The trouble is that a 16 year old college student really is going to have trouble fitting in socially if you go from home to college. Academically it could work, but a big part of what I found valuable in attending college was the social aspect, learning to live independently, dealing with bigger problems on my own, balancing academics and social life, those kinds of things.
Take it with a grain of salt because my own child is only 4 right now, but I'm leaning toward encouraging her to take a year off after high school and starting college a little later. If I could do anything over again, it'd be that, as the extra year of maturity would have helped.
The other thing to think about is how quickly do you want your kids to grow up? You don't get a do-over on childhood and assuming a stable family life, that's a time to really enjoy everything going on around you. There's a balance to be had, and you can continue to promote advanced academics without having to sacrifice childhood. I'm from an immigrant family and part of the reason I work hard is the same reason my parents did - so that my kids can just be kids and not have to rush to the workforce, but I do admittedly have a pretty even blend of American and Italian professional and social values.
Take it with a grain of salt because my own child is only 4 right now, but I'm leaning toward encouraging her to take a year off after high school and starting college a little later. If I could do anything over again, it'd be that, as the extra year of maturity would have helped.
The other thing to think about is how quickly do you want your kids to grow up? You don't get a do-over on childhood and assuming a stable family life, that's a time to really enjoy everything going on around you. There's a balance to be had, and you can continue to promote advanced academics without having to sacrifice childhood. I'm from an immigrant family and part of the reason I work hard is the same reason my parents did - so that my kids can just be kids and not have to rush to the workforce, but I do admittedly have a pretty even blend of American and Italian professional and social values.