<p>If I apply this year to college and get accepted. Could I "defer" my acceptance for a year?</p>
<p>Yes. It happens not infrequently.</p>
<p>You need to ask the school if you can do that. Some make you reapply.</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>could i apply for a certain year and then only go the next year?</p>
<p>^You can do that only if the college allows deferral for a year if you are admitted. As noted above many colleges do, many don’t.</p>
<p>what about ivy league?</p>
<p>Check the individual Ivy League colleges’ websites. They probably have their admissions policies posted there. If not, email the admissions offices and ask.</p>
<p>My daughter is doing this. She did not encounter any college or university that would not allow her to defer her enrollment by one year. Most colleges wanted to know what her plans were for that year between high school and college before approving a deferral. I do not mean to say you don’t need to ask; only to say that the answer will probably be yes.</p>
<p>Deferring for a year can affect your financial aid, either need-based or merit. If you have need-based aid, you will have to reapply for it before you actually enroll. People’s financial circumstances can change from year to year, so you have to reapply for need-based aid every year. (This is true even if you go straight to college, and go straight through without taking a leave.) At some colleges, deferring enrollment can affect merit aid, too. This was not the case most of the places my daughter was interested in, but we did find it to be true at Brandeis. At Brandeis, if you receive merit aid, the university’s offer is good for consecutive academic years, beginning the fall after you’re admitted. If you are not in residence at the university (or on an approved study-abroad program) for part of that time, you lose that part of your merit aid. I recently posted in another thread on this topic in a different forum; in that thread, a couple of parents reported that their kids had been told that their merit awards required them to enroll the fall after they were admitted. Best to ask about this if you think you might be a candidate for merit aid at colleges that interest you .</p>
<p>All that having been said, most colleges and universities support students who want to defer. Many of these students have enriching experiences that make them more interesting members of the university community when they do enroll.</p>
<p>Thanks @Sikorsky</p>
<p>Our academic year runs from January to November/December. This means that I will graduate from high school in November/December 2012. I would like to know as from which date am I allowed to apply for admission in 2013? Is there any way that I can apply a year earlier and then “defer admission” if I am accepted?</p>
<p>Oh, are you in the southern hemisphere? That may have some effect on exactly how long you’ll be able to defer. You really do need to ask somebody at the colleges and universities that interest you. It’s a fair question, and any admissions officer should be able to answer it. Just send an email and ask.</p>
<p>Sometimes students worry that if they even ask, it’ll somehow be a black mark against them, and hurt their chances of admission. It won’t be.</p>
<p>I have sent an email! When I get an answer I will post it here :)</p>