My Son Will Graduate High School at 14 - Which of the 3 Big Schools Would Be Best?

[JaronB34]

My son is currently enrolled at Park City Independent Online High School, Fully Accredited | Park City Independent where he is earning his High School diploma at his own pace. He is going to finish WAY early, when he is about 14 years old. After that we want to start on the path of getting a bachelors degree as quickly as we can. He has a goal to have his Masters degree by the time he is 18.

It looks like TESC has a minimum age of 21. Do you think they would accept a 14 year old?
I also see that COSC has a minumum age of 16, I am not sure if they do waivers or not.
EC is the only one that I don't see a minimum age for.

He is REALLY nervous about CLEP tests and wants to go mainly with Straighterline and other independent self-paced courses (LSU, BYU, etc...) to fill up his credits. Do you have ANY advice for us?

[marianne202]

Just a side note that while he may be done with high school at 14, he may not have the maturity to handle college level work at that young age. I'm a college instructor who's school teaches college classes to high school juniors and seniors and believe me, more fail than not, as they are just not ready for the rigor and speed. Not to mention he may be way out of his league solely based on life experience to get into a graduate program so early. Depending on his career choice employers may not even consider him, even with a graduate degree at 18, for employment. Also keep in mind that your income and assets will also be considered for any and all loans and grant applications until he reaches 21, so he may not be able to get any financial aid or limited financial aid while still being so young. While it is great he is accelerating at such a young age, just be careful not to overload or overwhelm him. I had a friend that had a similar situatation with a younger than normal college age son and he bailed out after one semester with an ulcer, because he felt too outcast and honestly he lacked a lot of the necessary life experiences and to fully understand and complete his assignments. Make sure you let him enjoy being a teenager! Good luck to you all!

[ryoder]

My advice is to do CLEP tests. I understand why he is nervous but they are actually not that bad when one prepares for them well.
Why not do one CLEP with him as a show of solidarity and support? Pick one out that you are interested in and that he can use for his degree and learn it together.
I can tell you that the feeling I had when I passed my first CLEP was awesome. It was invigorating. I remember the drive home vividly. I took the top off the Vette and enjoyed the ride home knowing that I just bypassed an entire semester of a class with 2 weeks of studying.
There is no reason to fear the test when you have the REA books with the practice tests, this forum, Instantcert flashcards, and the exam specific feedback.
The people that worry are the ones that score low on their practice tests and take the actual test anyway. And a lot of them pass.
Go for it. CLEP and DSST exams are equivalent to RA credit and should be your first choice for transferability.

[Carnation]

TESC requires a simple letter of appeal stating that you have graduated high school and accumulated at least 24 college credits in order to bypass their age requirement.
You don't need to do this until you enroll when he is closer to finishing his degree.

I would recommend you start working on CLEPs while he is doing high school.
The first two years of college is a repeat of much of high school.
When he finishes a subject in high school, he can study the REA guide, maybe IC cards, then go take the CLEP so he can receive college credit.

For homeschoolers who take advantage of CLEPing, it is not unusual for them to graduate with a college degree by 18yo.
My son is advanced and will have completed his degree while his age mates are still in high school.
My son has looked to the founding fathers of the United States as his example.
Many founding fathers had their college degrees and were apprenticed to a career while in their teens.
Amazon has a book about a family that homeschooled their kids 20 years ago having all their kids graduate with degrees while still in their teens.
Amazon.com: No Regrets: How Homeschooling Earned me a Master's Degree at age 16 (9780962361104): Alexandra Swann, Joyce Swann, Glen Holbrook: Books

Best wishes

[cookderosa]

What do you hope to gain by graduating your child so early? Don't get me wrong, I know it can be done, I'm asking what the motive is. It'll help me answer your question.

[beargins]

My advice is to do CLEP tests. I understand why he is nervous but they are actually not that bad when one prepares for them well.
Why not do one CLEP with him as a show of solidarity and support? Pick one out that you are interested in and that he can use for his degree and learn it together.
I can tell you that the feeling I had when I passed my first CLEP was awesome. It was invigorating. I remember the drive home vividly. I took the top off the Vette and enjoyed the ride home knowing that I just bypassed an entire semester of a class with 2 weeks of studying.
There is no reason to fear the test when you have the REA books with the practice tests, this forum, Instantcert flashcards, and the exam specific feedback.
The people that worry are the ones that score low on their practice tests and take the actual test anyway. And a lot of them pass.
Go for it. CLEP and DSST exams are equivalent to RA credit and should be your first choice for transferability.

I agree with ryoder, he could spend a year (or two) studying and taking cleps, while he looks for an area that hes passionate about. I've been in love with computer science since I was about 12, but I had to go the traditional route through the Public school system. IMO I wasted time not focusing on areas that would benefit me most in my field of expertise. While hes clepping he can focus on his weak academic areas. For most that would be math or science. It sounds like hes got plenty of potential, but ultimately its about quality not quantity, and the biggest advantage on his side right now is the fact that he has plenty of time to develop those week areas.

congrats and best wishes to you, it must feel nice . Oh and btw, make sure he has a lot of fun! I have a family but i still sneak off to ride my skateboard once or twice a week hahah.

[ryoder]

I applaud you and your son for your aggressive educational schedule. The public school system treats kids as if they were all the same, but kids have different interests, styles of learning, and aptitude for specific subjects. I felt held back in middle and high school and by the time I reached college, I was already disengaged. I didn't learn how to learn properly because school was just so easy for me. I had no time management skills because I just didn't need them in high school. Self study will teach him time management at an early age.

[JaronB34]

What do you hope to gain by graduating your child so early? Don't get me wrong, I know it can be done, I'm asking what the motive is. It'll help me answer your question.

It is not my motivation at all. I was planning on him graduating at 18 and then going to an on-campus college. He has bigger plans for himself. He wants to be done with all his formal schooling and then go to a foreign 3rd world country for 2 years when he turns 19 to do volunteer work.

He wants to be able to come home after that and be able to get married, support and raise a family without the stress of trying to get school done then.

He is not an average kid. He studies Latin and Biblical Greek on the side and wants to be fluent in both. He is also interested in Biblical Hebrew and Arabic. He knows that getting his basic college done he can later go into more advanced programs to study ancient languages, where his true passion lies. Getting his bachelors and possibly masters done early will help him get into his desired masters and maybe phd programs later.

Again, I don't want to hold him back at all. He is a bright kid, slightly aspergers (but still has pretty good social skills).

[alleycat]

As far as Financial Aid is concerned, the child will be able to get aid after the age of 14 as long as they are a high school graduate. My friend's child got aid at the age 14 because they graduated already. Grants, scholarships and loans if need be. Also parents information goes on the FAFSA until the person is 24yrs old. The only way a parents income and assets are not involved is if the student is married, or has their own dependent, or they can prove they are self supporting and independent.

I have considered doing the same thing with my youngest child. She just wants different things than my other children have wanted. I think testing is the way to go. But I would not discount sending the student to a local CC to get some class time in.

[rebel100]

Add the University of Arkansas to your list University of Arkansas Independent Study Online Courses They are comparable to LSU in price but have a somewhat different format. We had no problem getting out daughter enrolled in College Algebra even without a HS diploma and without pre-reqs or test scores.

Colorado State University Pueblo has a good selection, many at the upper level for around $450/3 credits. Colorado State University-Pueblo > Schedule of Courses

I suspect one of the Big3 will be your sons best choice for a bachelors. Pull down one of the degree's from TESC or COSC that he is interested in and start working with that as your guide. Fill the requirements using straighterline, LSU, U of Arkansas. If he can work up to CLEP/DSST then he could really accelerate the process. He can use FEMA credits earned for free at TESC and COSC for some electives.

Once he has 4-5 classes under his belt the colleges are likely to waive the age restriction. But I wouldn't apply till he has amassed enough credit to be close to an associates degree then a bachelors degree.

Take a good look at the Harvard Extension School. It's not for everyone but I don't think there are age restrictions and at the end of the day leads to a degree from one of the 13 schools that make up Harvard University. They offer several Masters as well. Admission to the programs is based on earning a "B" in 3 pre admission courses...no tests, no age limits....just performance. They have boasted of some very young kids taking courses there...but I can't find a link. Here is a link to the school nonetheless, Prospective Students My daughter plans to give it a try in the fall.