In that case I will make a point as well. I just graduated high school last year at 18, and now I'm waiting on my medical for flight grading. That's how I know they will be harder on you. Just because I made it past the interviews, however, doesn't mean it was necessarily the right choice. Yes, it worked out in the end and I passed, but like The Architect said, it was a gamble. I gave up studying at UCSB for the interviews, but what if I didn't pass? I would have wasted a year. Indeed now I am close to wasting a year because of my medical hold up but lets not talk about that... My point is if you want to apply right out of high school, by all means go for it, but understand your chances will be much slimmer, and don't give up your university for it unless you're 110% sure you will pass. ALL the other 18-19 yr olds in my interview stages failed.