Pros and Cons of Graduating High School a Year Early

Key Takeaways – Pros and Cons of Graduating Early:

  • Graduating high school early can be difficult but worth it for students who want to enter the workforce or go to college early.
  • Pros of graduating high school early include getting a head start on college, more engaging courses, and the potential for saving money.
  • However, students can miss milestones like prom, lose out on dual enrollment, and be limited in terms of work.
  • Those interested in graduating early will have to talk to their guidance counselor to have their plan approved.

Graduating high school early can bring several possibilities to students! However, it’s not for the faint of heart. There are pros and cons of graduating high school early that a student needs to consider before making this decision. Below, we highlight these benefits and downsides and give you some information about how to graduate high school early if you decide this is for you!A student wearing a graduation cap.

What It Means to Graduate High School Early

Graduating high school early means you will receive your diploma before your classmates. However, this also means that you will have to complete 4 years of required coursework in 3.5 years or less.

Leaving high school early can be attractive, especially if you’re eager to enter college as soon as possible, but there are factors that can influence your decision. On the surface, it requires a significant amount of self-discipline, planning, and motivation, but you could also be giving up opportunities by leaving high school early.

Understanding the pros and cons of graduating high school early can help you make the best decision for your future.

Pros and Cons of Graduating High School Early

This table provides a quick glance at the pros and cons of graduating high school early, and we go into more depth below.

Pros Cons
You get a head start on college. You’ll have a higher workload.
You could save money. You could spend more.
You might be able to get a job earlier. You’ll miss out on unique experiences.
You can take more challenging courses. You may be limited on work options.
You’ll avoid senioritis You’ll be entering adulthood earlier.

Pros

Here are just some of the advantages of graduating high school early:

  • You can get a head start on college. By graduating high school early, you can enter college faster. Some 4-year colleges offer early admission to early graduates, but you can also go to a community college if your dream school doesn’t have early admissions.
  • You could save money. By working in the time between when you graduate and when you start your first college semester, you can save that income to help pay for college. Or, you can take a couple of community college courses that would be cheaper and supplement the more expensive 4-year college courses.
  • You can enter the workforce faster. Whether you enter the workforce straight out of high school or choose to go to college, you’ll be increasing your earning potential. After all, if you go to college early, you stand to graduate from college early, too!
  • There’s more time for a gap year. Graduating seniors sometimes take a gap year to travel, work, or volunteer. If you finish high school a semester or a year early, you can take that gap year and still start college “on schedule.”
  • You’ll avoid senioritis. High school seniors are usually done applying to colleges by January 1. Knowing their transcripts are off, they run the risk of catching senioritis, or being less motivated to finish coursework. By graduating early, you can’t catch it!

Cons

Some downsides of graduating high school early include:

  • You’ll be taking on a higher workload. The required commitment and discipline from students makes it easy to get overwhelmed. Students need top notch time management, productivity, and organizational skills. You might need to take summer classes or skip study halls and college-level courses.
  • You have less time for academic rigor. Since you have to complete four years of high school requirements in three and a half years or less, you won’t have time take on many electives or college-level courses.
  • You could spend more. If your high school offers AP and dual credit courses, you could miss out on the opportunity to earn free or discounted college credits if you graduate early. High schools offer these classes through community colleges at highly discounted rates compared to 2- and 4-year institutions.
  • You’ll miss out on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Senior year, especially the second half, is full of exciting events. You’ll miss out on senior prom, grad nights, and graduation parties. You likely won’t get a graduation ceremony either.
  • You may be limited on work options. If you’re under 18 years old, your state could restrict how much and where you’re allowed to work. These can severely impact your earning potential, and you can always hold a part time job while you attend high school.
  • You’ll be entering adulthood earlier. We’re all in a rush to grow up – until we’re not. You might regret leaving home and high school early later. You’ll also go into college less experienced than other students, which could make it difficult to relate or adapt.

An Anecdote from an Early High School Graduate

To give you some perspective, we talked to one of our College Raptor contributors who did just that — graduate high school a semester early. A Colorado resident, Cat B. was excited to spread her wings and get some new experiences. Graduating in the fall of 2001 (yes, that was some time ago), she had everything she needed – including great grades – to start college in the spring of 2002.

By taking advantage of J-term courses and a few summer classes, Cat was also able to graduate from Augustana University (a Hidden Gem!) early in the summer of 2005.

So, what did she think about the experience?

“On the one hand, it really did allow me to both save money on tuition and room and board and I was able to start working earlier therefore earning money earlier! That’s a total benefit. In hindsight though, I definitely missed out on some important high school experiences. Where my high school friends continued making memories and getting closer to their spring semester of senior year, I was starting off as a freshman in college.

That in itself was a challenge – trying to fit in where other freshmen had already made connections in the Fall – I was coming in younger and less experienced AND trying to make new friends and get through the newness of being away from home. All in all, saving money (and making money sooner) is great. But I think there is something to be said about enjoying those high school and college years if you are able.”

–        Cat B., Augustana University Alumni and College Raptor Contributor.

Is Graduating Early Right For You?

No one can say whether graduating early is right for you – except you. Weigh the pros and cons as well as your goals, achievements, drive, and other factors before you decide. You’ll need to think about all the different perspectives to make your choice.

And remember: even if you’re on track to graduate early, you can always change your mind! You might find you’re overwhelmed with the coursework or that you’re regretting your decision – that’s absolutely okay. You’re not locked into graduating early if you don’t want to.

An Alternative to Graduating High School Early

You should also consider an alternative if your high school offers it – leaving mid-day.

Some high schools offer students who are ahead of graduation requirements the option of leaving as soon as they complete their classes for the day. So, if by the spring semester of your senior year you only need four classes to graduate, you could be out of school by noon! This opens the door to more work opportunities, and you’ll still get the benefits of being able to go to prom, graduation, parties, and more!

You’ll need to talk to your guidance counselor to see if this is an option at your high school. You may need to be 18 or have your parents’ approval to be approved. In addition, your counselor will want to make sure you have a ride to get home mid-day or that you can drive yourself.

How To Graduate Early

If you decide that graduating high school early is right for you, follow these two steps:

Talk To Your Guidance Counselor

If you’re aiming to graduate high school early, your first step should always be to talk to your guidance counselor or academic advisor, as this isn’t something you can just decide to do on your own. Your counselor will walk you through the next steps and help you create a balanced schedule that meets your goals.

However, go into this meeting prepared. Your counselor will ask why you want to graduate early, your plans, and more – they want to make sure you won’t be overwhelmed by the added coursework. Early graduation schedules are highly individualized, as there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy.

If they approve your plan, you’ll need to meet with them at least once a year to make sure you’re on track.

Keep in mind that your advisor has the final say. If they believe you won’t be able to complete the courses in time or handle the higher workload, they could deny your request. You’re more likely to be approved if you have a plan and a history of high grades.

Have a Game Plan

You won’t succeed if you don’t have a game plan – especially if your guidance counselor requires you to have one before they’ll approve you graduating early.

To create yours, think about:

  • Productivity
  • Planning tools
  • Summer classes vs. skipped study halls
  • Study habits
  • Goals for each year of high school
  • Strategy for after graduation
  • Tactics for handling workload and college prep

Graduating high school early isn’t for the faint of heart, as it requires careful consideration before diving in! Students should keep in mind that they’ll have to discuss this with their high school guidance counselor to determine if it’s the right course of action for them.

If you’re aiming to graduate early, you’ll have to tackle a high workload and college prep at the same time. Thankfully, College Raptor has the tools to make your search easier. Start with our College Match tool today to discover what schools meet your needs and wants after you graduate high school!

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