<p>I will be 19 when I finish high school. and if I get into MIT, few days after my freshman year start, I will be 20.
There are reasons for that, because I travel between countries and different countries start school at different times. Like I did half of the 3rd grade in China, then I move to Australia, and they just start 3rd grade. So I have to do 6 month more 3rd grade than other people... and it happened more than once... the result are cumulative.
Does that look really bad on the application? my age is older than most people who graduate high school...that's why I want to finish college faster...
But on the other hand... that raise the question, is there a age limit to the freshman admission? can I be like 30 years old and try to get in into MIT as freshman?
because if that's the case, then I can keep send application(of course, with a lot of improvement each time) into MIT each year until I get in.</p>
<p>one of my friends here is a 22 year old freshman. he is international, and he spent 3 years working after he finished high school, then somehow decided to apply to MIT. he's a remarkably interesting, smart and passionate person, and it obviously showed in his essays. once he explained briefly why he was 3 years older than most applicants, i don't think age was ever an issue.</p>
<p>There are no strict age limits, but you definitely won't be penalized for being older than your average applicant, especially if you have good reasons for it.</p>
<p>The only time age really becomes a concern is when applicants are too young.</p>
<p>You have nothing to worry about - especially, as Olo said, if you have legitimate reasons. One incoming freshman I know is going to be 22 - after high school, he went into the Navy for several years. He first applied to MIT last year and was admitted with the Class of 2011 (though he deferred for a year to finish his enlistment).</p>
<p>A not insignificant number of international students come from countries with mandatory drafts, so some of them are also older than usual.</p>
<p>Good... I don't have to worry about my age now xD
this might even make me want to deferred for a year so I can finally do some traveling I always wanted...</p>
<p>Since all freshmen have to live in the dorms, they tend not to want frosh who would feel way out of place living with 18-22 year olds. Following from that, being 20 is fine (being 30, for instance, would be more of an issue).</p>
<p>I encountered a few people who had been older frosh when I was a student. One had spent two years in the US Marines. One had spent the required length of time in the Israeli Army. One had come from some branch of the Singaporean military.</p>
<p>Haha paul. I know who you are talking about. He comes in the MIT12 Chat room!!</p>
<p>Olo....you said that its a problem if applicants are too young? is 17 too young (ill have turned 17 in july before enrolment)....not only for MIT....but in all other unis?</p>
<p>^No, I think they mean like child prodigies who are 12 years old.</p>
<p>17 isn't too young. I was 4 when I was admitted.</p>
<p>haha.</p>
<p>1ochar</p>
<p>But seriously, I was. :/</p>
<p>
[quote]
Olo....you said that its a problem if applicants are too young? is 17 too young (ill have turned 17 in july before enrolment)....not only for MIT....but in all other unis?
[/quote]
It's not a problem in and of itself, but younger applicants have more work to do convincing MIT that they're mature enough to handle college life.</p>
<p>Matt McGann (who was young himself when he came to MIT) has a short blog entry on the topic [url=<a href="http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/homeschooled_applicants_helpful_tips/doogie_howser_et_al.shtml%5Dhere%5B/url">http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/homeschooled_applicants_helpful_tips/doogie_howser_et_al.shtml]here[/url</a>].</p>
<p>
[quote]
But seriously, I was. :/
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Heh. I have <em>two</em> friends with Leap Day birthdays, even.</p>
<p>What if I have no legitimate reasons? I wasn’t doing anything significant during the two-year gap after my graduation and now I want to apply for fall2010 as freshman. I am 19 right now and am int’l applicant. How should I explain my activities during the gap?</p>
<p>@ the sort of young person: I don’t think being 17 would be a problem, both of my sisters started college at 17 with no problems. One was just a few months young and one had skipped a grade, graduated at 16 and turned 17 in July. They were fine, even if their friends joked about it a bit.</p>
<p>I have two questions:
1.I was born in december so I’m young for my class, I will graduate when I will be 17 and a half.
I don’t live in amarica and in my country I have to serve at least two years in the army so I will finish my servise when I will be 21.
will there be a problem to admission at almost 22?</p>
<p>2.won’t it be wird to be a 22 years old freshman?
tnx :)</p>
<p>Eh, I’ve known other 22-year-old freshmen. Not a big deal 
And no, it’s not a problem admissions-wise.</p>
<p>I know two people who are entering this year as freshman, one is 15 and the other is 23 :)</p>
<p>You can apply in your senior year and if you get admitted you can take gap years.</p>