<p>rosylips: Thank you for that! I’m also hoping against hope that I will be the exception. :]</p>
<p>keylimepie: I will consider apply RD… it’s just that Yale has been my dream school and I was hoping for the ED acceptance rate boost! </p>
<p>Also, I’ve noticed that many of you assume that I’m a socially inept 15-year-old, but I can assure you that is not the case. Most people do not know my age until they find out- I blend in socially, don’t you worry. I did great academically until this year as well! </p>
<p>I really do appreciate all perspectives, regardless of whether it’s what I want to hear or not!</p>
<p>This is an interesting topic of discussion for me, because I too will be 15 entering the 12th grade. I’ve never treated it as a hook at all, but I didn’t know it was a disadvantage. Makes sense that they’d want applicants that would be able to handle dealing with 18 year olds as roommates and companions though…and wow, just by hearing 15, so many of you automatically judge that we’re socially inept. Skipping 2 grades causes a lot us to mature faster. Nobody guesses my age until they somehow find out either, and they’re always surprised.
I’m just going to treat it like it’s not there. Hopefully the adcoms will do that too.</p>
<p>GoldenCoast: Perhaps blend in socially was not the best description, but let me re-articulate that point. I am not shunned because of my age, I am not socially awkward and I have loads of friends. I’m not a 15-year-old who everyone knows because I’m that one weird and uneasy junior. I stand out because I compete on the same level as all the other older juniors, and they are not reminded of my younger age until my success.</p>
<p>They forget I’m 15 until I blow their minds out winning speech contests, totally owning in debates, winning scholarships, etc… savvy?</p>
<p>Also to Jersey13: What exactly is your definition of a hook then?</p>
<p>A hook is something that if possessed by an applicant, file readers really take note because the college needs and wants them. Being young is different but not needed or overly desired. A hook is URM, recruited athlete, legacy, a particular celebrity or development admit.</p>
<p>Consider the gap year. Use the gap year well…your “hook” (HATE that term…) might develop from that experience.</p>
<p>Being socially ready is not only about getting along with peers. There’s a lot more that goes into it, including the ability to THRIVE (not just survive) in a new city/atmosphere completely separate from your family, friends, and other supporting social networks. Schools of this caliber are looking for people who are nearly guaranteed to thrive on their own, and a safer bet is someone who is a reasonable chronological match with the students in their class…and that’s also the type of student the residential college deans and masters are experienced and most ready to work with. The exceptions are few, few, few and far between; and stellar grades and scores do not equal an exception.</p>
<p>I know it’s not what you want to hear, sorry.</p>
An aspect of an applicant’s application that admissions takes special interest in because it is desired by the college. Examples include recruited athletes, URMs, legacies, celebrities, academic superstars (IMO/IBO/Siemens/Intel etc.) and developmental admits. With that in mind, I’ll reiterate that being young is not a hook.</p>
<p>rockermcr: I was joking. Notice how I added the savvy at the end, a la Captain Jack Sparrow? </p>
<p>But I got it guys, a hook is not just something unique, but it’s something that the colleges wants or feels they need. Key words: want and need. Gotcha. But I do appreciate all the opinions given! Thank you!</p>
<p>So you stand out, but you stand out because you’re so cocky? I’d think that that’s even worse to a college adcom than not standing out at all. They do value personal qualities, you know.</p>
<p>Based on your snarky, conceited posts, I think the others are right. It’d be in your best interest taking a gap year or two to mature and realize that no, you aren’t the most talented, incredible person in the world, and that the universe does not revolve around you.</p>
<p>Whoa, HYPSM, no need to get so confrontational! This was why I stopped going on CC for a while- you cannot attack a person based on the way they type! It seems like the original poster was merely frustrated with the fact that her (or his?) age was misconstrued to mean that she (or he) was socially inept, and sought to explain the situation as best as she or he could. I did not read snarkiness, cockiness or conceit in any of AnotherNight’s posts!</p>
<p>AnotherNight, have you considered asking your counselor on their thoughts regarding your “hook”? I personally thought it was, but it seems like there are varying opinions regarding it. Your counselor would be the best person to ask, especially if they are going to write a recommendation letter that might make mention of your intellectual and emotional maturity.</p>
<p>Was I the only one who recognized the joke in the Jack Sparrow reference? I’m so off topic but I love POTC! Who else would say savvy at the end of every sentence when he evidently couldn’t follow his own line of thinking half the time? Haha, good one, AnotherNight.</p>
<p>GoldenCoast, I do believe that saying those things are expressing conceit, but not if the poster is so obviously JOKING. AnotherNight explained that it was a joke, I expressed amusement at the reference to Pirates of the Caribbean… it was clearly in a joking manner how he or she stated those qualities. You did not need to go ahead and insult my intelligence as well.</p>
<p>But what I’m wondering is why I’m defending AnotherNight more than they are defending themselves! “Show yourself, you pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty codpiece!” (And just to be sure that I am not misunderstood, I quoted POTC as well).</p>
<p>I think the bottom line is that a 15 year-old is a 15 year-old. I have friends that are 15 and 16 and get along pretty well with my close group of friends (17 and 18) and who aren’t socially inept. But in terms of being ready to handle College and some of the elements of it? No way.</p>
<p>But to each his own, and if you want to go on to College at 16, go ahead. It will make you stand out, but its not going to be an advantage to be two years younger than everyone else.</p>
<p>being 15 is definitely not a hook and a “young age” at the time of application is something that will be detrimental - it is much harder to get admitted as a 16 year old than if you had the same stats applying as an 18 year old - not the news you want to hear, but it is the fact</p>
<p>On what are you basing that assertion, cba? </p>
<p>I was always under the impression that age didn’t really matter, that it being accepted was more a function of how much you’ve accomplished and who you were as a person.</p>
From what I’ve gathered through information from various admissions officers, it isn’t harder to get admitted at a younger age per se, rather, you are evaluated in the same way an 18 year old is. Very rarely will a 16 year old applicant be able to match the achievements/accomplishments/experience etc. of an exceptional 18 year old applicant which is why it seems harder for younger applicants to gain admission.</p>