<p>So I am strongly considering a gap year...but what is the process for this. Do I still apply and then defer admissions? or do I just not apply yet?</p>
<p>you can apply and then defer, or you can apply to colleges next year</p>
<p>At most colleges you can apply normally during your senior year of high school, and then once accepted submit a written explanation of why you want to defer. However, some schools don't permit deferment, so you'd have to wait and apply during your gap year. Once you have a list of schools, check with admissions to find out what their policies are so you can come up with a game plan for applications. If you don't have specific plans yet, now would be a good time to start thinking about what you want to do during your gap year - work, travel, service, etc. - so you're prepared to explain it to admissions.</p>
<p>You should definitely talk to your guidance counselor if you haven't already. There are also some helpful articles [url=<a href="http://www.petersons.com/common/article.asp?id=2436&path=ug.gs.advice&sponsor=1%5Dhere%5B/url">http://www.petersons.com/common/article.asp?id=2436&path=ug.gs.advice&sponsor=1]here[/url</a>] and [url=<a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college/apply/articles/decision/deferring.asp%5Dhere%5B/url">http://www.princetonreview.com/college/apply/articles/decision/deferring.asp]here[/url</a>].</p>