Parents of advanced students often ask me how early their student can begin college, wondering both what is realistic and what is practical. In order to best answer it, I think it’s a good idea to break the question down and dissect it.
a. How early is it realistically possible to attend college?
b. How early is best for my student to attend college?
There have been numerous documented cases of students attending college before they’ve reached double-digits in age, but these are rare cases, and certainly not the norm. If a student has completed the necessary requirements to graduate high school, there is nothing to keep him from attending the local university, unless they have a minimum age requirement. (Always check with the admissions department of the intended school to verify their specific requirements.)
So the answer to the first part of the question, “how early is it realistically possible to attend college?” is as soon as the student has met the necessary academic requirements for high school graduation, as opposed to a certain age.
Now, just because a student can attend at such an early age doesn’t necessarily mean that he should. The college years are a time of growth and maturation, a time when most students are on their own for the very first time, away from mom and dad, and the rules and regulations that go along with living at home. Because of this, and also because the majority of their peers will be in the traditional college age range of 18-24, I would recommend against it before age 16 or so.
Statistically, few students below this age can handle the many pressures and influences thrust upon them for the first time in college, especially if living on campus in a dormitory environment. Although many students at this age can handle the academic rigors of college, psychologically it’s not recommend, as they will have missed out on the high school developmental years that play a huge part in college preparation.
All of this aside, every student is different, and you’ll need to make the decision based upon your own child’s needs and abilities. If your student is on pace to graduate early, have him take dual enrollment courses to get a feel for the college environment before making the jump to a four-year university with on-campus living. Part-time work in conjunction with online courses are another option. Finally, remember that the high school years are a great time to volunteer or cultivate a hobby that can provide enjoyment for years to come, as well as possible business ideas for a future career.
A rigorous homeschool curriculum is always recommended, but make sure to balance it with extra-curriculars that will round out your student. Balance is the name of the game. A well rounded student will be the most prepared for college along with whatever else life can throw at him!
This is probably not what most parents want to hear, but I recommend against starting college early. My parents, with the very best of intentions, had me start several years early. In addition to first hand experience, I have a degree in psychology and I also worked as a counselor for an early college program for many years. Again and again I saw the pattern repeat. Parents are enthused by their child’s academic intelligence, and so they rush them to grow up, forgetting about the importance of social intelligence and maturation. What the child actually goes through is they miss out on important high school and teenage learning experiences, but also the child never gets to have a normal college life either, which is an important part of early adulthood. Other college students think of them as dorky kids, so college is an isolating miserable experience. Please, no matter how smart your child is, don’t rob them of their teen years. They need the experience of learning to be confident, despite the click cheer leaders or football jocks. They need to have their first crush and first kiss with a teenage boy, not a college adult male preying on young innocent lonely girls. They need to attend school dances, run for class office, and find out how to get along and communicate with people who are not as academically gifted as they, but with whom they can become friends. These things aren’t taught in text books, they are learned in life in these critical years. If you skip your child past them, they pay a painful emotional price for many years to come. Slow down, enjoy this time with your teenager. Guide them through the challenging yet learning filled years of high school with love and patience. So they get A’s the whole time, GREAT! They can focus on the soft skills, making friends, arts, debate, community volunteerism, politics, whatever their interest. They will find a voice that is their own, not just a reflection of what they think you want to hear. They will find passions and loves that could lead them to careers born from their hearts, not from your expectations of them. They will find that being smart, is not everything to life, but it is a gift they can learn to put to use to propel their future while still living a life they love.