i have 4.0 UW gpa, 1320 sat
i havent really prepared for SAT. (i know im stupid >.<)
however i want to go to top10 uni, its my dream. Is it worth to sacrifice 1 year? :(?
No. A 1600 SAT score is no guarantee to a top 30 university, you can get into plenty of good universities right now though and be successful. Honestly there are few benefits to going to a top 10 university undergrad opposed to a top 100 university other than bragging rights if you want that. People looking at your resume are going to care a lot more about what you did at the university you went to than the actual university you go to.
@IN4655 
i know undergrad degree doesnt make big difference, maybe not at all. but still Q_Q
there’s another reason as well, i wanted to study in CALIFORNIA. but deadlines are over Q_Q so even my dream state is flawed
Gap is worth it. You will prob learn more from that than anything else academic, IMHO.
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college/should-i-take-time
Nearly universal assessment (from people who have studied this and from everything I personally know) is that taking time before college results in a more mature person, more well rounded, more academically prepared to strive–even if you do no academics. I would say ESPECIALLY if you do no academics. Give your mind and body a rest. Discover what life is actually like, beyond academics.
I strongly advise not doing an expensive gap year program, but doing it the old fashioned way of –
- developing your own project
- finding a local job
- finding a job away
- volunteering at home or away
Here are some resources–
Student Conservation Association (at 18 or a recent grad you can still be in the high school crews)
Volunteer.gov
workaway.info
any of your local non-profit agencies, government entities, charities, or local businesses
@Dustyfeathers thank you for your answer. yes i read that HARVARD statement before. but only thing im complaining about is AGE honestly. T_T
yes ill develop projects (create sites,make applications and etc), working and etc. but could you tell me how could i strengthen my application during summer (activities)? (im going to usa this summer for sure)
You can definitely strengthen your application through doing a heartfelt project.
The age is so negligible as to be unimportant. It’s one year!
What you lose in time (if this is how you think of it) is more than made up for in the quality you will bring to your future studies because of this year.
Instead of “lost time” if that’s how you think of it, and I’m guessing so forgive me if I’m wrong, try to think of the time as an investment, like fertilizing your lovely blooming mind.
Taking time off before college is so prevalent that many schools have special entries for “non-traditional” students. There are non-trad programs, such as Columbia GS and UPenn also has a separate college devoted to nontrads. Yale and Brown have non-trad programs for ages (like) 26 approx. But other schools welcome older students as they add to the school’s atmosphere, by bringing more worldly experience, the gravitas of age, and wider perspective. Schools such as Reed, MIT, and Sarah Lawrence are known for welcoming students who are older and have varying experiences, as do several others. Women’s colleges hold special places for older students too: Smith. Mt. H, Agnes Scott, Bryn Mawr have special scholarships. In other words the nontrad path is nuanced, rich in its own right, and there are many new paths available.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programs_and_colleges_for_non-traditional_students
@Dustyfeathers thank you for honest and motivating answer. ye i know 1 year is nothing , some of my classmates are 1+ year older than me so its pretty normal haha 
1 year is literally nothing , but i will just feel weird not going to schoo/uni for 9 months
I’m certain (absolutely certain) that you will feel weird not going to school.
That’s probably some of the value, though. Until now virtually all of your value has been measured in how well you perform at school or in prep for college.
This will be the first year where that’s not the case (or at least not predominant).
If you add some sort of (safe) adventure to that --whether teaching yourself a new cool skill; interning in a national park over the winter; working as an au pair in France – you have a chance to discover some of what you are made of beyond school.
Best of luck with your many wonderful choices ahead.
@Dustyfeathers thank you bruh! lets make it to stanford ! L-) :)>- :))
“(im going to usa this summer for sure)”
Are you an international applicant? How much money can your family pay each year for your education?
That changes everything. Your chances for admission to a “Top 10” are even lower than for a US applicant, and financial aid is harder to find.
Take the gap year. Think carefully about your reasons for studying in the US, for thinking that you want to study in California, and options in your own country. The gap year will give you time to sort through all of those things, and help you come up with a solid application list.
@happymomof1 they can pay 30-40K$ = D i dont need huge financial aid. well idk rn tho… what if they decide to pay it all. depends on everything = D
@happymomof1 no way im staying in my country, im going to usa or uk for sure. its wastee of time to stay in my 3rd world country.
USD 30-40 K will not cover out-of-state/international costs at the UCs or many of the CSUs in California. Take those places off your list.
Every college/university that has a Cost of Attendance posted right on its website. Be sure that the one you look at is for international students, and then make any additional adjustments for international travel expenses and for your required health insurance.
If you need financial aid, it is important to remember that each college/university has its own formula, so they might decide that you don’t need any aid at all.
@happymomof1 gonna be exciting year for sure!
about financial aid, dont int students usually DONT APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID, but they end up signing contract with some of the funding companies?
Do you mean get a bank loan? That is not a great idea, to have your parents apply for loans for an undergrad college. You can probably find some schools where the cost of attendance is $30-40 that your parents can pay.
Are you sure you understand the US college application process?
@surfcity im not that much into applicaition process and i think its not needed for my situation. because im not from poor family , i know i can pay more than half of tuition
Well, if you want to go to a top 10 or even top 100 university, you’d better be familiar with application procedures and deadlines. As you state above, you have already missed many schools deadlines for fall 2017.
You need to make sure you prepare an application and have all the required documentation sent to the college before deadline - test scores, recommendations, essays, transcripts etc etc.
@surfcity im not applying for this fall. lol. im taking gap year. i know all about deadlines and etc im not just informed in financial aid stuff and etc >D
Is $30-$40K what your family can pay each year or is that what they have for you in total?
@Otterma each year, so 120-160k in total haha