What are the potential benefits and pitfalls of leaving tenth grade early to pursue an internship at a prominent research lab?

I'd like to offer a counterpoint to Anonymous Physicist. I started school early because I was on the border of the birthday cutoff date, and then skipped my senior year of high school. So I left for college at 15.

It was too early for me.

Not academically. I passed all of my classes, and found a number of them still a bit boring. But going to college isn't entirely about classes. For most people, it is their first time living life on their own terms. You make your own schedule, make your own food, wash your own clothes, make your own decisions with no immediate consequence.

In short, you're learning how to be an adult. And in that, I floundered a bit. It took time for me to build a work ethic. It took a bit of failure for me to figure out how to maintain my own motivation and discipline. Enough for me to lose my scholarships and eventually drop out.

And that was with a bunch of other early entry students to provide social support. If you're going to be unique in that environment, that will provide it's own challenges. And then there's the culture shock of going from being the best at your school to being just another person among the best in the world.

So I would caution this approach. The things that led to my failure were things I didn't even think to consider at the time. The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.

Wait! Perhaps you can finish tenth grade AND attend the internship, using some people skills :)

First, there should be an administrative coordinator listed in your internship correspondence. (If not, ask the offering professor for a contact name). Call this person and say that you are honored to receive an offer, and that your school calendar year runs through X, has anyone been in your situation before? What would he/she recommend? Maybe the dates are flexible, maybe some offsite work is permissible...

Most coordinators I've worked were experienced and helpful; it's worth a try. Your final plan will need to be cleared with the offering professor.

Then, approach your favorite teacher, and say you've received this wonderful internship opportunity, but it starts before the end of the school year and you don't know what to do. Who would be a good contact in the school to talk to? Perhaps a guidance counselor, principal, ... With any luck your favorite teacher will be excited for you and want to see you succeed.

From there, get in touch with the recommended person (e.g. guidance counselor) to compose a plan to complete your high school courses. It may be possible to complete work early, substitute an online course, ... Next, approach each of your teachers individually, tell them about the great internship and that you're working with Mr./Mrs. X on a plan to finish the year. Thank them for helping you be able to finish early. It's best if you bring it up personally since they'll feel involved in the solution, vs. hearing about it from the counselor.

A lot of work? Yes. Will all go well? Hard to say - there may be a few blockers. Worth a try? Absolutely. You want to be perceived as that friendly guy or gal who made it big and gets a writeup in the hometown paper.

By the way, if you can pull this off you will be FAR more astute than I was in high school!

Also, what do your parents think? They might have some good ideas on how to approach the situation, and on your options for next year.

"I don't think not being in traditional high school will be a hindrance to my college admissions"

As a high school dropout who is now an academic, I have found skipping much of my secondary education has actually accelerated my education, career, and earnings. However, this path is not for everyone. It depends on what sort of high school is involved, the goals/motivation of the individual, and what they do with themselves after leaving high school. If you want to pursue a research career, but your high school does not provide an environment conducive to learning, then I would recommend changing to a different environment. Keep in mind that you will need to learn things outside your preferred area of study to be successful as a researcher.