Should we let her graduate early?

[Veronica in VA]

We are considering letting our dd graduate early. At the end of this year, her junior year, she'll have 24 and possibly 25 credits. Most of her friends were older and have already graduated and she is feeling at somewhat loose ends. She is mature for her age and her friends were always the little bit older group. I had planned for her to take CC classes but since my dh lost his job this summer I couldn't enroll her. She plans to work part time this fall. Anyway, what are the pros and cons of graduating her early and letting her attend CC full time versus still calling it homeschooling, but having her take a few classes at the CC. She plans to go for her RN at the local CC college.

Any ideas or BTDT stories welcome!

Thanks,

Veronica

[readwithem]

We are considering letting our dd graduate early. At the end of this year, her junior year, she'll have 24 and possibly 25 credits. Most of her friends were older and have already graduated and she is feeling at somewhat loose ends. She is mature for her age and her friends were always the little bit older group. I had planned for her to take CC classes but since my dh lost his job this summer I couldn't enroll her. She plans to work part time this fall. Anyway, what are the pros and cons of graduating her early and letting her attend CC full time versus still calling it homeschooling, but having her take a few classes at the CC. She plans to go for her RN at the local CC college.

Any ideas or BTDT stories welcome!

Thanks,

Veronica

Look into having her take dual credit, it might be free if she's considered a high school student.

[SnowWhite]

I graduated early. I recommend it.

What I did was to do "summer school" for my fourth English credit and drop the electives (think fluff classes) I had scheduled for my senior year. Then I took the job offer I had. It was a priceless opportunity, teaching at a 1-2 room Amish school next door. I did that for 3 years, then my family moved to southern Indiana, where I entered university for my education degree. (Graduated summa cum laude, went on to earn my Masters degree with a 4.0).

[Kareni]

One potential plus of graduating early is that your daughter would then be eligible for financial aid at the community college. If you live in a state without dual enrollment benefits (as do we), the cost of college classes can mount up.

Regards,
Kareni

[carol]

Would she be going to college locally? I had a friend who's daugter graduated early. Her daughter had a difficult time socially. While her friends were dating she
had to say no because she was a minor and they were adults. In fact she was the only minor at the university.
She was living in an apartment on her own to avoid the issues affiliated with dorms but living on her own at 16 sounds young.

Carol

[carolinagirl710]

It has worked out great for a dear friend's daughter. She worked very hard to graduate early and is doing well at a local university.

[Veronica in VA]

[quote=carol;442647]Would she be going to college locally? I had a friend who's daugter graduated early. Her daughter had a difficult time socially. While her friends were dating she
had to say no because she was a minor and they were adults. In fact she was the only minor at the university.
She was living in an apartment on her own to avoid the issues affiliated with dorms but living on her own at 16 sounds young.


She would be going to the local community college for the first 2 years. What she would like to do is get the prereqs out of the way for nursing and work, then start the nursing program at the CC the following year.

Thanks for all the advice! I think we will graduate her early - maybe in June, maybe not till next December. I certainly never planned to do this, but I think for her it will be the best thing. Now I have to decide what I want to do after she is done - she is my last one homeschooling.

Thanks everyone,

Veronica

[Ellie]

If she were mine, I'd let her graduate early. She's completed the "normal" academic requirements; I see no point in not recognizing that fact now.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I've struggled with this question but the answers above were great. My daughter is taking 3 courses from the community college (I can't afford a 4th, but she probably will do 4 during Spring semester), has already completed what would normally be a high school education, and we're just weighing the options.

For us, it may well come out to money. She can take the first two classes free with dual enrollment. But she can get financial aid if we just graduate her. With two going to college, the latter is probably more beneficial.

But for this year, we're just calling her an 11th grader. We have til spring to make a decision.

[Lori L]

My daughter has done this this year. She was going to take a few CC and a few homeschool classes for her senior year but she decided that she would rather do her homeschool courses as summer school classes and graduate early (with 24.5 credits). All of her friends graduated this year too. She finished her homeschooling this Friday. We just got her pictures back for her announcements yesterday and will be mailing off graduation announcements Monday. Her first CC classes start next Friday. Since she turns 18 in Sept., we're good with her decision. The last minute decision to do summer school and graduate early did mean that she has to start at the CC, but we're happy with that decision too.

[sarahli]

I am an RN, and one of the nurses I worked with was homeschooled. She graduated early and earned her RN at 18 or 19 and was doing quite well.