I would much rather attend a small, private college than a state university. However, I fear that I might be discriminated against in admissions based on my age (31 years old), under the assumption that I cannot meld with the smaller community. Is my fear unfounded? On the other hand, at some moments I feel it might be a boost to me as I bring ‘diversity’ (or does this only apply to race?).
In reality, I look about 21, have never been married, don’t have kids, and have primarily worked alongside college students. Other than the fact that I’m not enamored with alcohol anymore, I’m hardly distinguishable at a first approximation.
I’m even considering directly broaching the topic in my common essay, with an aside sentence or two explaining that I get along fine socially with younger people. Is this a bad idea? It’s so hard to guess what goes through admission officers’ minds! And it’s probably different from person to person, and school to school, anyway.
What do you guys think? Beyond Stanford or UChicago, which are definitely a reach, I have a strong preference to attend a LAC. I’m just unsure if my age will work against me. And if it is an issue, are there some strong LAC which are more accepting of older students?
Thanks in advance.
