How do colleges view early graduation?

Any idea how most colleges view early high school graduation? Does it affect my application positively or negatively?

From the perspective of colleges, early graduation from high school is neither inherently positive nor negative. It largely depends on how you utilize the time gained by graduating early.

If your early graduation is due to academic acceleration and you have a solid academic profile, including a rigorous course load with honors or AP classes and strong standardized test scores, it can potentially demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and dedication to your studies.

However, colleges also care about personal growth and maturity, which are partly gained through the full high school experience. If you've graduated early and spent the extra time constructively, say, gaining work experience, conducting substantial research, doing extensive volunteering, or pursuing an impactful personal project, it will be seen as a positive. Demonstrating that you took full advantage of your accelerated timeline can make a very favorable impression on admissions committees.

On the flip side, if you graduate early and given no clear indications of what you’ve done with the extra time, or if your application is otherwise lacking in terms of rigor or accomplishments, then it may weigh unfavorably on your application.

In essence, the impact of graduating early largely originates from how you use this advantage—whether you've matured personally, academically, or professionally during the extra time you've had.