I just graduated highschool this June (2021) and I’m taking unplanned gap year because I didn’t get into the programs/colleges that I applied for as a senior.
I know in other gap year threads, colleges want to know what you did with your gap year and how you grew from it. But I haven’t really done anything with it (I’ve spent fall semester solely on working on college apps) and I don’t really have concrete plans with what I’ll do in the spring, like travel.
So I was wondering whether or not I should address my gap year in the common app, and whether it would hurt me if I didn’t address it.
If you have done nothing, I probably wouldn’t say anything. If you have had a job, you should list that. In the additional information section you can mentioned that you have been working to save money for college.
Many colleges won’t care at all that you have had a gap year. They are common. But a selective college will possibly wonder what you have been up to. Hopefully you’re applying to a better range of colleges this time around.
Some colleges ask you for an explanation of any “interruptions of study,” or time periods where you have been out of school for a semester or longer since you graduated high school. They want to understand your reasoning and ideally see that you are motivated and seek out experiences and ways to be productive, like through working or maybe volunteering. Other colleges may not ask, especially if you are applying as a first year student.