Hi everyone
Student from India
So I’m currently in 12th, prepping for my boards. I’ve been an academically strong student for long, but never considered applying to the US because of the finances. Hence I never took the SAT/ACT. However recently, I’ve felt that I really should give a shot to the few need blind schools in the US, even though they’re extremely selective. I feel like taking a gap year to explore my interests and apply to the US. I want to take a gap year nonetheless, is applying to the US and the SAT too a good idea? Also I want to study English or Political science I’m unsure right now.
Thanks 
[Disclaimer: The response is from https://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/ and not my own]
As with most choices related to the college admissions process in the US, the choice to take a gap your can either help, hurt, or have almost no impact on your admissions and financial aid prospects. It is all about what you do in your gap year, and secondarily, how you communicate to colleges and universities about what you have done in your gap year, and how what you’ve done fits in with the larger narrative of your goals and passions. A gap year can be a great opportunity to pursue your interests in greater depth than your school years allowed, expand your horizons, and potentially get a little real-world work experience (that is, if you haven’t had any yet); unfortunately, some people may also flounder during gap year. Obviously, if you decide to take a gap year, you will want to ensure your experience reflects the former possibility, and not the latter; a few things you might do to go about having a great gap year experience are planning your gap your well in advance, consulting people who have done gap years about their own experiences, and seeking out excellent and supportive mentors to help guide you along the way.