemistry? I would be very nervous about them jumping in at the college level without high school experience is these subjects. Almost every other engineering student will enter college with experience taking some form of these classes at the high school level.

 

[chickapin parterre]

our smartest kids often don't grasp "how the world works" outside of their small, elite group. Taking basic auto mechanics could be a positive down the road. He will never again have the chance to do that France-trip /scout jamboree with a group of friends.

my observation also as a high school teacher.

 

[JLTraveling]

- Staying in high school the standard four years carries no risks. Sure, the classes won't be as challenging, but so what? On the other hand, moving ahead to college a year early carries significant risks -- more social than academic -- and you can't go back and change it, if you realize it was the wrong decision.

Respectfully, this is dead wrong. This is the exact same argument that teachers and administrators gave me and my parents starting when I was 7 years old. You'd never believe my entire story if I told it, and it really isn't relevant here. But the bottom line is that I have been a grown adult for a long time now, and I am STILL working through the psychological damage I have from well-meaning school officials who did their level best to hold me back. At 7, I was a happy and well-adjusted kid who was several grades above age level, involved in a bunch of activities outside school, and just wanted to learn everything about everything. By the time I finally made it out of high school at 14, I was an anxious, angry, neurotic mess who wanted nothing more than to put it all behind me. I was DONE. And it wasn't because skipping grades was hard on me, it was because I'd spent my ENTIRE childhood fighting for someone to recognize that I needed radical acceleration like I needed air. Had someone forced me to stay with my age group all the way until I was 17/18, I probably wouldn't be here today.

I'm not saying the OP's son is in the same position that I was. But I can't stand when people say that there is no risk to the standard four year high school program, or that there are significant social risks to breaking that mold.

 

[Needsanap]

You do know your son best. You will make the right decision for him.

I’m amazed at how different states are concerning high school graduation requirements and dual enrollment. How you explain dual enrollment is very different than my state.

 

[mjkacmom]

OP here. To answer a few questions:

Community college is off the table. He already applied and got accepted to do dual enrollment at the State U. He's already looked into the "humanities" type requirements at the engineering schools he's most interested in, they didn't look that bad to him. He might do college freshman English as part of dual enrollment, up to him.

He's applied for part-time jobs. He turned 16 at the end of Feb. He's planning on fully paying for his trip to South Korea next summer and wants to work (dream crappy HS job: barista. He makes his own cold brew every day.)

He's a pretty well-rounded student. As parents, we emphasize interesting and challenging classes, versus those that help the GPA/class rank. He's taking art this semester. Last semester, I think he was the only kid in the school who was taking Honors Chemistry, Honors Pre-calc, and Culinary Arts (he loves to cook!) at the same time. He aced all three, and wants to take Culinary 2 next year.

I AM a little concerned about him surviving dorm life. I think he'll get along fine with his dorm-mates, but the noise and chaos may bug him. Optimally, IMHO, would be to commute to State U for a year and transfer. I think having him stay over a night in a dorm might be a good idea--we'll look into that.

P.S. Yes, we know we're fortunate to live in a low-tuition state. Out Northeast friends are jealous.

How is the rigor at his high school? All of my kids took honors chemistry, pre-calculus, culinary and APUSH sophomore year (plus Dd19 took AP stat that year as an elective, she wants to be an actuary), and many others did as well (at least their friends). They found out in college that HS was much easier (business and science majors). Has he looked into the stats needed for schools he is thinking of applying to? Have him research what classes will transfer, some majors want core classes taken at their school.