We're in kind of the same situation as you are with DD who turned 8 just after the start of 4th grade this year, so I don't know if I'll be of any help. But the main thought I had when reading your posts is that your very social daughter is probably going to want to graduate with her classmates when she gets to high school rather than being left behind for a 5th year while all her friends move on to other things.
For our part it has occurred to me that DD could take a year off between HS and college to travel. But the more I think about it, if I'm trying to keep her from growing up too fast, college is a relatively sheltered environment compared to traveling the world. So, now I'm leaning toward her just going to college at the same time as her classmates just before she turns 17. Honestely, she's always been a bit mature for her age, so based on what I know now, I think she'll be at least as mature as many regular college freshmen. I guess we'll see what happens when the time comes!
