Backed into a corner

[Ghostt]

<p>Don’t worry about not knowing what to do during your gap year; anything is fine, as long as it’s somewhat productive. I took an unplanned gap year after high school (and I, too, was 19 at the time) and it benefited me immensely even though I didn’t do anything extraordinary. To quote myself from another conversation on the subject:</p>

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Well, focus on volunteering where you can, perhaps do some self-directed study, read books, focus on your high-school ECs… What you do is really not <em>that</em> important in my experience, as long as you can put it in a positive light.</p>

<p>The gap year essay is important in the sense that it is another piece of the puzzle, but it’s really not supposed to be anything too dramatic… I mean, mine basically said, “Last year I decided that I needed to take a gap year for reason X, and since then I’ve been involved in activities Y and Z. It’s helped me clear my head.” Colleges just want to know why you decided to take a gap year, and that you’re not wasting your time completely.</p>

<p>Seriously, it’s only a couple of paragraphs, don’t worry about it so much! The bulk of your application will not be affected by your decision to take a gap year. And if you’re worried that your family’s limited financial resources/the tight job market will make you look like a slacker–again, that’s not necessarily true–you could mention these difficulties in your essay. But I wouldn’t advise you to dwell on them; the important thing is to sound (and be!) positive and focused.</p>

<p>Personally, I didn’t feel that my gap year essay was especially well written or meaningful; it just served a purpose, namely to provide information in a clear and concise manner.

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Personally, I didn’t do much this year. I mean, I started volunteering at a community center and became very involved with it, but I didn’t do any service trips or anything like that–though if you have the means to do that, it would be very nice (both for your sake and to strengthen your application). Look into possible workshops, volunteer trips, youth camps, etc. Getting a real job is also a good idea.</p>

<p>As for the app itself, there’s a question on the CommonApp that asks if your education has been interrupted, and when you pick the gap year option, you will be prompted to submit a written explanation of your reasons for taking a gap year and/or a description of your gap-year activities so far. I wouldn’t call it an essay, it’s more of a direct response, though I suppose it could be anything you want it to be; there are no guidelines.

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<p>And if you do decide to take a year off, don’t worry about it too much. I think you may feel like a failure compared to your friends for a while/think your life is going nowhere–which is a natural response to having a seemingly undesirable course of action foisted on you because of circumstances beyond your control–but believe me, in a few months, after you’ve had some time to come to terms with your decision, you’ll realize that in the grand scheme of things, one year is nothing. In fact, who knows, maybe taking a year off to think about your future will enable you to come up with the sort of clear and steadfast vision for the future that your classmates, lost in the hectic routine of studying, partying and socializing at college, will not have had the time to reach.</p>