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As the school year begins, numerous junior class students are either early graduating or considering it. After all, it can be appealing to some. Students pursuing early graduation can attend college early, get a head start on the workforce and generally start adulthood early.
This prospect is definitely appealing to some students who want their adult lives to begin as soon as possible. Even academic-focused students not enrolled in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program want to hasten the transition to college and enter the workforce to get ahead in life.
The principle question of this path is whether or not it is worth it to pursue early graduation. Many juniors will miss out on opportunities such as releases and certain senior benefits, such as front-row seats to sports games.
“Graduating early can allow you to think more carefully about your career decisions…In the time you would otherwise spend working on senior projects, you can prepare for university and complete a few required courses for your chosen degree.” Jody Fleming, PhD, said, writing for Indeed.
Career Bound Students
Career-focused students may want to pursue early graduation for this very reason. It allows them to get ahead at an earlier age and focus on their adult goals. But do students really want to get into the adult world at this age? It really depends on their goals.
Charlie Breed ‘26 is a junior early grad at South. He shared some reasons why he chose to pursue early graduation and how it can benefit him.
“I have learned from years in the public school system that it just is not for me. I have had issues regarding lots of things and I decided my best option was to graduate early,” Breed said.
A lot of students may relate to Breed about the school system and their personal relationship with it. This can influence the decision to graduate early.
“I have taken on a full eight period schedule, including IB History, AVID 12 and extra credit classes for English and Science,” Breed said.
Early graduation requires a higher course load by nature. Students can get by taking standard courses that will give them the credits that they need to graduate high school. In Charlie’s case, he has taken on much more advanced classes, such as IB. Prospective early grads should consider this, as it shows you can graduate early and still excel in academics and extracurriculars.
“I would say to get as many credits as you can, as early as you can. For some people, it just will not work out. If you want to graduate early you have to sacrifice a lot,” Breed said.
IB Diploma Program
It is important to see the other perspective and why someone would not want to graduate early.
“I am a Diploma Program candidate, so I have an IB class in all the core subjects and an IB elective. In addition to that, I also have to take a TOK class second semester junior year and first semester senior year. [TOK is] like a discussion and reflection-based class,” Ezequiel Hernandez ‘27 said, a student at South pursuing his full four years.
The Diploma Program (DP) is a rigorous course offered by South and other IB schools around the world. It consists of academically demanding classes and it can help prepare students for college and university course load.
“In order to receive the IB diploma I am required to stay, and finish my senior year. Other than that I think living the ‘high school’ experience is important. I don’t want to rush into extra responsibilities because right now is supposed to be a fun part of my life,” Hernandez said.
This is an important viewpoint to consider for students who lean heavily academic-focused, such as Hernandez. Staying through senior year to complete certain programs and opportunities can be a huge benefit the college application process. This especially applies to colleges with tough admission requirements, such as Ivy League schools.
College Preparation
“I plan to go to a four year school and get a masters, probably something related to mechanical engineering or some other science to get me started on my path to be an astronaut. Early graduation would prevent me from getting as prepared for college as I could be, by doing the IB program. It would also accelerate the process a lot, I am not even close to applying to schools or for scholarships yet, I would be unprepared,” Hernandez said.
If you hold college preparation as an important element in your life, this is very important to consider. Staying an extra year can benifit students after high school if your goals would benefit from the extra experience. In addition, high school is free, and college usually is not. Taking time in high school to max out academic opportunities can be smart financial decision. Especially with trade programs like Career Technical Education Center (CTEC).
“I would say look at your long term goal. What do you actually want and how can you set yourself up to achieve that. If early grad helps then do it, but if not maybe staying in high school or going to a college could help you make a better choice,” Hernandez said.
High school is a valuable experience, but early graduation is an option that can be beneficial to some students. Both options are available, but the best choice to make is the choice that best suits the student.
