<p>Hello,
I'm an international student and I have some doubts about my hypothetical admission into an American college. I'd like to take a gap year to increase my chances of getting in (you know, some work, improve my skills in some subjects and all) but I don't know whether it's better to send my application now (specifying that I want to take a gap year) or let the gap year go by and then send my normal application without asking for it.
(I'm more inclined to the second choice)
Thanks</p>
<p>If you want a gap year to improve your college admissions chances, you need to take the gap year and then apply.</p>
<p>Well I’m pretty sure you can send in your apps now, wait to see what happens and if you are satisfied with your options then just go to one of those schools and or defer your enrollment for a year. If you are not satisfied then take your gap year and reapply to schools one year later (which would be halfway through your gap year). </p>
<p>Although I don’t think your main motivation behind a gap year should be to increase your chances of college admission.</p>
<p>“wait to see what happens and if you are satisfied with your options then just go to one of those schools and or defer your enrollment for a year.”</p>
<p>Some schools won’t let accepted students take gap years. From what I’ve seen on CC, this seems particularly true of public universities.</p>
<p>Many schools that offer gap years only will offer them if the student has a productive gap year plan AND promises to attend the school after the gap year. Consequently, in many cases you can’t use a gap year to try to upgrade to a better school.</p>
<p>
Yeah I think you misunderstood my post. </p>
<p>Anyways if you don’t like the schools you are accepted into, then you do not have to choose to attend one (unless you did ED, but I think you can get out of that if you decide to not attend any college at all). If you don’t send in a deposit by May 1st, you are free to redo the application process the next year (I’m pretty sure). If you do send in a deposit, choose to defer enrollment one year and reapply to more schools the next admissions cycle, you will (again, pretty sure) be applying as a transfer student. </p>
<p>That’s what I was trying to say.</p>