<p>Ok so I am leaving high school a year early, but my school is just listing me as skipping a grade. So here's my question. Would going to a community college for a couple years be a good idea and then transferring, or should I take a gap year? And if I take a gap year do I need to apply to colleges this year or do I wait and do it during the gap year? Help please!!!!</p>
<p>Not sure about the gap year, but it's always better to do something than nothing. If I were you I'd definitely take some courses at your local college.</p>
<p>I would want a lot more info about you, Megan. Why are you leaving high school a year early? Has it run out of courses for you to take? Are you unhappy there? What kind of college do you have in mind for yourself? What are your interests? What would you do during a gap year? What is your financial situation--will your parents be able to afford college for you, and how much? </p>
<p>Our high school encourages kids to take gap years. But they recommend applying to college before taking the year, and then requesting the year off, so students are reminded to check about how their college choices feel about gap years, and if they are likely to approve one. Most colleges are fine about it, I am told, but some specialty programs and state schools may not permit it. It just make it easier to go through the app process with everyone else, getting reminders from your hs and having that momentum. Also, the teachers are right there in place, whereas some may have left when you return from a year's absence. A gap year should be planned, not just time to hang out. A well designed gap year is supposed to rejuvenate some students who may have needed this break from school.</p>
<p>I am leaving high school for two reasons. The first being that at the conclusion of next year I will have run out of courses to take except for band, choir, and p.e. The second reason being that since an injury that occured at school years ago, my family and I have had nothing but problems with the school. As for what type of college I have in mind, I have small to medium LAC's in mind. Then I would like to attend a top Law School. My intrests are many. They include music vocal and instrumental, public speaking, debating, reading. But one of my major intrests is helping the American Cancer Society raise money for cancer research. During a gap year I would be doing one of two things. I would either be working to save money for college because my family cannot afford it or I would be helping out at the Christian Camp I work at during the summers and this would pretty much be doing ministry work. My financial situation isn't great. My family makes under $30,000 a year and I save every penny I earn. But still its not great. That's why working during a gap yr would be great.</p>
<p>ok another question. if i apply during a gap year can i still apply for financial aid? and if i apply to college this coming year and defer enrollment can i use financial aid packages awarded or do i loose them if i defer?</p>
<p>1) Yes, you can apply for financial aid whenever you apply to colleges.
2) Whether you defer or not, you have to apply for financial aid every year and your award is re-evaluated every year. So to that extent you will "lose" your financial aid and have it reworked for the following year. If you get merit aid, rather than need-based aid, however, the particular schools may or may not withdraw it. This is a question you must ask the individual schools to which you may apply.</p>
<p>thanks for answering my questions chedva</p>
<p>I understand your reasons for leaving high school, but a gap year tends to really throw people off when they're about to be freshmen. if it's money you need, apply to a community college that's affordable and perhaps you'll get a good amount of aid or a scholarship. I know my hs offers newsletters avalible in guidance listing local scholarships from $100-$20,000. If your school does, too, take advantage of that. You'll never know what kind of scholarship/aid you can get from a LAC until you apply, so go for it! And good luck!</p>