<p>We are only trying to help you out. Think how bad you feel if you spent a year blowing all that money (don't lie, it will be expensive) and you applied only to have the same choices or LESS choices than you had before. Maybe this time you'll be rejected by Georgetown as well.</p>
<p>If you want to do this because of personal reasons, then that is fine. Don't do it because you want a 2nd chance at the admissions process.</p>
<p>i'm also considering a gap year, but i'm scared of getting into college next year. I really want to do a volunteer trip to south america... how is this looked upon?</p>
<p>Volunteering in South America is universally looked down upon by every adcom at every college in the world. Obviously I'm kidding.</p>
<p>You never know what someone elses reality is. Yougo, do you realize that kids from all over the world strap on backpacks, save for round the world tickets, and yes, pitch tents. Americans are most rare among them, but it's totally usual for Europeans, Aussies and many more both pre and post undergrad. Might as well just stay in your backyard if you have all those worries!!</p>
<p>yeah, it's not unheard of. people DO do this, it's not like I'm hopping in a hot air balloon and sailing to the moon. I'd make something productive out of it though, and I think that would be attractive to colleges.</p>
<p>now to address points and counter-address points made against my own.</p>
<p>-- money
I really hope that your mother is JK Rowling or your father invented air, because this will require a lot more money than you probably think it will. Even without planes, think of bus tickets, taxis, tolls, meals, clothing, shelter, medical and much more. Did you really think you were going to spend a week in Paris in a tent? Or that you wouldn't get sick for a year? And in an emergency, it's not as easy as simply calling home and asking mommy and daddy to wire you some cash.</p>
<p>Actually you don't really know what you're talking about. It'll be expensive, yes, but not ludicrously so. It can be done. I'm upper-middle class income range, it's not like I'm saving up my pennies. I travel often.</p>
<p>-- motivation
What if your favorite great-aunt Trish who gave you a bicycle for your seventh birthday suddenly dies? Are you going to fly home? A lot happens in a year and you're not going to be able to avoid it all.</p>
<p>well, I was in Japan for a year and I had no motivation to return. I managed to avoid it all that time, somehow, miraculously. I was never homesick. Prior to that I had only been away from home for a few weeks at a time, but nonetheless, nothing would bring me back.</p>
<p>-- loneliness
You're going to be traveling alone. Now, some might see this quixotic quest as one for finding oneself, discovering the meaning of life, etc. But when you're driving down a dark road someplace in Europe you can't pronounce and it's cold and you don't know how to order hot chocolate in Romanian, well, then it's probably going to be disheartening to travel alone.</p>
<p>I'll be spending most of my time in Asia, and I can speak Japanese very well and can get by in Chinese. Also, I have friends/safelines in a lot of places who I could meet up with in the case of an emergency/for a sanity check, though that wouldn't necessarily be the objective in making this trip.</p>
<p>-- traveling concerns
Borders aren't just invisible lines on the soil. The worst thing that could happen to you is getting stuck in a country (especially one unfriendly to Americans) without the appropriate visas, passports, etc. Living day-to-day is fine as long as long as the entire trip is planned out and you have the necessary papers and, well, you pretend you don't know what you're doing tomorrow.</p>
<p>no, I'd have the entire trip planned.</p>
<p>-- languages
Immersion is the absolute best way to learn a language, but don't expect to sit in the back of a Brazilian dance club for four days and suddenly gain the ability to speak Portuguese. You should probably have an intensive training in most languages you expect to come across -- at the very least, guidebooks, phrasebooks, and access to a translator or embassy.</p>
<p>I basically covered this one already</p>
<ol>
<li><p>"I could probably get in off of the Columbia waitlist." (Hahaha, on what planet? Daddy go there?)</p></li>
<li><p>"I got rejected from both Berkeley and Stanford, and made the mistake of not applying to an easier school like USC or UCLA"</p></li>
<li><p>"I'm strongly considering just doing something irresistable; buy an around-the-world airline ticket and make a documentary/write a book/make some kind of article about the trip." (Yes, all 18 year olds can just write books without formal college training. It's easy as pie.)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>4."no, see, I don't WANT to go to those schools"</p>
<p>So ummm k. You don't know much about the college process or colleges for that matter (since you're thinking UCLA is an "easy" school to get into). You are in denial if you think a school won't see your "year off" as blowing off college to party in Europe for a year on Daddy's dime. And exactly how seriously could you take your plans if you realized that late in the game that California is your "dream state" for college. Quote #4 shows that you lack the ability to calmly communicate with people. You're either extremely arrogant, extremely immature, or in extreme denial. Either way, you don't give off the impression of a person who would go to Europe for a year and come back with a worth while documentary that didn't involve Rome's party scene.</p>
<ol>
<li>It's not Europe I'm focusing on</li>
<li>You're right, a documentary about strip clubs wouldn't get me too far, would it? You completely used circular logic and described a fantastical scenario that you superimposed on my proposition, and then used it to back up an argument claiming I could create nothing worthwhile. I can do the same like this: "You post messages on message boards. You don't seem like the kind of kid who would do anything ELSE in his free time, therefore you don't. Since you do nothing in your free time but post messages on message boards, you were certainly incapable of getting into a respectable college." Am I correct? Probably not.</li>
<li>My school is known for being able to get kids off waitlists, and I just barely got cut off the roll (my counselor knows guys on the admissions boards pretty well, and knows what happened with me. all I'm saying is it's not impossible. perhaps 'probably' was the wrong word, but considering the context it's irrelevant anyway.)</li>
<li>Your argument for your 4th quote is a stretch, at best. How can you make a judgment on my emotion, temper and tone in conversation by virtue of text on a message board? This is just a blind stab to try and make yourself appear important, it seems. I don't want to go to those colleges, and I said so. I don't see any broken hearts here.</li>
<li>As for the book, uhhh, actually haha yes they can? There's plenty of books out there by 15-20 year old authors. I have experience with film and editing also.</li>
<li>The realizing about California/serious about my plans argument is, simply put, some of the most absurd non sequitur I have ever seen.</li>
</ol>
<p>Why did you make this thread? People are trying to give you their viewpoints and some advice and you just attack them. You seem set on doing this -- then do it. You don't need our approval, obviously.</p>
<p>fiddledd is very accurate on his points, but do not forget the issue you are delivering that probably will not be answered by the pundits who write the "get into the brand name schools" books.</p>
<p>How do admissions offices look upon people like you who turned down many very good schools? Are you deemed a person as you have described: someone who applied and got into good schools but did not really want to attend the same? Think in their perspective: are you rewriting last year's history? Are they wasting more of their time and effort as you may deem their school to be a curiousity as opposed to a serious candidate? Can they believe your "year 2" essay that you really, really, really want to go to their school after you ditched as good, maybe even better, schools last year who probably admitted you because you told them you really, really, really wanted to go there?</p>
<p>I would be very hesitant about believing you are starting from a clean slate. In fact, you may be damaged goods. </p>
<p>If you sat out the year because a close family member got ill, dad lost the job at the factory, mom needed someone to drive the other 10 kids around all day -- then take the year off. Then you have a legitimate and very understandable reason for poo pooing Tufts.</p>
<p>But, if your reason is that during the long and dark and cold nights of the winter you had an epiphany about California, that delivers less acceptance or belief. </p>
<p>Instead of traveling the world for one year, live in the smog of LA for one year and see if you want to go to the easy-to-be-accepted-in USC or UCLA. In the 60's LA was paradise, but in 2006, LA may be better described as paradise lost.</p>
<p>yougotjohn:I only attack arguments that feel unfounded to me/like they are attacks in their own right...arguments of 'you aren't mature/devoted/responsible enough' and 'you can't afford it', when I only display myself in text and initially provided no information about my financial background...............well, what can I say besides I look at it and just go, ":/"</p>
<p>the last point raised is actually really good. I had been worried about that, in all kinds of varied manifestations. I've been to LA before, though I haven't endured its smog for extended periods of time, lol. It's more that...Cali schools were my top choices, and I had convinced myself-in error- that I would still be totally satisfied if I got into some of the other colleges I applied to. Columbia would be alright. But cold weather makes me absolutely miserable, and I really don't want to be miserable for four years...so though I liked Tufts a lot when I visited...my morale (and I can't psychologically alter this) is drastically affected by temperature. For this same reason I'd never go to school in, say, Singapore. TOO hot. I want college to be a truly wonderous, (fond) memory-making experience...not a dreary 4-year trudge with a piece of paper waiting at the end of it. USC really would have been easy for me, my counselor said it was a great safety/match-type school himself. I was very foolish to not apply. UCLA, well, going by my books anyway, it's easier than Berkeley. I'm not a CA resident so it's true, I don't really understand the UC process. So anyway, when Berkeley and Stanford rejected me, I was like, 'Oh........um.........................oh crap that's bad.'</p>
<p>The argument that the mature thing to do is suck it up and go to one of the schools I DID go into (and I got into some really great schools, it's true) is valid, but it's a fight for what I hope to be one of the most fondly memorable times of my life, a 4-year long period of it. If I can do something that will mature me and give me a great experience, AND help me get into a college I'd be friggin' ecstatic to go to...I just have a mindset of, "Why not?"</p>
<p>And I AM willing to listen to the why nots......but arguments based on critiques of my personal character by people who don't know me aren't going to be very persuasive, for reasons that I should hope would prove obvious.</p>
<p>yeah its very risky and like a all or nothing approach. If things don't work out exactly as planned then you are practically screwed and you will be regreting this for the rest of your life. Think twice before you jump in.</p>
<p>I think this isn't such a great idea. The idea of traveling for a year is very alluring, but to repeat what agrophobic is saying, things rarely work out just so. To quote a commercial, "life happens". Look, a year at these teriffic schools won't kill you- you have a much better chance as a transfer. Sometimes you can't have your cake and eat it too.</p>
<p>Some of your points appear to be addressed to my comments, but you prefaced the thread with another person's id.</p>
<p>Anyway, I did not read the comments as a personal attack.</p>
<p>One good thing about a move to Cal -- it includes a alrge area for you to establish residency.</p>
<p>And, if you do not go to UCLA, you can always attend other favorable schools -- UC Santa Clara, UC San Diego, etc. May not be the cream, but they are fine and very affordable.</p>
<p>I read there are worse things than attending college and transfering. And, at the same time, taking a year off and doing something productive that year may also reap great rewards.</p>
<p>A year of working outdoors often convinces one to study harder so as to establish oneself for an indoor job.</p>
<p>I have seen the west coast, east coast and the mid-west. I believe the east coast is just as much fun and full of opportunities as compared to the West coast. If by next year you have a chance to transfer to a region of your choice, that is the route to take. I wd be wary of wasting a year and finding out next year that the situation is same or worse next year. If travel is your passion, take off during the time that you have between HS graduation and start of UG fall sessions. This is just my opinion</p>
<p>My family is not wealthy and I took a year off to travel around the world. It was the best experience of my life. I say go for it. But I think it would be a good idea to reserve a place with Georgetown, anyways. You could always withdraw if you're accepted somewhere you prefer more next year...and you'd spend a whole lot more in application fees if you freaked out and felt concerned that places may not accept you. It's good insurance. Good luck. :)</p>
<p>If I was your school, I would not put a lot of effort into getting you off any wait list, you have good choices, and i would be the school will spend its energy on getting kids off waitlists that have no choices</p>
<p>i mena if YOU messed up in which schools you applied to because nOW you changed your mind, why should anyone take the time when you don't want to go there anyway, when the GC can push for someone else who really wants to be at a school</p>
<p>yeah sorry foab it was a combination; the majority of it was addressed towards you.</p>
<p>hmmm....withdrawal, I never knew you could do that. that's definitely something to consider.</p>
<p>cgmom, I DID apply to cal schools. I got rejected from berkeley and stanford, and I'm going to appeal to berkeley (on the very flimsy basis of a symphony I'm writing and hope to be finished by the time I send the appeal, and the addition of a class I have an A+ in that I didn't have listed because I signed up late, the topic of which strengthens some of my essay questions [chinese religions and philosophy]). if I get into berkeley, I'll go.</p>
<p>most kids at my level at my school have plenty of options. Ironically, though I have good choices, I'm actually on the LOW end of acceptances; possibly due to having no junior transcript, possibly due to lack of appeal. either way, columbia is preferable to me than georgetown or tufts, and if I got in, I'd more than likely go than not.</p>
<p>the safe thing would be to send in a deposit at georgetown or something and take a year off to apply to ucla. this way if you dont get in youll have somewhere to go for sure w/o having to reapply.</p>