<p>Would it hurt my chance if I said that I would like to take a gap year for personal reasons (very important for my family but not so much for the society)? Or could I wait until I receive the acceptance letter, and then notify the school that I will take a gap year? Would the latter case be considered dishonest?</p>
<p>Get accepted first – and then defer your matriculation. Your best able to make your best app now, not later. Colleges know that students sometimes defer a year – it’s no issue with them whatsoever.</p>
<p>But should I indicate that I will take a gap year in the common app?</p>
<p>No. It won’t hurt–or, at least, would only hurt in the rarest of cases. But don’t mention it now. Almost all colleges and universities have students every year who matriculate and then defer their enrollment. Many, many colleges actually encourage gap years.</p>
<p>But don’t muddy the waters now. (My kid, submitting her last applications today, didn’t.) Apply. Choose a college from among those that admit you. Then defer your admission for your gap year.</p>
<p>If it’ll make you feel less anxious, and if you don’t have all Jan. 1 deadlines, you can call admissions offices after the new year to make sure they let admitted students defer and take a gap year. You might even be able to find that information if you search colleges’ FAQ during winter break.</p>
<p>Of, if you list your colleges here, you may get answers from people who’ve already inquired about gap years.</p>
<p>Well I took a gap yah…and then I CHUNDERED evevryyywuuurrrrrrr</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Gap Yah](<a href=“Gap Yah - YouTube”>Gap Yah - YouTube)</p>
<p>sorry, I thought it would lighten the mood :)</p>