Due to working after high school and then transferring colleges, I didn't arrive at the college I graduated from until I was 22. I was the oldest member of my group the day I joined, and I was five years older than some who joined with me.
I found that it made the group much, much stronger to have new members with a variety of experiences. On the one hand, because of my past, I hadn't had the opportunity for closeness and college fun previously, I had the same (or more!) enthusiasm and energy and love for the group that the other newbies had. But on the other hand, I HAD had a lot of other types of life experiences, so when it came to running the business end of things, public relations, etc., I had a lot to offer.
And you know what was funny? When it came to general maturity, one of the 17-year-olds was light-years ahead of me. Still is today, when I'm 28.
I just don't find that age, or student status, is a very good predictor of maturity, or character, or even what stage of life someone is in. Some 16-year-olds have their act together a lot more than some 40-year-old men I've known!
I think Phi Sig has the right idea. After all, the chapter doesn't HAVE to take anyone they aren't comfortable with. This policy just enables them to broaden the pool of possibilities they can consider. That's always a good thing.
Ivy