<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I have finally heard back from all of my colleges and unfortunately, the news isn't that great.
I was admitted to my state flagship, but I am considering taking a gap year and reapplying to get into my top choices.</p>
<p>I am planning on majoring in Finance ( I want to go into Investment Banking as a career) but have not had a lot of opportunity or experience in the field other than talking to some family members who work for large consulting companies. I was thinking of finding some kind of gap year program for internships either in the US or abroad (preferably abroad) so I can get more experience in finance, learn about another culture and maybe a new language and simply de-stress after high school.
My cousin who works in the finance industry said that my university probably will not be the best option for a career in investment banking due to a small alumni base in the field. </p>
<p>THe final reason for my gap year idea would be to increase my chances at some of the ivy leagues and top LAC's as well as places like UVA or a direct admit to Ross at Michigan where investment banking is big. My stats are decent for the ivy league 3.95gpa 33 act, ec's like mock trial speech and debate, a couple sports etc. </p>
<p>Is this a good idea? Any other idea's for gap years? Are there any programs that you could recommend?</p>