Maybe because I read the Ruf book when DS was 11 and I could see that he could do college work already, that quote actually validated my experience and helped me relax.
DS is 12 and has ACT scores higher than those of entering freshman at the regional liberal arts college where DH teaches. I'm still trying to make sense of that! So, it is clear that he could take college classes--in fact, since we are friends with the registrar (and he would get free tuition), it would actually be EASY.
And yet I don't think college at 12 is suited to his personality. He actually thrives being around 6th graders, playing dodge ball, and making bodily function jokes. (So do the frat kids at the college, but I'm really not ready for that!) He has not yet reached a level of academic curiosity that teachers, DH and I cannot meet his need. I know that there are a lot of kids who feel driven to learn in a certain subject or set of subjects beyond the level that parents/school are prepared to teach. And college makes sense for them.
Partly because DS's interests match our own (so we can meet his needs) and partly because he is curious but not driven, he is not yet ready for college. But I am grateful that we will have a college option when we need it.
