Deferring Enrollment and Applying to other schools?

Is it possible to defer enrollment at a college (that you sent a deposit to), take a gap year and apply to other schools during that gap year? I was waitlisted and rejected at most of the schools I applied to this year, and had planned to go to my safety school that I wasn’t too fond of. I found a really great volunteering opportunity with something I am passionate about, and am now considering taking a gap year.

I already sent a deposit to the safety school. My parents and guidance counselor suggested staying enrolled at the safety but deferring it for a year so I have something to come back to in the case nothing works out. I planned on developing a more balanced college list and applying to those colleges, as well as applying to one of my waitlisted schools. However, when I finally found a post on this issue, responders said that it was against the rules and I could be blacklisted. The safety school offer was not ED or anything, so would I still be able to apply to colleges even though I am deferring enrollment? I don’t see how it is any different than depositing at a safety school then going to a college that took you off the wait list. Also, does reapplying after being waitlisted at a school, in this case Harvard, hurt your chances for acceptance in the second application? Does applying REA to Harvard next year (or this year, i suppose) have any effect as well, especially since I only applied RD this year?

You should research the gap year rules of the specific college you are seeking the deferment from. My understanding is, as you’ve been told by others, if you are approved for the deferment you are not permitted to apply to other schools during the deferred period.

@paveyourpath The post I was referring to was for someone who was admitted ED, and they were told it was against the rules. I didn’t know if it was different since my safety has rolling admissions and no binding policies. Thanks so much!

Have you checked the schools website for this information? You want to check with the school for accurate information. .

@paveyourpath I have, and unfortunately I can’t find any information on gap years at the school (University of Central Florida) besides a Reddit post by current students. I called the admissions office last week and one of the admissions advisors said she didn’t know. I planned on calling again Monday, and figured I would ask on CC in case anyone happened to know.

Sorry, I did a quick good search and I don’t find any information either. You’ll have to call back on Monday. Good luck to you!!

That’s alright, thanks so much. Does anyone else know?

At the risk of asking the obvious: Where did you get into, and where did you get rejected from? Do you have specific ideas for other schools that you should have applied to?

Harvard is an extremely long shot for almost everyone. I would not even consider taking a gap year in the hope of reapplying there.

@DadTwoGirls I was accepted to University of Central Florida, Stetson University, and Reed College. Waitlisted at Harvard, Duke, Dartmouth, and Princeton. Rejected from Yale and Stanford. As you can see, I didn’t develop a well-balanced list of colleges when applying. I didn’t even think I would be able to go to college until the end of junior year since I’m poor and first-gen (80%-90% of students in my school either go to the local community college or don’t go at all), so when I saw how affordable they were for low-income students I kind of just went all out. Also, to be honest, I didn’t put as much effort into the applications as I should have, writing the essays about 3 days before the application was due.

I made a lot of foolish mistakes during the college process this year, but I’ve learned so much from them; a minor reason why I want to take the gap year. I do not want to take the gap year to reapply to Harvard, it is merely a by-product of the action. I want to take it because I found a program (that is free, and actually pays you, thank god) allowing me to mentor other disadvantaged, at-risk students for a year; something I have already been doing in high school and really enjoy doing. Being able to take the college process more seriously and put my best effort into it is simply an added bonus.

As for college interests, I’m still developing a list and actually planned to ask on CC for good match schools based on my stats tomorrow or Monday. I would really like to be in a large city, as I’ve lived rurally my whole life. I hope to major in computer science (with a focus on machine learning) and/or applied mathematics, so strength in those areas would be awesome. A dual major or combined degree program would be even better. However, I wouldn’t want to go to a school focused on just tech and STEM. I have a wide range of interests and would love to be able to explore them while in college. I’d also like a school with funded volunteer opportunities abroad, with focuses on global and sustainable development. Colleges that offer mentorship programs to local high schools would be amazing as well. Finally, financial aid is an absolute must. My family is right above the cutoff for Pell Grant, so I’m not eligible for federal aid (however I have won numerous scholarships so those will help).

I apologize for the long read. If you haven’t fallen asleep after finishing it, I would love to know if you have any suggestion on schools, the process in general, etc. Thanks!

OP, failing to accept a gap year admission and instead reapplying again this Fall is not the same as a gap year approved by the college you were admitted to and matriculating in Fall 2018 instead of this coming Fall.

That idea is one that was readily realizable in days past, but in today’s world it won’t give you the same chance of gaining admission unless you are able to create some great experiential learning opportunities on your own - which unless you have already done as part of your HS experience is unlikely.

I think the better option is to matriculate at the school you were admitted to and determine next spring if you would prefer to transfer - you may find that the school you are at works great for you!

“As you can see, I didn’t develop a well-balanced list of colleges when applying.”

Yup.

“I want to take it because I found a program (that is free, and actually pays you, thank god) allowing me to mentor other disadvantaged, at-risk students for a year; something I have already been doing in high school and really enjoy doing. Being able to take the college process more seriously and put my best effort into it is simply an added bonus.”

This makes a lot of sense. You will be doing a very good thing and I think that universities will appreciate that.

I am thinking that you need to make sure that if you defer at a college and reapply elsewhere, that the college where you deferred knows what you are doing. You have good reasons for doing this.

And good luck with this. Best wishes.

@Chembiodad I participated in my high school’s dual enrollment program and was able to complete my A.A. degree (2-year community college degree). Once I matriculate I will be considered a FTIC freshman student but considered a junior at the same time. Because of this, I won’t be eligible to transfer if I decide to attend that school or any school in my state. Now, even though I completed 2 years of college through that program, it will still take 4 years to complete a degree at UCF due to the requirements of the major. A lot of people I know take longer to finish even after doing dual enrollment, which is why the school has the nickname “U Can’t Finish” throughout Florida.

As for the experiential learning, I wasn’t able to participate in many programs either due to financial reasons or because opportunities in my community didn’t exist and I didn’t know of outside opportunities like summer programs and such. I’m only taking a gap year if I have something meaningful to do during it. I’ll be volunteering in South Africa during the summer on a full scholarship and will then mentor impoverished, at-risk students for 10 months through the AmeriCorps once the school year starts up again.

I didn’t understand your first paragraph. I wasn’t offered a gap year admission to any college. I would be deferring enrollment as security (my parents are worried about not having a college to go to after the gap year), and then applying to other schools throughout the gap year. I’m not sure what you meant by that.

@DadTwoGirls I will definitely let the college know what is going on before doing anything. I will be calling them again Monday about how to request a deferral and such before accepting the volunteer offers. Do you have any school suggestions off of the top of your head? Thanks for the responses. I really appreciate it.

Yes, that is what I meant - deferring enrollment at a school you were admitted to. If that allows you to simultaneously apply to other schools for matriculation in Fall 2018 that’s great, but I agree with your parents that certainty is important - the world is full of people that got separated from the college process and never re-engaged.

I wouldn’t plan on any of your decision being any different if you reapply. The only reason to consider this is to broaden your search.

If it were me, I could afford it, and felt I could keep up with the rigor, which will likely be more demanding than any of the schools you were wait listed or rejected from, I’d go to Reed.

if you do reapply next year, how much will you be able to pay ?

UCF may not offer an “enrollment deferment.” My source for this is a year old. So, you still need to check.

@annamom According to the FAFSA, $7000. Realistically, due to a lot of extenuating circumstances not covered by the FAFSA, it is around $2000 to $3000

@lookingforward Alright, thanks. I’m definitely going to call tomorrow and make sure.