Senior year can be an overwhelming time in life. College applications, FAFSA applications, cap and gown orders and credit requirements all contribute to a load of stress and excitement. Some students make the decision to do all of this a year early, increasing their workload and stress even more.
This is the reality for Clementine Trost-Bailey and Harper Gorman, two students who have decided to graduate early this year.
“I had enough credits from middle school that I would have enough at the end of junior year to graduate, and I thought, ‘why spend an extra year here if I didn’t really have to?’” said Junior Clementine Trost-Bailey. “Getting out into the world sooner and having more opportunities sooner in life and then having to spend less time here is definitely a benefit.”
Junior Harper Gorman also said she’s excited to get out into the world sooner. She plans to attend Kalamazoo College and study biochemistry after graduation. She also wants to take art and writing classes, which will push her further than high school classes would.
“I think that I would get more out of art classes in college than I would in high school because in high school, there’s just the participation points,” said Gorman. “I want to get yelled at. I want someone to tell me my art sucks so that I can get better at it.”
It might sound idyllic to eliminate year four of high school, but graduating early isn’t an easy thing to accomplish and requires many sacrifices. Graduating early means taking the SAT early, prioritizing classes required for graduation, and lots of dedication.
“You have to really be focused on school. You can’t take as many fun classes,” said Gorman. “My sister really wanted me to take choir with her this year, but I just couldn’t fit it in if I wanted to get out.”
Graduating early isn’t the best option for everyone, especially if a student is aiming to go to certain colleges. Many colleges prioritize admitting students with four years of core subjects like English and math.
“I couldn’t go to U of M because they like having four years of high school. Don’t graduate early if you want to go to U of M,” said Gorman. “It would have been cool to have the option to go there, but I like smaller schools, so K is probably the right choice.”
Being in college a year early also presents its own challenges. Entering college a year early means that a student might be younger, less experienced and less ready to enter the world.
“In college, I’m definitely going to be the youngest person in a lot of places,” said Gorman. “It makes me a little nervous, but hopefully people are nice.”
Both Trost-Bailey and Gorman expressed sadness about leaving some of their friends behind and missing out on certain aspects of high school.
Missing out on a senior year means missing out on many senior activities, such as senior prom, senior sunrise and even just graduating with your own class. For some students, these experiences matter less than getting a head start towards college by graduating early, but for others, these things can be valuable, fun experiences not worth missing.
“It’s kind of sad that I also have friends here that I’m going to be leaving behind a year early, and it does feel like missing out on a lot of stuff that you would usually have,” said Trost-Bailey. “There would be more experiences in four years rather than three, so I am missing out on a lot of things.”
