<p>I was rejected from Princeton, unfortunately, but I am still as determined as ever to get in. But since Princeton doesn't offer transfer admission, I was thinking about maybe taking a gap year and applying again next year.</p>
<p>The problem is, the gap-year program I have in mind is essentially a one-year academic program for college Freshmen (at the Rothberg International school of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem). The expectation is that graduates of this program will then move on to be admitted as Sophomores to other colleges.</p>
<p>But, seeing as Princeton won't admit me as a sophomore -- can I choose to apply again as a freshman and regard the Rothberg program as a gap-year for all purposes as opposed to a college year? In general, does taking an academic curriculum during a gap-year preclude one from being admitted as a freshman?</p>
<p>Your thoughts and advice will be appreciated!</p>
<p>yeah, apparently you can't be considered if you've taken any full-time college courses. :P i'm in the same situation, but i'd take a gap year and do an internship somewhere instead if you really have your mind and heart set on reapplying.</p>
<p>I understand what simba is saying, but I have to disagree just a little bit. If I had never fallen in love with Princeton, I really wouldn't have worked as hard to be accepted. I'm glad that I didn't pretend that I didn't care and that I would be OK if I were rejected, because I knew that I wouldn't be OK. I think that my "passion" or whatever is one thing that may have set me apart...so maybe there is a true benefit to falling in love with a school before you are accepted.</p>
<p>Additionally, the ecstacy experienced after finding out about your acceptance to the school of your dreams is definitely worth it.</p>
<p>I don't know...I had been accepted to 7 awesome schools before I got my Princeton acceptance and I think I would have been severely disappointed but could have easily gotten excited about one of the other seven.</p>
<p>I guess I'm not really in a position to comment.
I have considered taking a year off though, but not really for the purpose of reapplying to Princeton.</p>
<p>I am in the same sort of situation. I was rejected at 5 ivies. Things went wrong, worst of which was that my midyear reports were not sent untill the second week of March, so they didn't get there on time. I only have my backup, UMich. While I'm sure I would be happy there, I don't really want to go there. I am very strongly considering a gap year.</p>
<p>I think the key is to do something really important in the year off. You definately need to find something that you are passionate about and use it to improve your chances. I plan on working towards becoming a recruited athlete (which could end up being most important), raising my test scores, maybe self studying some APs (mainly just learning the little extra for the non-AP classes I took in HS) and maybe taking a few courses at the community college, taking some good college visits (and taking some fun trips in between), maybe getting an internship somewhere, and unleashing my awesome community service project idea (talking about raising $25-50K for various causes). Basically in my year off (if I take one), I plan to make myself a more desirable student and decide exactly what it is that I want to do in college and after.</p>