Early graduation: the benefits and the doubts

– Some juniors leave early for college, others give up their junior years to become seniors.

While some students want to prolong graduation, others desire to work ahead. From taking AP classes to St. Petersburg College’s programs for high schoolers, some students prefer to take care of college-level classes sooner. For those who plan to pedal ahead, there is always the option of early graduation. Essentially, you skip a grade. If you meet your appointed high school graduation requirements, you can enter your junior year as a senior.

“If students have all the credits they need to graduate early, then they can come talk to their guidance counselor about graduating early,” Guidance Counselor, Jeannine Miller, said.

No student has ever been denied an opportunity; as long as the requirements are met, there are no extra steps, no catch. Being an early graduate gives you the same perks as any other senior – senior privilege, senior parking, senior breakfast, etc.

With early graduation, you would be registered as a senior during your junior year, however you lose your class rank. In fact, you would not have a class rank at all. For early graduate senior, Lira Ndreu, there are other cons to go with the pros.

“I only get one year of prom, one year as an upperclassman, and plus high school is usually less responsibility than college and I just wasn’t sure if I was ready for all that responsibility,” Ndreu said.

“Students usually do not have any doubts. Often I will suggest early graduation and they turn it down because most want the whole ‘high school experience’…There has only been a year or two of this program, so only a handful of students [have chosen to graduate early],” Miller said.

Graduating can be a stressful time for just about any high schooler, however, being one step ahead means you’ll be ahead of the game and the competition. Early graduation isn’t for everyone, but for those who want to take a jab at it, they can always talk to their guidance counselor.

“You should try to make the decision during your sophomore year and not during the summer before junior year because that’s what I did and now I only get one chance to take the SATs. If you decide during your sophomore year, you can take the SATs multiple times during your sophomore year and the beginning of your ‘junior’ year,” Ndreu said.