So I am 15 years old and currently in my second semester of Junior year of high school. I skipped 8th grade and was encouraged by my guidance counselor to take a couple more summer classes and graduate a year earlier, putting me in the class of 2022 for high school. I hope to go to MIT for my undergrad (I want to major in math) but I’m probably looking at in-state Georgia Tech. My last SAT was 1490 (hoping to get 1550+ by senior year) and I’m taking Comp Sci at Georgia Tech, as well as AP Physics C, AP Calc BC, APUSH, et al, and I’ll be taking Dual Enrollment classes with GT for Calc III and DiffEqs next year (senior year). So I feel confident in my odds of getting into Tech. My question is: will taking a gap year between high school graduation and college affect my chances of admission to big schools like Tech? The in-state 100% tuition scholarship offered in Georgia (for which I qualify based on GPA and SAT) will let me take a gap year. Additionally, I am slated to have enough credit hours for roughly 1.5 semesters of college, so I can only spend 3 years in my undergrad. My problem is, I don’t particularly want to move to Atlanta when I’m 16 going on 17. Anyone else run into this problem?
Have you checked to see if they will allow you to attend at that age living there on your won? That’s a rough area even for an adult. I’m sure they would be happy to have you at a time you felt comfortable. Maybe a call to admissions is in order?
Yeah, the minimum age for student housing is actually 16. But you’re right under the circumstances there’s some likelihood they would understand and give a deferral to fall of 2023. I’m just wandering if a gap year is something generally frowned upon in the college admissions community; I don’t personally know anyone that’s done it and gone to a bigger school like GT>
I think you are a special case and they would totally understand. You could always take more classes where you are and then transfer. Hope and Zell are good for quite a few years. What part of GA do you reside? We are in Atlanta OTP.
South Metro ATL, about 35-40 minute drive from downtown ATL.
And honestly there aren’t a whole lot of classes that I could take where I am beyond what I’m taking next year; I go to a small school and I’m taking every AP they offer (except Art and Spanish :P) and Dual Enrollment in my area doesn’t really offer anything beyond DiffEqs and AP Physics C, AP Chem, AP Gov, etc.
But I appreciate your feedback about Tech admissions making allowances. Honestly I figured people did this all the time considering GT and the like tend to attract more academically-accelerated students.
Maybe with Covid they will be offering classes online that you could attend and then move to campus the following year when it’s more comfortable for you.
You could call admissions and ask. Also, you have a full load. Is part of the reason you want to take a year off, that you need a break? Since you are well ahead, maybe you could get an internship before starting college.