Hi - this has been the title of a previous thread; but 10 years ago! I have been accepted via ED for Aug 2019 entry. However I want to take a gap year and start college in Aug 2020. Can I use the gap year to back out of my ED acceptance and reapply to colleges in fall 2019? Thanks in advance the advice
No, you cannot.
No, but you can usually still defer to take the gap year before you start at your ED college in fall 2020.
Are the above responses correct ?
If I understand OPâs post, OP wants to forego attending college in 2019 AND turn down his ED acceptance. Take a year off & reapply to different schools.
Iâm not understanding if the OP just wants the gap year- and should attempt a deferral with their ED school, or if theyâre trying to use a gap year to get out of the ED agreement? OP?
The colleges use a clearinghouse to track students. If youâre trying to use a gap year as a backdoor to get out of your ED agreement, then youâll probably get caught.
Despite the above responses, I think that the answer to OPâs question is yes.
The ED agreement binds one only for that particular school year. If one accepted ED decides not to attend college for that year and does not want deferred admission from the ED school, then OP is free to apply to any college or university for admission in the subsequent or later years.
I think @Publisher is right. As long as OP is not attending any college in 2019-20 and has cancelled rather than deferred current ED acceptance, then he/she should be able to apply to any college the next cycle.
OP â you should check w/ their GC to confirm and my advice is to not apply ED for the next time around.
No, not true.
If OP does not want to attend ED school just withdraw. If OP is taking a gap year s/he can and should do one of the following:
Defer admissions to the ED school for a year
Withdraw from the ED school and apply wherever you want during your gap year
No counselor worth their salt is going to be complicit in sending info and jeopardizing their current class because OP wants to game the system. Sounds like OP wants to hold on to ED school and shop for a âbetter offerâ using the ED school as a fall back.
If s/he cant get into a âbetterâ school then OP is most likely willing to attend ED school fall 2020.
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Many thanks for all the responses. They seem to reflect the 50:50 split of opinions I get from others I ask!
@UK2USA Just to be clear, the â50:50 splitâ is occurring because you are being vague about your intentions. If you are intending to apply to other schools during a gap year while holding an ED spot, then everyone is in 100% agreement that this is not permissible. It would violate the inherent bargain that comes with an ED acceptance, which is that you cannot explore any other options for acceptance elsewhere. Also, note that a typical gap year agreement with a college will state that you are not applying anywhere else during that year.
On the other hand, if you are intending to decline an ED spot for the current year and then reapply next year with a clean slate, then I think there will be general agreement that this is acceptable because you would not be gaining an unfair advantage over other applicants.
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I think ED means that the OP has already accepted the spot when he was admitted in last Dec. Requesting a gap year is OK, but backing out of an ED offer either by declining it now or doing a gap year is risky. The schools may find out that OP has broken the ED contract thru clearing house and he can end up with nothing.
Agree with post #10. OP should speak with her GC about the situation as well.
The reality is that schools donât want a student who isnât committed to attending, nor do they ultimately want that student transferring out after a semester or two (which would be acceptable). I have not heard of any school pursuing enforcement of an ED contract, say by making the student attend, or threatening repercussions (beyond losing a deposit) for not attending regardless of reason. While an ED contract is to be taken seriously, life happens-- finances and situations change. Of course, I support rescinding of acceptances for students who blatantly break rules, e.g., applying to multiple schools ED or ED+REA/SCEA, etc. Some may consider the breaking of an ED contract as blatant in certain cases, but in the end who would benefit from making that student attend, or administering some sanction beyond loss of a deposit? Seems like a lose-lose situation.
Lastly, I certainly hope colleges arenât sharing names of ED students anymore, after the DOJ opened their investigation into this practice last year. I expect each implicated collegeâs legal team quickly shut that practice down. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2018/04/09/justice-department-starts-investigation-early-decision-admissions
@UK2USA I agree you werenât very clear on what your plans are. Do you plan on deferring your ED and reapplying or backing out of your ED all together? You should consider who will write your rec letters and send your transcripts? Most schools wonât do this for you if you are committed to any school. If you are going to defer your ED and then start looking that is wrong and most HS counselors wonât support this. It makes the school look bad and can affect future admissions. If you are going to back out of your ED that also doesnât make the school look great but it is the right thing to do if you do not plan on matriculating. If you think you are going to get into schools that said no to you this year what will be different? Why are you really doing this?
OP wrote: âCan I use my gap year to back out of my ED acceptance and reapply to colleges [for the next year] ?â
Of course one can do this so long as the ED acceptance is declined before applying elsewhere.