High school in 5 years?

[Sue G in PA]

As I have posted before, my dd14 is a young 9th grader having started school at age 4. The cutoff was late Dec. in MD when she started school. All of her friends now in PA are almost a year or more older than her. The cutoff in PA has always been Sept. 1. This has never been a problem for her academically...she has always been right on target or advanced. She is very immature "socially" in that she still enjoys playing with younger girls, fits in much better with her middle school friends at church, etc. I'm happy with this. I am looking to the future and her graduating at 17 and starting college at 17. I believe that to be rather young to be away from home (if she would go away to college...it is likely she will do local comm. clge. for 2 yrs). I don't want to "hold her back" a grade b/c she is capable of 9th grade material but I want to give her time to mature. Does this make sense? How would it look to colleges if she took 5 years to complete high school? Would it matter at all? She would still keep up the pace of a normal course-load. Perhaps she would even just delay college for a year to pursue interests more or go on missions trips. She would like to be a missionary one day. What do you all think? Thanks.

[regentrude]

She would still keep up the pace of a normal course-load.

 

If that's the case, why not just put the last four years on her transcript? (I don't think anybody cares what her grade was called)

Or organize your transcript by subject and not by year and count all highschool level work? (Many 8th graders have some highschool classes they get credit for)

Of course, if she wants to take a year break, there is no problem at all.

[Teachin'Mine]

If that's the case, why not just put the last four years on her transcript? (I don't think anybody cares what her grade was called)

Or organize your transcript by subject and not by year and count all highschool level work? (Many 8th graders have some highschool classes they get credit for)

Of course, if she wants to take a year break, there is no problem at all.

 

I agree. :)

[Alyce]

When he got to his Junior year we began having serious conversation about the direction he wanted to take. By his senior year he had all the college bound courses finished but I told him we could certainly find other courses for him to take if he wanted to do a 5th year. He himself told me he didn't feel ready to go to college because he was only going to be 17 and he felt that was too young but he still wanted to graduate on time. We decided that he'd take a year of courses at the CC, light courses covering some general ed of the college he would likely go to. He applied this past fall and was accepted to the college. He now has 24 credit hours under his belt that will be accepted by the school he is going to and both my husband and I as well as my son can see how much he has matured in just that one year. Now he's ready to go and is excited and we feel more comfortable at letting him go.

[Hunter]

I'd plan on a gap year, doing something interesting and character building, before she starts college. It also gives you catch up time, if some unexpected family disaster occurs, or you make a major curriculum boo boo.

[FloridaLisa]

As I have posted before, my dd14 is a young 9th grader having started school at age 4. The cutoff was late Dec. in MD when she started school. All of her friends now in PA are almost a year or more older than her. The cutoff in PA has always been Sept. 1. This has never been a problem for her academically...she has always been right on target or advanced. She is very immature "socially" in that she still enjoys playing with younger girls, fits in much better with her middle school friends at church, etc. I'm happy with this. I am looking to the future and her graduating at 17 and starting college at 17. I believe that to be rather young to be away from home (if she would go away to college...it is likely she will do local comm. clge. for 2 yrs). I don't want to "hold her back" a grade b/c she is capable of 9th grade material but I want to give her time to mature. Does this make sense? How would it look to colleges if she took 5 years to complete high school? Would it matter at all? She would still keep up the pace of a normal course-load. Perhaps she would even just delay college for a year to pursue interests more or go on missions trips. She would like to be a missionary one day. What do you all think? Thanks.

 

If she's not going away until she finishes at the CC, does her young age still matter to you?

 

You have several choices if you do want to lengthen her high school and actually graduate her when she is 18. You could just count the last 4 years, as some have suggested. You could continue on and dual-enroll completely her senior year. Or maybe you could fit in a gap year with missionary experiences.

 

FWIW, I had a similar situation. I began K at 4 and began college at 17. I never regretted it, but for several reasons have chosen to redshirt my kids that have late summer birthdays. I've not regretted that either. ;)

 

HTH,

Lisa

[BakersDozen]

I'm very thankful for this thread because just this morning I was contemplating this same situation. My newly-turned 12yo will be 15yo when she graduates and that I do not want. I like the idea of having her transcript be by subject and do plan to have her have a "delight directed" year if possible. My 13yos would be 16yo when he graduates and I know for sure he will not be ready for that! I have set up with various friends for him to do an apprentice year (electrician, carpenter, auto mechanic).

[Jeanne in MN]

We are in a similar boat! One family in our hs is keeping their daughter a senior for an extra year because of her age too. They are going to dual enroll her so she can take college courses that year and they will be paid for by the state. May not be an option in other states, but is in MN

[EKS]

My son started high school work across the board as an 8th grader. I kept records of everything he did that year as though he were in high school. If it is in his best interests to graduate early (he will actually have enough credits to graduate by the end of 10th grade) then he can. But more likely, some or all of the high school work he did in 8th grade will drop off his transcript and he will graduate somewhere around his 18th birthday.

 

So in answer to your question--high school over 5 years is a fine idea.

 

ETA: The current plan is for him to dual enroll at the community college in his last two years of high school.

Edited January 29, 2011 by EKS

[Brindee]

We're running into that too. DD will turn 17 a couple of months before graduating. I have no qualms with her being able to do the work, but I wouldn't want to send her away to college then, I don't think. I'd love to have her around as long as possible!

 

Oldest ds turned 18 a few days before he graduated, and ds17 will turn 18 near the beginning of his senior year. This fits each of their personalities and abilities well!

 

I think though, that since dd will be a little younger, we may do a gap year. She would work on a community project and have a job for a year, probably. The boys and I LOVE mission trips, but dh and dd are homebodies, preferring to stick close to home. She finished one community project already (she and her friend raised $38,000 for a playground for autistic kids, and kids with other mental and/or physical illnesses! It was built by a bunch of wonderful volunteers, and now those kids have it to work with their problems and things), so "knows" people to help get another project going.

 

Anyway, lots to think about! I hope you come up with a great plan for your dd!

[Cabertmom]

I think having an extra year to be a direct influence to your daughter would be great. It would also give her a time to ponder where her interests and abilities truly lie. What about having her focus it on a few academic specialties, like studying one country's history in depth and/or one author or one country's literary giants?

 

You know, so many young adults go off to college with no idea what they want to do. This could be a year to dig deeply into things that interest her and figure that out ahead of college if she doesn't already know.

 

Another idea is an apprenticeship situation of some sort, depending on where her interests lie.