Most students expect to be in high school for four years, but junior Ben Gardiner and sophomore John Boyle will be leaving Gunn at the end of this school year. Gardiner will be graduating alongside the class of 2009, while Boyle will be pursuing other interests.

Gardiner first began thinking about graduating early when Bard College at Simon’s Rock, a small four-year liberal arts college in Massachusetts for sophomores and juniors graduating early from high school, sent him a college pamphlet in February. “I felt like the description in the college pamphlet really described me as a person in a nutshell,” he said.

His next step was to seek advice from a variety of sources. “My counselor [Jovi Johnston] informed me that if I left Gunn after my junior year without a diploma, I would still be considered a high school dropout, even if I was going to college,” Gardiner said.

Gardiner found out that he had two options if he wanted to graduate a year early–to go to Simon’s Rock and transfer credits or to complete his high school graduation credits a year early. “I picked the second choice, because then I could also apply to other colleges,” he said.

A particular aspect of Gunn’s academic atmosphere influenced Gardiner’s decision to graduate early. “The big thing for me is that, at Gunn, it’s all about grades, grades, grades,” he said. “We’re one of the top 100 high schools in the nation, so the general atmosphere is just to get the A.” According to Gardiner, this is not the type of environment he is comfortable with. “I want to learn for learning,” he said.

Gardiner’s parents were reluctant to let their son leave a year early, but were still supportive of his decision. According to Gardiner’s mother, Jenny Gardiner, they wanted him to take the steps to get to college on his own. “He had to figure out the requirements, sign up for summer school, take the SAT and ACT and fill out the college [applications] all by himself,” Jenny said.

However, Ben gave credit to his parents for keeping him grounded during the application process. “They made sure that I really took a lot of time to think this through before signing the forms for me, which I am really grateful for,” he said.

According to Gardiner, he would only recommend that others graduate early from Gunn if they are highly motivated, earning solid grades in Advanced Placement (AP) classes and are unhappy about the Gunn atmosphere like him. “College is a lot more academically intensive,” he said. “As [one of my teachers] likes to say, ‘College doesn’t accept late work.’”

Gardiner occasionally does have second thoughts about his decision to graduate early. “I’m sacrificing my time with [my friends and family] for my education, which I think is the toughest part about this whole decision,” he said. “My early graduation is not because of any social reason, but academics has just always been and will continue to be my first priority.”

In a similar situation, Boyle has decided to leave Gunn after the end of this school year. “Basically, I think my time would be better spent elsewhere,” Boyle said. “There are a lot of interesting things I want to do that I just can’t do if I have to spend most of my day sitting in school and the rest doing homework.”

Boyle transferred from Palo Alto High School to Gunn after his freshman year and is currently taking four AP classes. He credits Principal Noreen Likins for making this transition possible for him. “Ms. Likins and I basically sat down and talked about all the possibilities,” Boyle said. “She was very willing to work with me.” Boyle will be taking the California High School Proficiency Examination in order for him to leave school early.

Even if Boyle decides to apply for college later, he does not think his chances of being accepted will be hurt. “I believe that I have other qualifications that will compensate for my lack of a complete high school transcript,” Boyle said. “I have a history of doing kind of well in math competitions. My most impressive single result is that, last year, I was one of 60 people in the United States to qualify for [the Math Olympiad Program], the summer camp that comes after [the United States of American Math Olympiad].”

Julie Boyle, John’s 22-year-old sister, first brought up the possibility of John leaving school early. “John had been expressing an interest in doing things his own way, and I mentioned to him that there was more than one way to become an adult and to get a job,” she said.

According to John, there are other ways for students to become accredited besides attending high school. “There’s an umbrella school called Clonlara that allows a student to work with an advisor to get credit for doing educational things,” he said. “I imagine that one could, for example, spend a month in France talking to people and get credit equivalent to taking a French class.”

Boyle believes that a stereotype exists that those who drop out of high school will not be able to lead a successful life. “It’s possible to get a job or get into college without a high school diploma,” he said. “Many people think it’s not, which I think is the biggest reason they’re reluctant to consider this option.”

Boyle also encourages others to explore the possibility of leaving school early. “I would recommend that they consider it, definitely,” he said. “I think becoming aware of the option is a good thing.” However, Julie cautions students to become informed before making this decision. “It’s not for everyone,” she said. “If you aren’t self-motivated and need people to tell you what to do, then you might not be successful.”