<p>I'a a junior now and I'm looking to apply to some very selective colleges: University of Chicago, Cornell, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, and University of Pennsylvania. I was held back in Pre-K because I didn't know the alphabet and I was academically behind everyone else. But during high school, I was alway honor roll and in the Top 5% of my grade. </p>
<p>This year I'm taking 4 AP classes. I took one last year and got a 5. </p>
<p>GPA: 3.9 (unweighted)</p>
<p>SAT score: 2260</p>
<p>Will being held back in Pre-K affect my chances?</p>
<p>No, not at all. They aren’t even going to know about it. In fact, many kids are held back in pre-k or kindergarten, whether it be because their parents don’t want to let them go or your situation.</p>
<p>It is a significant advantage. You got to spend an extra year maturing and developing. It’s the “geniuses” who skip 2 grades and apply to college at 15-16 that are at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>That’s really true. I still remember in grade school this girl skipped a grade to come up with my class because she was a “genius.” Yeah, right. She struggled the entire year, was not mature enough to be with my peers, and ended up leaving.</p>
<p>Well, as someone who skipped two grades in elementary school, always had a circle of close friends, and ended up at a top 5 liberal arts college when I was 16, I’m going to have to disagree with WoodrowWilson and ilovemyblacklab. There are lots of paths through education, and there’s no schedule that works for everyone. Some people need a faster pace to stay engaged, some people need to move a bit slower to fully grasp things. And moving a little slower than average when you’re four doesn’t mean you’re not perfectly smart, too.</p>
<p>OP, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Colleges don’t care how old you were when you learned the alphabet, whether you were 2 or 5. </p>
<p>So could we lay off the blanket judgments? Age really is just a number.</p>