"I'm aware of the AP path, they had some of those classes in my high school. The quality of each program varies from school to school. But it doesn't really make as much sense as outright skipping 4 years of drudgery and getting on with the real work ahead. "
One way it makes sense is financially, ie, if you cant afford college. I got 26 credits, effectively a year of college, at a competitive school, and I didnt have to pay any tuition for it. My family couldnt afford to pay much for my college.
The other thing to do is to simply skip the lower grades, so you graduate younger without necessarily dropping out. e.g.
I graduated at age 17, having taken advanced calculus (BC), AP physics, AP chemisty, AP history, AP english, AP french, by then.
"If you got a Masters & Bachelors & High School in 8 years, think of what you could have accomplished if you could have started college earlier."
Doing that much was geeky enough, accelerating further might have been better financially on a spreadsheet, but it can leave you socially 'underdeveloped'. I was overloading on studies as it was and while I'm smart I'm no Steven Hawking.
Looking back, I got enough out of high school that I wouldnt want to skip them ... rather, I'd skip 8th grade.
Doing that much was geeky enough, accelerating further might have been better financially on a spreadsheet, but it can leave you socially 'underdeveloped'.
***I keep hearing that and I think it's just plain untrue. Some of the source material posted in this thread directly contraverts that claim. As far as I can tell, it's an old wives' tale relied upon to keep kids in underperforming schools.
Looking back, I got enough out of high school that I wouldnt want to skip them ... rather, I'd skip 8th grade.
***I would skip that year as well. When I was told about the CHSPE, I spent 3 days thinking about it and then made my decision, and quit going to high school right then. I was in the local community college the next semester. When you look at it that way, I only willingly spent about 3 days at high school. I do feel strongly that kids should be given a choice for themselves. There's nothing more "socially developed" than a person who exercises a choice and takes on a more challenging course than the path currently provided.