<p>Wherever I decide to go next year, I am most likely going to defer for a year and take a Gap year. I am relatively fluent in French and Spanish already, but I am going to split next year between living in Spain for 5-6 Months and then Living in France for 5-6 months in order to become 100% fluent in both languages and really cement them into my brain before I pursue Chinese and Arabic at the university. </p>
<p>Is anyone else considering taking a Gap year? I think it will really do me a lot of good. My town is a crazy pressure cooker (probably like the towns where many of you have grown up) and this will give me the chance to breathe before taking the next step. Im afraid that I'll go to college, graduate and immediately start doing something like investment banking, and then become consumed with work until I'm 50....</p>
<p>Besides become fully fluent in french and spanish, I have a HUGE list of books that I want to read but never had the time in high school. If you haven't considered it before, there are really worthwhile things that you might do in that year before college.</p>
<p>it sounds like a good plan -- but what are you going to do in France and Spain? You could volunteer, get a job, travel, etc -- but you probably better have a plan in place to make it work. </p>
<p>check on health insurance -- most parent's plan won't cover you if you are over 18 and not a full-time student. Also think about cost -- many kids work the summer before to earn money to pay for the gap year. </p>
<p>good luck -- my son is planning on taking a gap year as well.</p>
<p>i'm so glad to know that i'm not alone
i want to take a year off college
like i don't want to transition directly from high school to college
still planning though
my parents probably won't agree
=<</p>
<p>i have a lot of connections in both countries, and Ill most likely be an au pair for a few months in each and minimize living costs while actually making money</p>
<p>Would it be a horrible idea to wait a year? (I don't think I'll be ready in my respective sport in order to apply at the normal time.. I'm thinking with a year I'll be good enough)</p>
<p>If it's a horrible idea, what other options do I have?</p>
<p>Would a college be mad if you took a gap year? Lets say that USC is very close to admitting me, and even gave me a scholarship. Because I don't plan on attending this year, I want to tell admissions that I won't be accepting the scholarship for this year since I want to enroll next year, thus giving another student a chance to earn the scholarship. Would this effect my admissions?</p>
<p>Gazette, I think I have read in some posts that the admission remains valid for a period of 5 years if you decide to defer after getting admitted ( you should check up with the schools you are intending to apply.We have decided to give a gap year to our d so that she is better prepared to apply in the schools of her choice.She wants to major in film and many of the art schools require that you have a portfolio of drawings, unfortunately there were no courses offered in art in her school (she is an international student) and we felt she should use the time between now and Dec 2009 to work on her art and her portfolio before she applied to an art school,in her gap year she will also be doing a summer pre college program so as to be better prepared for the foundation year and will take courses concerned with her intended major .the senior year of high school would be primarily focused on ensuring that she maintained her grades 3.8-4.0 and worked on her art .she will only be applying after her gap year and not right after hs as would have been the normal case.i did happen to speak with the admissions people at one of the best art schools and their response was as below:</p>
<p>A gap year can be a great opportunity for any student, so we don't look down on it. It looks like you have a good plan for what to do with your year, which is important. The one key thing about a gap year that you should keep in mind, though, is to do it because you really have something special to fill the time with. That way, no matter what happens after that year, you will always find that it was worthwhile.
One final note, keep in mind that freshmen are applying to our foundation program, not a major, so while you're studying film, also make sure you are building up your basic foundation skills like observational drawing.</p>
<p>Nightd i think you would apply as per the timeline for the semester you intend to join..and if you have taken a gap year list out all that you did during that period.if one applied now what is the purpose of the gap year as whatever you may have learnt during that period would not reflect in your application</p>
<p>Ah I see, so if I decline the scholarship now, would it affect my admission? I got almost a full scholarship to the school, and heard that I was definitely getting in. I haven't heard from admissions yet. I think they will notify me April 1, but I don't want to hold onto the scholarship since I want to give someone else a chance. Help!</p>
<p>If you will travel, how do you plan to pay for everything during your gap year? I really want to live in London for a year, but I would end up working 70 hours a week and not get to enjoy my gap year.</p>
<p>there are definitely low cost options available...like i said, i am thinking about being an au pair for a family and france and spain. as such I wouldnt have to pay for food or a room, AND i would be paid on top of that which would cover the cost of spending money or whatever I want to use it for. if you dig deeply enough you can find other inexpensive possibilities like this that are simultaneously enriching</p>
<p>Some schools allow you to defer admissions, some don't. There is no general rule here. State schools are less likely to let you do this. Also be very careful not to enroll somewhere during a "gap year", that could turn you into a transfer student. Be very careful.</p>
<p>QUOTE::Gazette, I think I have read in some posts that the admission remains valid for a period of 5 years if you decide to defer after getting admitted ( you should check up with the schools you are intending to apply.:: QUOTE</p>
<p>5 years? Isn't it generally just one year? Ken, thanks for bringing that up. If you get accepted to two schools, and decide to enroll to one of them, but decide to transfer to the other school maybe a semester or so later, would admissions consider the fact you were accepted to their school previously? Or would they just treat you as a new student?</p>
<p>Gazette, they might consider it, depends on the school, depends on the GPA you maintain, etc. It generally is not a good strategy. Go where you want to go, don't have transferring as a strategy. EXCEPT in a situation like California where you can go to community college and transfer, where there is a system set up specifically for this purpose.</p>
<p>I am thinking about taking a gap year and going to Israel for 10 months next year. I have wanted to do it for the past 2 years, but the program I wanted to go on was too expensive. My dad was watching tv one day and saw a commercial for a gap year in Israel, which is over $10,000 less so I am considering this program now.<br>
I don't know if I am going to do it though. If I don't get into any of the 3 colleges that I still have to hear back from which are my top choices then Israel here I come!</p>
<p>popo, which school in particular are you talking about? it seems to me that most upper tier schools, especially private schools are very receptive to taking a gap year. something like 5% of harvard's freshman class takes a gap year, and princeton is considering implementing a university-enforced gap year for 10% of its incoming class next year (class of 2013)</p>