<p>How far in advance can you usually apply to grad school for a PhD program? Would it be possible to get your bachelors in 2011 and then apply for admission to grad school in 2013, and use 2012 to travel and see the world? I'm not really asking if this is a good idea, (although opinions are welcome) but rather do any PhD graduate programs allow this kind of thing?</p>
<p>You apply to PhD programs the fall/winter before the fall in which you hope to begin your graduate work. The application deadline varies a bit from institution to institution and will be noted on the department or university website. It’s not usually possible to defer PhD enrollment because you are typically not merely admitted, but offered a fellowship package. Departments have limited numbers of these and they vary from year to year (for instance, a department which made lots of successful offers one year might have to make fewer the following year to stay within its budget). If you are admitted one year, then decide not to attend, you typically have to re-apply from scratch, with no guarantee of the same results.</p>
<p>It’s very, very common to take time off between undergrad and grad school, and many people advise it. Relevant work experience can be especially valuable. So no grad school will hold a “gap year” (or even a “gap decade”) against you. You just can’t line up your PhD admission ahead of taking this time away from the academy.</p>
<p>If you do plan to take time off, it might be wise to think about letters of recommendation before you graduate. You will need several letters from faculty members that have taught you in the discipline in which you’ll be applying–letters from employers are usually not helpful, because they don’t address the right topics. Ask some professors what kinds of materials they will need from you when you eventually do apply to grad school. For instance (I teach in a humanities field) I would want to see copies of any papers a student had written for any courses they had taken from me. I’d also want to see an undergraduate transcript, a resume, and the statement of purpose and writing sample that the student is submitting as part of his/her application. Occasionally students who’ve worked with me years ago will want me to write for them, but they’ve long since discarded the papers they wrote for my classes. It’s hard for me to write a detailed and convincing letter under those circumstances.</p>