As a student who entered college at age 15, I would like to comment on some of the statements made in the article “Adolescence lost” that appeared in the editorials section of The University News (Sept. 7, 2007).

To start off with, the article claims that students entering college at such a young age are “blatantly out-of-place.” This is not always the case. Most of my peers had no idea that I was so much younger than them until they invited me out to drink with them, and I declined because I was not of age. I also do not think that someone who has not been to college at the age of 15 has any right to judge what is “just too much” for someone to handle. Many semesters I took somewhere between 19 and 21 hours of classes and still was able to graduate Summa Cum Laude with a 3.99 GPA. It has nothing to do with age, but more with determination and hard work. I also completely disagree with the statement that “no one really knows who they are or what they are doing with their life” at that age. I think at age 15, I knew more about who I was and what I was going to do with my life than most of the freshmen on campus. You don’t end up in college at 15 without motivation and some goal in mind to keep you driven to succeed.

The article also talks about what all a student misses in high school. What did I miss? Going to prom? All the high school drama associated with trying to become popular, making sure you wear the right clothing and hang out with the right people? Getting made fun of for being the nerdy math girl? I’m glad that I skipped 3 years of high school drama and went to college early. I have met some of my best friends here at SLU, and my social life is not lacking due to theage difference between myself and my peers. If anything, I think not being distracted by alcohol and other things because I wasn’t of age just helped me do better in college.

I would also like to ask how many companies that the author of this article surveyed before making the statement that “Not many corporations would want to hire such a candidate- at least not without parental consent or a live-in babysitter.” Not only was that statement offensive and uncalled for, but I think credentials and a record of success, along with great letters of recommendation, can and will help a company get over the age factor.

I’m not saying that I think every 15 year old is ready to go to college. I think that choosing to go to college at such a young age is a huge decision that requires a lot of thought. The student must be mature, responsible, and serious about learning. However, with those characteristics, someone at the age of 15 can be completely successful going to college early. I recently got my masters degree in mathematics here at SLU, and I am continuing working on my Ph.D. here at SLU as well. I am hoping to graduate by May 2010, which will have me entering the workforce at age 24. I don’t regret going to college early at all. I think it was the best decision I’ve made in my life.

Ashley Moses
Graduate Student