Need Some Advice - Gap Year

Student Lounge International Students
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31-12-2014, I am from India and currently in class studying in class 12th and will be completing my class 12th by end of April 2015. I really really really want to go to the top Universities of US, namely, MIT, Harvard, Caltech and Princeton. But now I feel that I have done a really blunder mistake. I will be taking my SAT exam for the first time on 24th January 2014, and I have NOT applied to any of the universities yet(because the deadline is 1st January for appying to Universities). But my grades are really very good(90-100),I am always in the top 5 ranks of my class, I have participated in many olympiads, exams, school projects. I have bought the college board book for SAT and have practised it fairly well. And from my judgement of my own performance I think that I would be able to perform really well on test and since my parents have already enrolled me in coaching programs for IIT I am sure that I can easily score excellent scores in SAT Subject test. But my problem is that somehow I have missed the opportunity to apply to universities. I am really disturbed and confused right now,and because of my such good performance in school and other fields my parents are telling me to concentrate on exams like IIT. But it is my dream to get into those universities. I just love Physics and I want to do research in Particle Physics and Quantum Field Theory. Please help me. I have many questions in my mind:

1)Should I take a Gap Year, because now feel that’s the only choice I’m left with? I have read on web that a Gap Year is only applicable to US students, Is It TRUE? Will it affect my application in any way? Should I enrol myself in any Gap Year Program, because I have read on web that only a really good Gap Year Program would ensure my application being accepted when I would apply to university the next time? What can I do in my Gap Year to improve my application and performance in test, and how should I do it?

2)How can apply I for spring season in next year? Would it be beneficial in any way? Should I prefer taking a FULL GAP YEAR instead of applying to college in mid-way for spring? Would applying for spring semester result in any kind of loss to some of the courses which I would not be able to take and the fall semester students can take? Does this affect in my job placements or my masters degree program?

3)If I want to improve my performance in co-curricular activities, then how can I do it, because I’m on verge of completing my class 12th and nowadays there are almost no activities going on in school because everybody is busy and indulged in preparing for their board and engineering exams? How can I apply for internships? Would it affect my application significantly in any way?

4)From where can I get the Information about financial aid to international students, student loans, scholarships? Is better to take student loan from US or from India, keepin in mind the HIGH interest rates of Indian Banks comapred to those of US? Does taking loans from US require any special forms to be filled or any special needs are to be met, should I be having any representative in US who is a permanent resident in US(because in that case I have one of my cousin brother who is living there)? What all legal papers are needed to be filled to apply for finnacial aid? Are there any exams available for scholarships? How can I take them? Where can I get more information about them?

Thank You

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I would never take a gap year for US Universities, admissions are crapshot even if u have a full 2400. Most universities dont give any aid to Transfer admits( Transfer admissions are far more competitive than RD). And it is almost everybody’s dream to study in harvard, MIT etc. How much fin aid do you need?

You need exeptional ECs to get into those schools. By exceptional, I mean like loads of community service, national awards, college level research activities.If you dont have any ECs, your chances are nil ( Sorry if I am Blunt ).

My advice: Get into IIT’s or IISER’s( Better for Research) and do your PG at HYPSM.

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But hey, if you do get >2350 and more than 98% in Boards, you may have some chance provided u have great essays and LORs

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And SAT subject scores hardly matter for Indian students, I have 800 in Math and Phy, but I doubt if it will be of any significant help.

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If get a good rank in JEE this year, would it be of any help when I will be applying next year. I mean, I can show it in my achievements.

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The US government does not provide or lend money to international students. How would it recoup its money?

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@dost97: You can take a gap year too. I took one and got into many universities in US (4) in this year. I am an Indian fwiw.
You can try for summer programs. Search google extensively and you will find a summer program (for 2015 summers) which will give you aid too. Make sure you make good use of the free time you will have. Don’t just sit around in your house doing nothing. Oh, and don’t think you will be admitted to MIT, Harvard, Stanford, simply because they’re very dificult to get in, even for international gold medalists.
And don’t take loans. You’d be better off studying in india than taking loans.
Many schools in US offer need based assistance to intl students, and usually there’s no special exam for scholarships. You need to do a lot googling and research yourself.

Make sure you get >2250 in SAT though and good % in your boards.
Feel free to PM me in case you need any help.
Good luck!!

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^ And did those schools work out financially (i.e did you get aid?)

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@dost97‌ yes a good rank in JEE would look very good on the application, as it shows your academic promise. But by good I mean top 1500, can you manage that?

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Yes, I think I can manage that. I will practise a lot for it in my gap year.

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@michaelite @International95 @BetterThanBest @aunt bea @Prabhu1998 Hey, does anybody know any exam, that I can take after my 12th grade, in my gap year. Specifically Science(phy, chem) or Maths or Computer Science exam.

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A Level computing/physics/chemistry?

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yup

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@michaelite @International95 @BetterThanBest @aunt bea @Prabhu1998 Where(any site ?) can I get more information about Internship Programs for Indian Students in Gap Year. Has anybody tried any of these Internship programs?

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I have no idea mate

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Try to use Google please @dost97‌. I can’t help you in this matter as I didn’t join any summer program.
@international95 yep in some of them. I finally have a US college I can attend. I didn’t need a lot of money anyway