Meet with your high school counselor well before your junior year. Explain your educational goals. Request assistance in mapping out a plan to meet your objective of early college admission. Identify the time and place for SAT/ACT college entrance tests. Fulfill all requirements for your high school diploma before the end of your junior year.
Search online for universities, colleges or vocational institutions with the best credentials to match your interests and educational ambition. Nielson advises identifying potential careers based on your personal talents and passions. Uncover the educational requirements for your career options.
Contact the universities of your choice. Not all colleges offer early entrance to students, according to Deb Thyng Schmidt, senior adviser for Admissions Consultants. Make sure your application will be allowed. For the most part, a student is expected to put together the same type of application as a senior in high school, according to Schmidt. Submit applications and pertinent documents on time.
Exhaust all high school course offerings available to you. For example, complete the entire available math sequence. Take the senior English class early. If a university's selection committee members believe you would benefit from offerings still available in high school, they'll be reluctant to take you early. Most successful early applicants make this move because they have literally run out of tough courses to take in high school, according to Aimee Yermish, educational therapist for da Vinci Learning.
Ask your teachers and counselors to write recommendations. These reference letters need to be exceptionally strong. Selection committees are looking for evidence of maturity and independence, such as summer school, internships and non-family travel experiences, according to Schmidt. The recommendations should indicate why you deserve a spot that might otherwise go to a student with more typical preparation.
Write essays, making the case that you are intellectually and socially ready for college. The selection committee wants to know that you are not leaving high school early simply because you don't get along with peers. Include evidence of involvement with sports and clubs, particularly when you've taken a leadership role. Tell why you're interested in college and what you expect to contribute, if admitted.