You cannot wish away a large gap in age and experience with a high IQ.
No, but you also cannot treat a high IQ, emotionally mature 16 year old as if they are a child. Well, you can try to treat them that way, but I don't think they'll like it.
Just as my daughter would have been miserable only being a junior in HS instead of being a freshman in college, she also would be miserable living at home going to CC instead of going off to college like all of (what she, and we, consider) her peers. She's been with her grade peers for more than half of her K-12 schooling, and very much views those students two grades below her as "kids".
As a parent it is our job to prepare our kids to live life without us always being around. For some kids that time comes a little earlier than for others (and for some it comes even later). We took an active role in the college search and helped our daughter find a small LAC that she felt comfortable at. As an added bonus, she is able to compete on an NCAA (D3) athletic team so she came into college with an instant social group.
Best of luck,
--S.F.
