Next, begin filling in the blanks, starting with the classes that are required to graduate. For each class, put its number of credits next to it in parentheses. For some spots, you might not know exactly what class you'll be taking next, but you can put its general subject down for now like this: "English class 3 credits. After you've filled in required classes and if you have extra space , start adding other classes you'd like to take or would be helpful for you to get into college.
Once all the spaces on your schedule have been filled in, add up all the credits you will have completed. Have you met the minimum requirement for your school? If not, how many classes will you need to take to meet it? After, look at what classes are left over on your list. Are there any required classes you weren't able to fit?
Any classes you don't have to take but would like to? If you need to take either additional credits or classes, start thinking of ways you can fit them in outside of the normal school day. Some options include summer classes , taking classes at a nearby community college or university , or taking online classes.
For each of these options, discuss it with your advisor before you enroll to ensure you'll get the required credit s you need. Once you've figured out how you'll take each of these extra classes, add the information to your schedule. In this example, the student would be able to graduate a semester early while having a course load that would be considered strong at many colleges.
This student is planning on majoring in biology, so she wanted to maximize her math and science classes. Her junior-year schedule was pretty normal with the exception of taking two science classes physics and AP Biology at the same time. Taking two classes in one subject is something you'll likely have to do if you want to graduate early.
She realized that she wouldn't be able to fit in calculus normally, so she chose to take it over the summer. For her final semester, she took two English classes at the same time, took both a math elective and a science elective to get more experience in those subjects, and completed the rest of her required classes.
Assuming she had a regular schedule her previous semesters, she would have completed four and a half years of science, four and a half years of math, four years of English, three years of social studies, three years of a foreign language, and all her other required classes.
Completing those classes would be good enough for most colleges, though some highly selective schools would require four years of both social studies and a foreign language. Notice that she had a lot of different options when creating her schedule —she could have dropped her foreign language and taken a different course, chosen to take two math electives her senior year instead of calculus over the summer, and considered a variety of other options.
Also, be aware that her junior year would probably be pretty challenging with her full course load that includes two science classes. Keep all these things in mind when creating your own high school class schedule. Once you've finished designing your schedule, double-check it to make sure that all the school graduation requirements are met.
Congratulations—you now have a plan for graduating high school early! If you haven't before now, share your plan with your advisor and ask whether there are any additional steps you should take. You now know how to graduate high school early, but just because you can doesn't automatically mean that you should. Read on to learn the three potential drawbacks you might face should you choose to graduate early.
As you saw above, graduating high school early takes a lot of planning and might mean you have to take extra classes during the school year and summer. Balancing this heavier course load can be stressful and tiring, and that's something you should consider before you commit to graduating early.
Another potential drawback to graduating high school early is that you might miss out on special high school events. For many high school students, senior year is their favorite year because of popular activities like homecoming and prom.
If you graduate early, you might not be able to participate in these events. Additionally, you might not attend a graduation ceremony, which is an important experience for many students.
Before you decide to graduate early, think about how you'll feel if you see all your friends participating in events such as sports games, school dances, and senior days while you don't. For some people, this isn't important at all—but for others, they'd regret missing out on these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Lastly, don't try to graduate high school early to impress colleges. Ask your current school to provide you with official transcripts, so you have them on hand when submitting applications.
Also, be thinking about who to ask for recommendations. You can ask teachers, mentors, and coaches who know you well and will vouch for your character and aptitude.
There are many great programs out there to help you achieve your goal of graduating early from high school. ICON is one of those, as we offer options for all Idaho students looking to graduate early. Free online schools like ICON also offer advanced opportunities, including dual credits , technical competency credits, IB programs and more. This allows ambitious students to get ahead on college credits before they even start college. Whether you want to finish college quickly or know that you have a long program ahead of you, starting your higher education with credits already under your belt makes a world of difference.
There are a plethora of reasons that high school students choose to graduate early, and most of them boil down to the desire to get a jumpstart on life after high school. Early Graduation Decision Tree. Early Graduation Data Standard. Early Graduation Early Graduation. Page Description Content. Early Graduation Pathway versus Graduating Early Credit-Based There is a difference between a student who is an early graduate and one who graduates early.
Early Graduation Requirements Early Graduation is a deliberate pathway for students in grades who wish to move on when ready, receive a diploma from the district and be eligible for acceptance into Kentucky public universities and non-profit independent colleges and universities.
Students must: Notify the school principal within the first 30 days of the school year in which they intend to graduate. Important Notes Schools must create an equitable communication plan so that ALL students including home hospital in the school are aware of the opportunity to graduate early.
Main Content. Page Contact. Sign up for summer courses at your high school. Summer is a great time to take extra classes if your high school offers summer school programs. By enrolling in summer school for two or three summers in a row, you are likely to accumulate enough credits to graduate high school up to a year ahead of schedule.
Look into community elective courses. Some communities offer public classes on nights, weekends, and during the summer that might fulfill your high school electives needed for graduation. Be sure to check that your high school will recognize these classes for graduation before you sign up.
Enquire at your local library, community center, or town hall to find out if there are community classes available. Enroll in online high school.
For example, it takes time to switch classes, eat lunch, attend school assemblies, and work around so many other students. Attending an online high school may allow you to get more coursework done in the same amount of time you spend at regular school. There are some online schools that allow you to attend right from your personal computer and others require you to show up at an actual building where internet access is provided.
Research homeschooling programs so you can work at your own pace. If you learn better in a secluded setting, homeschooling is another option that might help you graduate early. You can do homeschooling all through high school, or switch to homeschooling to speed up your graduation. However, you do need a parent, guardian, or supervisor to help manage your work and do the grading.
Homeschooling can be expensive because you have to buy all the learning materials and pay for testing at independent centers to receive accredited graduation certificates. Take your GED. The GED is the equivalent of your high school diploma. All you need to do to obtain it is pass the test, which does require a fair bit of studying.
GED study classes both online and in person are widely available, but they should not be taken in lieu of actual high school classes if possible because you could miss out on important college prep. Getting your GED is a way to have the equivalent of a high school diploma, but the test is usually much harder than high school exams.
Some universities do not accept GEDs without a circumstantial explanation. Part 3. Make sure your high school credits translate into a high school diploma. Before you enroll in an early graduation program, be sure that the courses you are taking will result in an accredited high school diploma. Many high schools offer college entrance exams like the SATs and the ACTs at specific times throughout the school year.
They also offer important prep courses for the test. If you plan to attend university, you will need to take these tests regardless of your early graduation status. Make financial arrangements. Graduating early can be expensive if you enroll in early graduation programs that are independent of your high school. Not only do the programs cost money, but learning materials like textbooks and transportation like a school bus are not usually included.
Make a list of expenses. Talk to your parents to see if they can help you with finances. Search online for local scholarships you might be able to apply for. Check your eligibility for student loans. Inquire with prospective colleges. Some colleges have extra application guidelines they require prospective students to meet in order to be considered for admission. Check with the colleges you are interested in to be sure that you meet all of their early graduate criteria.
0コメント