The set $Ext(X_0, Y)$ will be rarely closed, I believe. (Perhaps you want to use a different symbol for this set, as $Ext$ has its own meaning.) Suppose that $X$ is a Banach space which is complemented in $X^{**}$, $X$ is isomorphic to $X\oplus X$, $X$ has a Schauder basis and it contains an uncomplemented copy of itself, $X_0$ say. Then there is a compact operator $K\colon X_0\to X$ which does not extend to $X$. (This is implicit in in the proof of Lemma 5.7 [here][1]; apologies for self-advertisement). On the other hand, $X_0$ has the approximation property, so $K$ can be approximated by finite-ranks which are extendable. Note that the above situation with compact operators cannot happen if $Y$ is a $\mathscr{L}_\infty$-space as in this case we have the [Grothendieck–Lindenstrauss theorem][2] about extensions of compact operators. [1]: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1208.4762v3.pdf [2]: http://projecteuclid.org/euclid.bams/1183524860