<p>I'm a junior right now, and I've had a burning question. I'm two years younger than other students in my grade. I started kindergarten 1 year early, and skipped 4th grade.</p>
<p>My questions are: how common is my situation? Should I market this, and does it set me apart? Is this a selling point, or should I keep it more hidden? I'm debating whether to do an essay on this.</p>
<p>I visited Stanford and the admissions officer told me that 1, or sometimes 2, years ahead will be fine, but beyond that, they begin to question maturity. It seems like I'm toeing the line right now.</p>
<p>My high school profile is currently quite competitive.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t consider it a marketing point. And I agree that it could possibly bring up the question of social maturity, which is very different from the intellectual ability that led to your being two years ahead.</p>
<p>I would recommend demonstrating your maturity by concentrating on the factors that concern all applicants and leave your age as simply another fact about you on the application.</p>
<p>Like entomom said, it’s not a marketing point to your benefit. Top colleges want contributors to their community – not article fodder for a local newspaper.</p>
<p>One thing I know people in your position have done is to consider a gap year after graduation. Apply while in school but take a year off if it’s doable. Lots of exploration or community service opps for the motivated student. See what your parents think. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I think it is not very common to go to college 2 years early. Still, it is not a marketing advantage. It will be less obvious since the years you skipped are pre-high school, so you will still have a full 4-yr high school record. My suggestion would be to avoid doing anything that draws attention to your age.</p>
<p>I’m on CC as a parent, and started college 2 years early, a long time ago. I was less successful in undergrad admissions that I would have expected given my stats, although there are lots of potential reasons for that. I’ve met a few other early college students in the years since then, and have generally heard similar stories. I have an “early college” friend who transferred to a better school from an OOS flagship, after initially disappointing admissions results.</p>