-- and to add to Bostonian's post above (though it should be stated that I am something like anti-mercenary);
consider the additional college costs incurred by red-shirting.
With annual increases in the 5-10% range, and CURRENT college costs upwards of 50K at elite schools, this is not exactly pocket change for parents.
Even if you plan to have your child rely upon aid, that is seldom going to be enough to avoid borrowing (which such institutions now see as a perfectly valid means of "meeting student financial need" by the way).
Please note that I am in no way suggesting that this is a compelling reason to PUSH children to accelerate if that is not (already) the right thing to do for them developmentally.
But it's darned sure a good reason to consider NOT red-shirting.
