So throughout high school my main passions, interests, and activities were through math, science, robotics although I do have some volunteer and peer tutoring commitments as well. Im about to finish my senior year and I plan on taking a gap year before reapplying to colleges but I’m worried how colleges may look at the commitments I decide to pursue this summer. I’m having trouble finding any robotics or math related activities I could do in my area and the only thing I know of in my area is hospital and animal shelter volunteering locally. Should I still do these since its something out of my comfort zone or will schools frown upon this and think I’m just trying to pad my resume by doing volunteer work that doesn’t seem to follow my main passion (math and science).
What are you doing during your gap year?
@ams220 Gonna travel, volunteer, and learn to drive and other skills. Why?
I guess I was thinking your gap year starts when you graduate, so I was trying to figure out why you were treating the summer as a distinct chunk of time. Since you say you are reapplying to colleges, are you looking to strengthen your application significantly, or are you planning on applying to a wider range of schools?
@ams220 I guess both? I did get into an Ivy during EA but I’d rather reapply to Princeton (got waitlisted RD) during EA because that’s my dream school and if I don’t get in I’ll apply to other schools RD and hope for the best. Idk if I got waitlisted solely because they had enough people like me who occupied spots that I could occupy. Maybe if I woulda applied to Princeton EA they would have accepted me? Who knows.
You certainly run a high risk of having similar or worse results if you take a gap year. Taking a year off to attempt to apply again to one school doesn’t sound like a very good strategy. (I also don’t even think Princeton is the be-all for math & science – there are quite a few other schools I’d put ahead of them). Honestly, it sounds like you are taking the year off in a fit of ego & pique over your results.
@intparent Well I only applied to a few schools during EA and Princeton RD and I’d rather not go to the schools I got into so I have no other choice.
Agree with @intparent as a gap year is usually taken after acceptance and as approved by the school - hoping to fill one’s plate with a program that is attractive as a fresh applicant at the schools you are looking to reapply to is going to be difficult.
@Chembiodad So any tips on what I should do?
Are you saying you were accepted to an Ivy through EA, but you chose to not even deposit?
What should I do?
But you still have the potential of being accepted off some Ivy waitlists?
I’ll try contacting the Ivy I got into EA and see if they would accept a deposit after the deadline and maybe try transferring. If not theres always the chance I get accepted from this waitlist even if its veeery slim.
“my main passions, interests, and activities were through math, science, robotics”
You don’t need to go to Princeton or other ivy league university to do very well in math, science, and robotics. A lot of state universities have very good programs in these areas (or at least math and science and CS – I haven’t actually looked at robotics).
Yup, I’d contact the schools you got into and see if you can still go.
I’ll first wait to hear back from the waitlist results and hope I get in to some schools from there.
Don’t wait to hear back as that could take several weeks or more - your window to see if you can turn the EA acceptance you walked from into an admission is tight. You can also change your mind later, accept at one of the waitlist schools, and walk from the EA deposit.
You are past the deadline to deposit at the schools where you were accepted. They are well within their rights to turn you down now if you call and ask them to allow you to attend – your due date was May 1. If they have space, they are already reaching out to THEIR waitlist, and slots will fill up very fast. I’d call your first choice that you got accepted to first thing Monday am to see if they will still take your deposit to attend. And if they say no, be ready to call further down your preferred list if you have other choices.
If you get off a waitlist later you can forfeit your deposit at the school where you have deposited. But If you wait, you will have no options left. The offers were until May 1, and now you are counting on their good graces to allow you to deposit at all.
OP, did you discuss your plans with a school counselor, a mentor or other adults before you made your choice not to deposit? Is Princeton the only reason for the gap year? What is wrong with the school that you got accepted to? Can you afford it? In what way do you think it is a bad match? I find it very unreasonable and worrisome for a student to take a gap year ONLY for a chance to ONE other school.
Is Princeton worth 1 yr of wait without any guarantee that you will get in EA next cycle ? No way.
You will NOT make any more money even you went to Rutgers(NJ) and got a CS degree there. Not making a deposit to any university before May 1 deadline makes you look NOT so smart. Do you intend to do a Ph.D. in CS ?