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Most people take a gap year because they did not get into any colleges
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<p>Just a wee interjection...this statement is incorrect. 'Most' people who take a Gap Year are not American, in fact, and the college admission process has nothing to do with their decision to travel or work abroad. The great majority of gappers in Africa, for example, are European 20 somethings, travelling post-grad.</p>
<p>Very few people take Gap years because they didn't get the American school they wanted, though lots of kids think about it at this time of year.</p>
<p>I am sure you are right in that many non Americans take gap years. However, the poster is in my opinion drained from the experience of not getting into the one school she has has her heart set on, and is really hoping to have the chance to be reaccepted after the gap year. She has all these reasons for taking the gap year but somewhat hidden in all these reasons is the yearning to reapply and get into this one school.</p>
<p>Thanks for your perspective. :) I actually have picked a school (I ordered the sweater last night) and look forward to going; everyone was right and it took less than 48 hours for me to realize that. Most of it is in post #56 in this thread. If any mods are reading this, can you please delete this thread? I don't really want to have to keep explaining myself, and besides that it's mostly an embarrassment.</p>
<p>This was supposed to be an edit, but the time expired: I'm almost tempted to defer matriculation at Dartmouth for a year and follow through with my gap year plan without reapplying anywhere... but I've realized I'm probably too eager to go to college to wait any longer. :D</p>
<p>Don't ask them to delete this thread! Many people put a lot of time into many thoughtful responses, and there's good info in it. That said, good luck with college (though if you do get in to Amherst, I hope you'd consider it ;))</p>
<p>One of the great things about threads like these is that they serve to help others. In that respect, I hope that you let the thread stay so that others could benefit from your experience because you will find that others are feeling the same exact way.</p>
<p>I've got a son who just finished up at Dartmouth and a daughter starting at Princeton. I couldn't be happier with what I know about both. They are much more similar schools than their settings would suggest. I think of them as large liberal arts colleges, certainly the most undergraduate oriented of the Ivies. And I think the most social as well. This last is very important to me. I've spent much of my life hanging around the University of Chicago!
Have a great 4 years!</p>