[UpFromTheGut]

Sometimes it's helpful to think in contrapositive: would it be more regrettable to miss that year of high school, or to miss other opportunities that time could afford you?

I, in fact, skipped all four years of high school, and opted to go to community college instead. I collected college credit until I was 18, went to a university, and finished in 4 terms. I'm much further along now than I would have been otherwise, and haven't regretted the decision once.

You could always attend community college for a year before going to college. You'll save money, have a lot of course work behind you before transferring, and get to meet new people at the college. If you're in California, you'll have a much better shot at getting in to a UC as well.