Jamie Hutchinson (a former professor) teaches a seminar.

Some of you were sure I was lying about having dropped out of high school back in my second round of two truths and a lie here.  But as I told you in this post, the following statement is completely true: I dropped out of high school at 16 and never went back.

I can already hear my former students at Chávez and a chorus of “WTF?! My English teacher was a dropout? I knew teacher standards were low, but seriously…!” 

The whole truth is that I dropped out of high school at 16 to go to college. Okay, so you thought I couldn’t get any nerdier. But I just did.

I spent my first two years of college (from age 16-18) at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Yeah, you’ve heard of early colleges, and they’re all the rage now, but it used to be seen as this whacky idea. (What? No prom? NO PROM?!) After I left my high school, it was straight college, no dual credit or anything of the sort.

Also, I’ve just got to say: Simon’s Rock was THE FIRST college designed exclusively for younger students. It continues to be an amazing and unique place for students who are ready to get serious about ideas a little earlier than their peers.

The price tag is pretty terrifying, but there’s financial aid as with any college or university, and there are a number of major scholarships, including some that cover the whole cost of tuition. A story for another day: how my middle name got me one of these full-scholarships against all the odds.