5 answers
Kyra
Student
Marion, Iowa
8
Questions
Asked
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Graduating early?
What are some good ways to graduate early? How can I graduate by my sophomore year in highschool as a freshman?
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5 answers
Darian Stacy
Scientist, Healthcare Professional
13
Answers
Reno, Nevada
Updated
Darian’s Answer
Hello Kyra! This is actually a topic very near and dear to my heart. I graduated with my bachelor's of science and with a college-level certificate after only five semesters in college. With that being said I do not know anyone else who has been able to complete college in such a short period of time. It took a ton of effort and I started with this goal when I was a sophomore in high school.
Here are some of the things I did:
Decided my major in high school: This allowed me to cater my high school classes to the courses that I would need to take for credit in my undergrad.
I took as many AP credits as I could that would directly transfer over and fill the necessary credits for my degree.
I took concurrent credit courses when they were offered. I know that this is not available in every state or in every school but during my sophomore, junior, and senior year of high school the classes were at a high enough level that the teachers were also affiliated with local colleges and I could sign up to get credit for both high school and college at the same time in these classes.
When I was signed up as a concurrent credit student through my local colleges I decided to take summer courses to get rid of my core classes before even stepping on campus for the first time. I did this through their online college.
I took CLEP exams. They are through the college board and are similar to AP exams but you can take them at any point in your education. I tested out of psychology during my first semester as an undergrad.
When I finally got to college I took at many credits a semester as my college would allowed, for my institution it was 21 credits. Now this is A LOT of credits. High school courses and college courses vary drastically in difficulty level and taking this many credits can severely impact your life. I was sleeping for four hours a day for several months straight. I worked twenty-hour days.
I took summer courses when the pathway was too long to complete in five regular (spring/fall) semesters.
With all this being said, this path is not for everyone. I experienced some very, very severe burnout during my senior year of high school and almost dropped out. It is not worth getting done with higher education coursework in such a compressed manner if you are not even going to graduate like I nearly didn't. It also is very important that you keep up your grades in concurrent credit classes because when you finally get to undergrad you will be kicking yourself if you let your high school grades slip and now have a lesser grade on your college transcript as well. Doing all of these things also makes it much more difficult if you ever plan on applying to a graduate program. I am currently applying to get my master's and I have to order a transcript for every single college that I went to, even when I was in high school. This is taking a significant amount of time and has cost me several hundred dollars which is only for one part of the application. That is not even including the extra steps I have to take because I took AP and CLEP tests, which many graduate programs don't even accept.
So this is doable, but honestly I wouldn't recommend it. College is a very fun and rewarding experience that many people see as some of the best times of their life. Although I can see the benefits of graduating early it is very stressful and time-consuming while you are in the process of cramming it.
Here are some of the things I did:
Decided my major in high school: This allowed me to cater my high school classes to the courses that I would need to take for credit in my undergrad.
I took as many AP credits as I could that would directly transfer over and fill the necessary credits for my degree.
I took concurrent credit courses when they were offered. I know that this is not available in every state or in every school but during my sophomore, junior, and senior year of high school the classes were at a high enough level that the teachers were also affiliated with local colleges and I could sign up to get credit for both high school and college at the same time in these classes.
When I was signed up as a concurrent credit student through my local colleges I decided to take summer courses to get rid of my core classes before even stepping on campus for the first time. I did this through their online college.
I took CLEP exams. They are through the college board and are similar to AP exams but you can take them at any point in your education. I tested out of psychology during my first semester as an undergrad.
When I finally got to college I took at many credits a semester as my college would allowed, for my institution it was 21 credits. Now this is A LOT of credits. High school courses and college courses vary drastically in difficulty level and taking this many credits can severely impact your life. I was sleeping for four hours a day for several months straight. I worked twenty-hour days.
I took summer courses when the pathway was too long to complete in five regular (spring/fall) semesters.
With all this being said, this path is not for everyone. I experienced some very, very severe burnout during my senior year of high school and almost dropped out. It is not worth getting done with higher education coursework in such a compressed manner if you are not even going to graduate like I nearly didn't. It also is very important that you keep up your grades in concurrent credit classes because when you finally get to undergrad you will be kicking yourself if you let your high school grades slip and now have a lesser grade on your college transcript as well. Doing all of these things also makes it much more difficult if you ever plan on applying to a graduate program. I am currently applying to get my master's and I have to order a transcript for every single college that I went to, even when I was in high school. This is taking a significant amount of time and has cost me several hundred dollars which is only for one part of the application. That is not even including the extra steps I have to take because I took AP and CLEP tests, which many graduate programs don't even accept.
So this is doable, but honestly I wouldn't recommend it. College is a very fun and rewarding experience that many people see as some of the best times of their life. Although I can see the benefits of graduating early it is very stressful and time-consuming while you are in the process of cramming it.
Fred Rosenberger
Data Analyst
389
Answers
St. Louis, MO
Updated
Fred’s Answer
It is most likely not possible. Each school district sets policies on what classes must be taken in order to graduate. I believe these are based on State guidelines. Regardless, there are certain minimum requirements in terms of the total number of credits, as well as credits in various disciplines. I recall needing to have:
4 years of english
3 years of math
3 years of science
3 social studies
1 gym
.5 health
.5 practical arts
.5 personal finance
7.5 electives
That's 24 credits. We had 7 classes a day, so you are looking at a minimum of 3.5 years. Now, it is possible to take some extra curricular classes, perhaps at a community college, but it would be near impossible to earn enough to graduate high school in two years.
4 years of english
3 years of math
3 years of science
3 social studies
1 gym
.5 health
.5 practical arts
.5 personal finance
7.5 electives
That's 24 credits. We had 7 classes a day, so you are looking at a minimum of 3.5 years. Now, it is possible to take some extra curricular classes, perhaps at a community college, but it would be near impossible to earn enough to graduate high school in two years.
Thank you for taking the time to help.
Kyra
I would advise against trying to finish any curriculum early. Rather use the already limited time you have to dig in to each subject you're studying, beyond that which the teacher has assigned. Also, think about the path you want to be on professionally, then try and talk with those folks. Focus questions on day to day activities and the longevity of the career.
Rob Miller
Mary Jean Eggleston
Crisis respnse supervisor, volunteer recruiter, intern supervisor and training coordinator
8
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Mary Jean’s Answer
I agree with the first answer, adding that the number of required credits depends on your school/state requirements. It is possible to graduate early by taking online courses after making sure that your school will accept the credits. Some students are able to graduate a semester or two early by taking accelerated classes in the summer. Both options are challenging and require great time management skills as well as motivation and self-discipline.
Talk to your school guidance counselor about online and summer classes.
Mary Jean recommends the following next steps:
I appreciate this, thank you for the advice.
Kyra
You're welcome. :-) Best wishes!
Mary Jean Eggleston
Jason Pang
Systems Engineer
4
Answers
Arcadia, California
Updated
Jason’s Answer
I also agree with Fred and Mary mostly. However, some states and schools may allow you to petition to graduate early: in Iowa it seems you would need to be at least 16, and have completed all of your credits with passing grades. https://www.highschoolcube.com/how-to-graduate-high-school-early-in-iowa/
You may not be able to graduate 2 years early, but you can prepare for a head start in college if that's your intention. Personally I would recommend (as an alternative to graduating early) taking AP classes that count for college credit. It's usually easier to graduate early from college because you have more time to prepare for it.
You may not be able to graduate 2 years early, but you can prepare for a head start in college if that's your intention. Personally I would recommend (as an alternative to graduating early) taking AP classes that count for college credit. It's usually easier to graduate early from college because you have more time to prepare for it.
You rock! This advice is very helpful.
Kyra
Keith Rodgers
Sales Director
108
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Keith’s Answer
Don't rush the process...because once you get on the "hamster wheel", it doesn't really stop (i.e. bills, job responsibilities, taxes, etc.). In the workforce, you don't get any extra credit for finishing early.
If you are talking about High School...I would say, not many opportunities for that. You can start college early while attending HS, but graduating early from HS would like require higher than grade-level academics and state testing to skip grade(s). Honestly, I see so many kids asking about how to get into the workforce sooner or finish academics faster....do me this favor, unless you are Doogie Howser, MD...don't.
Enjoy being a kid. Enjoy being a young adult. Enjoy the freedom of exploration and expression.
Learn from those experiences. Experience as many different things in an environment that encourages exploration.
Get your work ethic firmly developed. Get your head on straight. Get to know yourself before you make that leap because it is a significant jump in complexity once you do.
If you are talking about High School...I would say, not many opportunities for that. You can start college early while attending HS, but graduating early from HS would like require higher than grade-level academics and state testing to skip grade(s). Honestly, I see so many kids asking about how to get into the workforce sooner or finish academics faster....do me this favor, unless you are Doogie Howser, MD...don't.
Enjoy being a kid. Enjoy being a young adult. Enjoy the freedom of exploration and expression.
Learn from those experiences. Experience as many different things in an environment that encourages exploration.
Get your work ethic firmly developed. Get your head on straight. Get to know yourself before you make that leap because it is a significant jump in complexity once you do.