Ania wrote "Also, generally schools that are early college do not offer AP classes, since they offer college level classes. Do those kids still write AP exams? If not, they are out of the race for some scholarships, I believe?"
There is a difference between classes at local college and AP classes. Unless the local college is a well known one, other universities may not know what the quality is. The quality of college classes vary wildly as well. AP classes, on the other hand, is pretty much a known quantity, assuming the student takes the AP test and does well on them (score 4 or 5).
Ania, young son should aim for top national research universities since he is very bright. In that case, the early college HS may not be a good match for you.
