[Coda]

I've heard mixed stories regarding whether or not jumping straight from high school into college is good or not. The counterpoint is momentum. High school students are already used to going to classes and learning, and taking a break knocks you out of that groove -- summer vacation is already too long for optimum learning, and a whole year is just going to develop a lifestyle and habits that are just going to get screwed with again when you do go back to school.

Furthermore, high school students' brains are still in prime state for acquiring new skills. The older you are, the harder it is to incorporate new skills -- this isn't to say it's impossible, but it's much FASTER when you're younger, and you really want to have the fundamentals of your chosen career under your belt before you hit 25.

Something that doesn't help: The industry is set up around getting high school seniors into college, and most of the offers are set up around recruiting 17- and 18-year-old kids. Good luck getting a scholarship if you're not a high school student.

Of course, taking a break and being older when you go to school does HAVE some advantages. It may take more effort to actually accomplish it, but the additional maturity helps with maintaining the discipline to stick with the classes and homework, and not being so young also means you're not being targeted by a lot of the same traps that distract college students.