This thread is for people who are taking a gap year, regardless of whether or not they’re reapplying to college. It’s just a great way to met fellow gap yearers and share your experiences. I also hope that any high school students who are considering a gap year can get a better idea of what it’s like!
Personally, I will be living in Buenos Aires for three months, Ho Chi Minh for two months, and Hanoi for four months. I’ll be volunteering, learning the languages, teaching English and doing some NGO support. Believe it or not this trip is cheaper that most state school tuitions!! I plan on tackling a few extra languages while abroad (Chinese, Korean, French and maybe German?), keeping up with a blog (maybe a vlog? maybe both?) and reading through a crap ton of books that I had to put on hold during high school. I also will be reapplying to a few schools, which include UChicago, Swarthmore, Wellsley and Rutgers (so far). I’m not re-taking any tests or anything like that (my stats are already within range for all those schools), but my essays will focus on how my gap year fits in with who I want to be and what I want to study (International Relations & multiple foreign languages).
For me, I’ve wanted to take a gap year to study abroad since my freshman year. To me, it was more important than going to college. I really want(ed) the opportunity to discover what the world has to offer and the role I play in it. I’m excited to push myself out of my comfort zone, live in a country where I don’t know the language (although I am fluent in Spanish, I don’t know a lick of Vietnamese! I’ve also never been to South America or Asia) and take myself further and farther than must people are willing to go.
I’m excited for my gap year, and I’m also excited to hear about yours! Please comment and share your plans
Hey, hey, hey! I’m taking a gap year with guaranteed admission to UChicago afterwards (hmu if you’re doing the same! Would love to get to know some of my classmates!)
My gap year planning is in the works, but I recently was accepted to a study program in London, so I’ll be heading over there in July and August to live on my own, explore the city, and study. I’m stoked since I’ll be taking classes in areas that I’ve never had the opportunity to study, but I’m also a bit nervous because it’s a step out of my comfort zone and since I’ll most likely be the youngest student in the program. I’ve never done anything that shakes me up a little – mostly since I rarely get shaken up by things – but the fact that this makes me a little nervous makes me all the more excited!
I’m planning to come back home and try to do a domestic paid internship in the business realm. I’ve got solid networking, so I’m sure I can ask if any of them know of people who need help/an intern. The internship should take a couple months, maybe 3 or so. Then I’ll take classes at the local community college in some classes that’ll be required for my major. I know it’s difficult/almost impossible to transfer credits, but it’ll give me the confidence I need to succeed when I hit the pressure environment of UChicago. It’d be nice to study without fear of ruining a GPA, and to learn for the sake of learning! While I do that, I plan to volunteer regularly as well to give back to my community
I will most likely go on some sort of abroad trip across Asia or South America with a group of students. I want it to be a raw experience; exploring, camping, trekking, etc. Really stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting people my age with the same idea.
That’s my basic plan so far, and not everything is confirmed yet, but it’s a rough sketch, you could say!
this is so cool. Im taking a gap year too for financial reasons. I have no idea what to do. Does anybody have any advice for me? Where did you find that opportunity, OP?
It’s also awesome that you’re taking course before heading to UChicago, definitely a good idea to get a good base knowledge of new subjects before being unleased into the Maroon feardom of GPA deflation
Sorry I haven’t updatd in a while, I just got back from vacation in South Carolina!
I ran into some difficulties booking my trip to Buenos Aires, so I might be headed to Cordoba (still in Argentina) instead. I’'l make sure to keep this thread more regularly updated!
As for right now, I’m just working at my job and saving up for next year’s travels and doing some online learning at Khan Academy.
@datbutthotwot Welcome! Always nice to meet another gap yearer I’d love to give you some advice on what you can do for your gap year. I just have a few questions about what you want/can do:
Do you have any financial limitations? (You mentioned you’re taking a gap year for financial reasons, how much can you reasonably spend?).
Are you planning on reapplying to colleges?
Do you want to travel or stay close to home?
Is your primary reason for the gap year to save up money for college? If so, do you plan on working part time?
As for myslef, I did a lot a research into volunteering abroad opportunities. I looked at abroadreviews.com for some non profit companies that come well regarded. I found one that offered what I liked and was very afforadable for my budget. There’s other programs that other study abroad options or organized gap years. You can decide to organize a trip yourself, or pick a program that’s already planned for gap year takers. Hope this helps! I can also direct you to the organization I’m using or similar programs. Feel free to message me!
I am applying to McGill and realistically speaking will not be able to spend too much money going abroad. I mean, I can pay for my visa and tickets but after that I would prefer having an internship that pays (unless if the rent is super cheap)
@datbutthotwot Well, I’m headed to Vietnam for six months after South America and that’s going to cost about $6000 USD for all of out (airfare, accommodation, spending money). So it’s actually cheaper for me to live in South East Asia than the US. I don’t think I could survive on $1000 a month where I live now haha. If that’s not doable for you, you can look into working part time at home, and maybe volunteering locally. Gap years don’t have to be big travel adventures. You can aspire to make a big impact in your own community.
As for McGill, did you already apply to schools last year? I’m not really familiar with the Canadian school system so I can’t give you any advice regarding that haha Good luck to you with applying!
Hello everyone! I’m currently on my gap year and just came across this thread. I’ll be volunteering at my local middle school, interning at the library, and doing some private tutoring. I was actually completely planning on attending college this year, but decided not to attend in August because I realized that I had been under way too much pressure and really needed a break from school. I’ve already applied to two colleges and I’m working on my common app right now.
Should I tell colleges that I technically enrolled at another university? Or can I keep this out of my application because I haven’t earned college credit past high school? Any advice would be appreciated, to be honest it’s making me very nervous about later getting rescinded because colleges might think that I lied about my freshman status.
Thanks!
@cappex Hi! What will you be doing during your gap year?
@rounnd2 Hello! I totally get what you mean about really burned out and under too much pressure. I’m really happy with my decision to take a break. Really hope to get the most out of college, so I don’t want to be stressed out and unhappy.
Did you defer from the college you were planning on attending?
I don’t think it’s necessary to include unless you want to take about how you were planning on going to college until August. As long as you’re no longer enrolled it’s up to you whether to include it or not. I think it’d be different if you actually went to school and dropped out after a few weeks. You never went, so I don’t see how they’ll hold that against you.
As for me, I’ve been home from Argentina for a couple weeks now. Really weird being back. But I’m leaving for Vietnam in three days so the weirdness is short lived!
Just trying to get my apps wrapped up today and tomorrow; I’ll update again when I get my responses back!
I’d love to give you some advice on what you can do for your gap year. I just have a few questions about what you want/can do: