Is a second gap year going to ruin my chances at admissions this year?

Applying to College
1

Hi everyone!

I can’t help but feel discouraged or worried about my chances at getting admitted because of 2 gap years. I’m currently on my second gap year because of financial issues & COVID-19. My family decided that it was best if I were to stay in my country rather than leave to a different country because of the ongoing pandemic. I am a low-income U.S citizen living abroad. EFC is zero, and I JUST discovered of QuestBridge a few months ago and am applying through QB this year.

Yet, I feel like my second gap year will be taken as a negative to AO’s. Is applying through QB going to help? I’m just really worried about that but I’m wondering if this is even a matter worth worrying about…

Are 2 gap years going to ruin my chances at admission, especially for QB? Any advice and input will be very much appreciated!! Thank you all!

2

What have you done during your gap years? Working is a very reasonable thing to do in a gap year, even at a low wage job.

I think that quite a few students have taken gap years this year because of the pandemic. The one student that I know well who is currently in university is getting bored with the on-line classes and particularly with the lack of labs (which we hope will open soon).

In my limited experience older students with work experience were more consistently solid students compared to ones who went straight from high school to university.

I would not worry about even two gap years.

3

I know this is a few weeks old. But I thought you needed to graduate from HS in the US to be eligible for Questbridge, maybe I’m wrong.

@sybbie719 ??

4

https://questbridge.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/218776877-Can-I-apply-to-the-National-College-Match-if-I-am-not-a-U-S-Citizen-or-Permanent-Resident-
"The QuestBridge National College Match is open to all:

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
Students, regardless of citizenship, currently attending a high school in the United States
DACA and undocumented students attending high school in the United States are eligible to apply."

Did you attend high school in the US? If not you are not eligible for Questbridge.

5

You cannot apply to Questbridge after a gap year. You must be a current HS senior.

You must attend high school in the US

6

@sybbie719 - Can you get clarification on the OR statement?

U.S citizen or permanent resident (would include people outside the country)

or

students, regardless of citizenship, currently attending high school in the US (would cover non-citizen, non-legal residents who attend high school here)

7

It is students regardless of citizenship, ** attending high school ** in the U.S.

For questbride, which the deadline has passed for the 2021-2022 school year, you must attend high school in the US. Even though OP is a US citizen s/he is not eligible for Questbridge because s/he does not ** attend high school in the U.S.**