How can i convince my mom to let me go away for college?

California is a long way away from the East coast. I understand you wanting to grow up, move away, and get on with your own life. But if anything goes wrong, it would be really difficult and expensive for your parents to have to come and bail you out. Just something simple like a bad dose of flu can be hard to cope with all on your own, far from home. My daughter also graduated when she was 16 and we had a similar dilema. Fortunately she was sensible enough to decide for herself that she was too young to go too far away. A good compromise is to find a good local college (no more than a 2 hours drive) and then go to your chosen college for grad school. That was my daughter's idea, and it worked well for her. (And believe me, no one could have been more independent than my daughter! It wasn't fear that stopped her moving away sooner, it was common sense).

Get a job and work for two years and save your money after you graduate. Then go wherever you want. Problem solved.

Show her your responsible and get a job helps out with costs !!