<p>Hello fellow collegeconfidential member i need your opinion on a very serious issue that i am facing actually i am a student from INDIA i graduated from high school in 2008 with biology,physics,chemistry,computer sciences and English.i was in top 5% of my class and i have remined A grade student throughout senior high school in biology.But eversince i have came out of school i am in attempt to go to USA but due to some financial turbulence i failed to do so(the admission fees and test fees are a lot for us).this year when i finally got the money another issue surfaced and apparently i wont be able to apply to college this year as well.and now i am planning to apply next year for FALL or SPRING semester of 2012.now like i said i have graduated in 2008 and all this time gap years have added up currently 2.5 years and if i fail to go this year another 1 year will add up totalling 3.5 years.I dont want to study in INDIA i want to do research work which has little scope down here thats why i didnt joined here and it isnt an option at all.so is it okay to have a few GAP years due to financial reasons or it will lead to denial of admission at good and top universities please advice.what effect it will have on applying to universities like BOSTON UNIVERSITY,UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA,MIT,CALTECH,STONY BROOK etc.what is your take on this slight above average student with 3-4 GAP year applying to US universities for admission taking SAT etc</p>
<p>What have you done during your gap years?</p>
<p>nothing specific</p>
<p>Best of luck explaining your gap years bro.</p>
<p>I don’t see it happening.</p>
<p>You’re supposed to be saving the world during your gap year or doing some groundbreaking research.
More than one gap year without any productive work is not attractive.
Can you fund yourself?</p>
<p>Research?Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Everybody wants to go there for Research only. But do all of them reach there?
No.</p>
<p>You should have atleast joined college. Not doing so and just sitting idle swatting flies not only doesn’t help your application, it also doesn’t help your mental health.</p>
<p>A numerous gap year student who has done nothing productive during them asking for Full Financial Aid? Not possible. There will be students who have are your equivalent or have even more to show without taking a gap year.</p>
<p>You should join college for UG and try the US for PG. It’s not a bad option and is taken by many who cannot afford the 4 years. Research at the UG level is very limited by the way and except for a few individuals, not many do anything substantial. So you’re not missing out on anything.</p>
<p>But will any Indian college admit you without your having a good explanation in hand about why you thought it to be necessary to take so many gap years?</p>
<p>Just my 0.02$.</p>
<p>Well one of my acquaintances is 21 and he’s applying to the usa for Fall 2011 undergrad in business administration.
He didn’t do research or anything. He spent roughly 4 years working in his dad’s company!</p>
<p>Well OP, I’m kinda appalled that you chose not to do anything instead of enrolling at your local college at the least!</p>
<p>I agree with what pixie is saying here. It is a lot easier to get admission and full financial aid for graduate studies. When you are done, no one cares where you did your undergraduate studies.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t consider US as your only option (especially when your needs are high and you have ‘‘special circumstances’’).</p>
<p>Students who do their gap years (& consider applying to top tier varsities) have done either something unusual (& really great!! believe me) or have very strong back-ups like leading varsities of India.</p>
<p>thanks for replies people but i think that you should read again what i have to say i know that a top universitiy like MIT,HARVARD will not give me admission as they might see this peculiar they are just too nosy with A grade student with lot of AP and different achievement why would they even consider me i know that but my question is that will i not get admission to any good average university just because i have few GAP years and i am not asking for full financial aid.like i was saying can they deny admission just because of GAP years. by the way PERFECTPIXIE not everyone wants to go there for research most of them chase the sweet american dream believe me most people prefer to study MBA and get 100K$ rather than breaking their backbone in a laboratory for 50K$.as far as you guys are saying about joining college don’t you know that needs money if i had money why would i not apply to USA i am not enjoying sitting around while the world is moving fast haven’t you thought about it i know having GAP years is bad but what if i have explanation for it(financial setbacks).and yes like i said that joining down here is not an option i will prefer quitting education rather than studying here i am too far down the road and there is no turning back now i will get to USA and when i will get admitted i will update this thread and inform all of you.thanks for reply and your precious time.</p>
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<p>It is not true that most people prefer to study MBA. Not having an MBA doesn’t necessarily translate to lower pay. I don’t know who is giving you the impression. Go and look at IEEE salary survey and see how much R&D people make. You will be surprised.</p>
<p>My feeling is that your gap year will not prevent you from getting admission at schools like BU and Stony Brook. Ivys, MIT and CalTech are tough and you know that.</p>
<p>“yes like i said that joining down here is not an option i will prefer quitting education rather than studying here”</p>
<p>You amuse me.</p>
<p>Aniruddh, that is a research oriented mind! They work differently! You don’t understand, you nasty engg+MBA seeker!
Original Poster, I’ll have you know, I might go into research later in my career. I doubt I would have been able to sit without an education for nearly 3 years.</p>
<p>See even if your family had finanacial setbacks, nothing was stopping you from just volunteering with an NGO isn’t it?</p>
<p>If you don’t require Fin. Aid and can pay your way, then you do have better chances of getting into B+, B- colleges many of which are very good.</p>
<p>Satmaster, I’d like to introduce you to the full stop. -> " . "</p>
<p>The gap year thing is a huge setback. Please do update this thread with your admission results.</p>
<p>No pixie, what I was trying to say is that he chose to stay at home for an indefinite amount of time till his family’s financial condition (who knows when?) would improve enough for him to go to the USA for undergrad.</p>
<p>Usually in these kinds of situations where people cannot afford the prohibitive cost of an education in the USA, people do their undergrad from here and then they go to the USA for masters! </p>
<p>To each their own.</p>
<p>I also fail to see how his parents let him sit in his house for more than one year without doing anything…</p>
<p>@Tippu this question is for you. Is it possible to get good financial aid in Graduate Studies in America? My cousin (from BITS Pilani, one of the BEST Univs in India) will be applying for Master’s/Graduate at MIT/Stanford and the likes next year. He needs good amount of financial aid. Will it be extremely difficult for him to get in? And if a person does Graduate studies in America, does it open up bright prospects for career/salary? Does the fact that he did his undergraduate education in India affect him in any way?.</p>
<p>Please reply Tippu.</p>
<p>Oy, aniruddh, I was kidding!!!
Haha, I was poking fun indirectly at someone and that someone wasn’t you ;)</p>
<p>i don’t get it guys why few years off is such a bad thing down here in India people spended years in attempt to clear competitive medical and engineering exam in the past they tried till they were 21 which was the maximum limit back then but now that has been limited to two attempts.whether my mind is in shape or not my SAT score and subject scores will tell and beside i have plan to accelerate my coursework by taking classes in summer and doing extra credit.In USA it is possible to finish UG even in 2-2.5 years provided you have what it takes to do that.and RSAXENA my parent left me at home because they know that i will succeed why because i won science award of national and international level for project on theory of relativity and inertial confinment fusion that is too when i was only 12 years old an 8th standard boy i attended national science congress i know where i am heading i am not lost just wanted a few opinions and i am thankfull to you all for your views.“doing science” thats what i want to do have to do and will do.and i also had financial support from school due to this it wasn’t much but they exempted my tution fees.looking forward to more replies and yes i will mention where i got admission in this very thread and also send message to all of you tick tock tick tock till then.my financial condition have been overwhelming and became a drawback for me in form of GAP years.well thanks for views but people i must have to admit you people are way too much serious and superstitious about admission rules.universities don’t simply decline because i didn’t join for financial they will evaluate my situation and reply accordingly.the admission decisions are not made by A.I robot the admission council have a human side too.as far as MIT etc are concerned i am not fit for their multidimensional algorithm and beside they have far better student to take in much fresh minds but the elite schools are not the end of the road.and TIPPUSULTAN you didn’t got my point i was trying to examplify that most people atleast in our country are too carrier or what i like to call them cubicle fanatic they prefer hefty salary rather than doing science not every engineer or doctor does research they simply oriented toward there paycheck.they are intrested in getting number and A grades by redrawing urey miller experiment and writing a long essay on it but are not intrested or thoughtful about recreating it in their school lab or in home.</p>