Graduating a Year Early

[M101B]

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I recently transferred to a new university, and realized upon registering for classes that I only have about 42 credits left. If I took summer courses, I could finish a semester to a year early without overworking myself. If I wanted to stay for my senior year, I would seriously have to stretch out my course load somehow, plus it would cost me $24,500 in private loans. However, I am going into my junior year and only turning 20 in August, so saying I graduated over summer I would graduate college at 20 years old. Is this a bad idea? I am getting a degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Rutgers University. My previous college was the University of Central Florida, and I left there with a 3.45 GPA and about a 3.2 science GPA while taking 17 credits. I also have many campus leadership and participation activities, and I am starting shadowing tomorrow. Would graduating early increase, decrease, or not affect my chances?

If I wanted to stay I could do an honors research track, or pick up a minor, or take 12 credits at a time, but it would cost so much money.

If I graduated early, I could potentially build up my shadowing or work opportunities.

Is a Cell Biology and Neuroscience degree sufficient without the honors research addition?

Thanks

 

[thecgrblue]

Save your money.

If OD is your goal do well on the OAT, keep your GPA, and I guarantee you will get in somewhere.

 

[Shnurek]

What is your Rutgers cGPA and sGPA? I think only a few schools allow you to go in without a bachelor's degree nowadays and SUNY is one of them. I say apply early to try and get in. If you don't you can always re-enroll for spring semester and finish up your Bachelor's. I'd say the biggest deciding factor is your OAT score. And damn, Rutgers is 24k??