<p>I’m not sure how to most clearly answer this in a way that’ll be useful to you - I have some connection to CBYX, and I’ll tell you a bit about that, but at its core, this is about addressing whether or not you feel a study abroad program will put you where you want to be. So I’ll talk about me, too. I’ve been out of the writing game for a bit, though, so bear with me. =)</p>
<p>I did a study abroad program a few years ago, in which several people who were in my orientation course were there as part of the Congress-Bundestag program. If I remember right, three of the eight people in my group were CBYX folks. At least one was doing it as a gap year, and I think one was doing it as her junior year. All of them were from Illinois, and all ended up going to the University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign. UIUC is what most state schools are. Given what you’re listing as your scholastic goals, you need to know it’s also what most unis/colleges are - it can be a lot of things to different people, and it’s just as capable of being a great school that challenges and shapes you emotionally and intellectually as it is a holding pen you can BS your way through for four years. <em>Given that you mentioned MIT as a goal, I think it’s appropriate to give some love to UIUC for its excellent engineering program. Plug over.</em></p>
<p>Apollo6 basically said it above, but I’m going to be blunt about it. In your original post, you asked if going would “develop [your] application… present [you] as more unique, mature, developed, etc. to the top Ivy Leagues.” Surviving a year abroad, slogging through a year abroad, loving a year abroad - it doesn’t give you much of a choice, especially if you’re encountering both an unfamiliar language and an unfamiliar culture-at-large. That’s what it does. That’s what you’ll be. I was struck by how you framed these character developments in terms of what it would look like on an application. You will be these things, and odds are good that you’ll view that fact more holistically after living the experience. I think there’s a lot to be said for that self-awareness. </p>
<p>There’s also the fact that getting the shot to go abroad for a year can be hard to work around major or gen-ed or residency requirements in college, should you feel more enthusiastic in the future. I, for one, only endorse going for less than a year if that’s all you can fit. Any less, and I feel it often functions as a glorified holiday.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I went to the University of Chicago, after having done my junior year abroad. Any questions or whatever, feel free to PM me or reply to the topic.</p>
<p>Oh, right. GO TO GERMANY, ALREADY! For rlz.</p>
Enjoy the winter holidays! Considering that nearly all western Christmas traditions have German origins, that should be a very special time to learn about German culture, no matter what your religious background is. Thank you for the update.</p>