1) A GED would be trivial for this kid. So the high school diploma, I'm not worried about.
2) Kid started doing (real, not Scratch) programming in 1st grade. I'm not worried about coding experience or computer science background. I am worried about software engineering background, but that could come later.
We had obviously gifted kids in my school and they came across as arrogant and entitled. 15 years later, most of them went on to get graduate degrees but don’t seem to be progressing socially (i.e. absent from reunions, weddings, small town bar run-ins)
The test might be trivial, but being able to take it isn't trivial if you don't meet the age requirements.
I just did a web search. I didn't realize they had age requirements. Thank you.
My mother dropped out at 14 and got a GED by 15 back in the 70s because she was so bored. (Parents didn't believe university was for girls, so that wasn't an option).
Seems like a way to screw over a particular subset of kids.
As at the end of the day. The reality is it's about who you know. And if your more concerned about the degree. Your missing the point.
My parents took the middle approach: skipping grades and doing gifted and talented programs. It still wasn’t nearly fast enough. Socially it was still tough for me.
My only advice is don’t ignore the social aspect. Still there has to be a better way than sticking them in public school for 12 years. After-school activities like athletics might be helpful.
Good luck!