<p>Personally, going through the admissions process all over again sounds like a terrible terrible nightmare</p>
<p>Oh, it is a nightmare, and my sister lived it. She applied to 13 schools and got rejected everywhere except UCs. So she sent a deposit to Berkeley (which she reallly didn’t want to attend), deferred her enrollment, retook the SAT, and went through the process again. Still got rejected almost everywhere. </p>
<p>She’s at Pepperdine now and loves it, so it worked out in the end. But it was demoralizing for her and really difficult for the rest of us to watch, so for that reason, I don’t think I’d do it. I think I’ve got my bases covered (I applied to WAY too many schools, mostly because I’m paranoid of ending up in that situation), but I guess we’ll see what happens come April first.</p>
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<p>I highly recommend taking a gap year (my son did and Brown was highly agreeable), but not for the purpose you suggest. It’s great to have a place to call home a year from now; not so much fun to start the whole application process over again. First of all, it’s unlikely you will fare much better the second time around. Second, it keeps you from moving on with your life – remember that even college is only a way-station to success, not success itself.</p>
<p>The fact is that these top colleges aren’t going anywhere. Didn’t get in? Make sure you’re a top student wherever you do land and try your elite choices again for grad school.</p>
<p>Interesting perspectives, and I generally agree. </p>
<p>My brother, however, did take a gap year after being rejected by every highly selective school he applied to except Vandy (his top choice was Georgetown). </p>
<p>In his second cycle, he got a rec from a professor at Gtown and did virtually nothing else to improve his case from the prior year, yet he was admitted! He was, however, rejected from HYP, etc. </p>
<p>But yeah, I think that the stress and hassle of having to reapply would not be worth it. I may take a gap year just to experience things though-- through travel, or volunteering.</p>
<p>Oh, I’m not knocking gap years in general, and I’m definitely going to take one. My best friend and I are planning to travel on the cheap for at least a few months, and to be honest, I’m more excited for that than for college. I just don’t think I’d have the heart to go through the application process again.</p>
<p>Well, I’m already on a gap year to regroup from harsh living situations. xD
So…this is my only chance. 
If I get rejected everywhere, I would enroll in CC then transfer.</p>
<p>I would definitely not take a gap year unless I got rejected everywhere. I feel like being at a CC would virtually kill my chances of admission somewhere better.</p>
<p>Haha I’m on a gap year now and I gotta say I’m loving it. </p>
<p>At first it was weird because all my friends would talk about how they were adjusting to college life and classes and I was left talking about how I marathoned my favorite tv shows back to back. But I digressed and started working and volunteering and taking French and Mandarin classes and tutoring and just doing things I wanted to do but just never had the time or nerve to do. But as it’s winding down I’m ready to dive back into the academic world and see how my experiences this past year will shape my college life.</p>
<p>Same, ivy! I’m trying to teach myself Mandarin and some Comp Sci bc I’m pretty interested in it. I just wanna see what I’m good at before college so I don’t waste any time.</p>
<p>I’m more ready for college now!</p>
<p>Yea exactly, if you didn’t have some definite plan, like you were going to join Teach for America or intern with Doctors without Borders, then the gap year could just be the time to do something you have always wanted to do. I wanted to eat, pray, love my way through it but I couldn’t afford to travel half way across the world lol. </p>
<p>Coincidentally, my Brown interviewer took a gap year before starting college and she had a great time and said that she felt more prepared for the college experience after the gap year than after she graduated high school.</p>
<p>@ivy
Omg I wanted to travel, but no money.
The feels, lol. Haha </p>
<p>That’s awesome! My interviewer expressed that wished she could have done a gap year! It’s so perf for preparation for the real world.</p>
<p>I would never ever ever go through this hell again. I have a couple of safety schools that I’d be perfectly happy to attend. I’m sure gap years are great for a lot of people, but I wouldn’t be able to get through a whole year without structure.</p>
<p>Happy Chinese New Year guys
Wish you receive the decision/offer you want this year :)</p>
<p>Interview on Monday after school! So nervous, but stoked at the same time. </p>
<p>Quick question: Has Brown sent out any information regarding a log-in activation code, ID, or anything of the sort? I haven’t received any emails with that information. The last email I’ve received is the email that has informed me that my application has been received.</p>
<p>Best of luck to all who have interviews coming up, and the very very very best of luck to all of us waiting anxiously for our college decisions to come out! So very jealous of my classmates who have already heard from colleges…but our time will come! :)</p>
<p>I had my interview yesterday. Honestly, I don’t think it went too well; the woman conducting it only wrote down one piece of information: that I speak (some) Czech. Nothing about my extracurriculars, reasons for wanting Brown, or even personality.</p>
<p>Měl jsem rozhovor včera. Upř</p>
<p>That might be just a note to jog her memory to include that. I never write anything down in an interview. (sometimes just after if I’m doing a few back to back to keep track.) But we are Brown grads, so hopefully still have pretty good memories, lol!</p>
<p>I sent an email to Brown Admissions Office some time ago and they never replied…Did anyone take the Jan SAT and was asked about the missing documents?</p>
<p>I took the SAT II Bio M in January. I never received an inquiry about missing documents.</p>
<p>I’m assuming you all got the “good luck” email? Seemed pretty standard IMO…</p>
<p>Also got the “Thank you for applying to Brown University” e-mail today. Anybody else?</p>