<p>So...I'm a junior at a boarding school. I want to go to Duke. There are problems.
-My HS simply wasn't the right fit for me. It was required to do after school activities, but they didn't offer the kind of activities I was good at or interested in. So my ECs are pretty unimpressive...I dabbled in a lot of things because I HAD to. If I went to public school, I could have chosen to participate in activities OUTSIDE of school.
-My academic credentials will not compensate for my less-than-stellar ECs. I'm in a great position for the SAT and ACTs, but my GPA isn't quite good enough (89.67). According to naviance, the GPA of the average accepted student to Duke from my school is 92.
-I don't feel ready to go to college right out of HS. I'm NOT happy with my HS experience. It was NOTHING like I had hoped. I need to have TIME to do something fulfilling....before rushing into college.</p>
<p>So I was thinking a gap year would be a great option. It would give me the time that I really want, and when making their decisions, colleges will have my transcript for ALL of senior year...not just the first term. Win-win.
But how do the recommendations work? Who would I get recommendations from since I'm not applying to colleges during HS?</p>
<p>If you know that you are going to take a gap year, you can line up the teachers/counselors who will be eventually writing your letters of recommendation in the spring before you graduate from HS. Then, you need to stay in touch with them as you create your final college list.</p>
<p>My academic credentials will not compensate for my less-than-stellar ECs. I’m in a great position for the SAT and ACTs, but my GPA isn’t quite good enough (89.67). According to naviance, the GPA of the average accepted student to Duke from my school is 92.
-I don’t feel ready to go to college right out of HS. I’m NOT happy with my HS experience. It was NOTHING like I had hoped. I need to have TIME to do something fulfilling…before rushing into college.</p>
<p>Before you decide to do a gap year, consider the following…</p>
<p>1) College isn’t like high school. My older son didn’t like high school at all, but loves college.</p>
<p>2) You could do something exciting/fulfilling during the summer after high school graduation.</p>
<p>3) Unless you have something specifically and meaningfully planned for the gap year, you may find yourself bored. Some kids travel, but after 6-8 weeks, they want to come home. (that’s why I suggested summer travel.)</p>
<p>4) You may not be covered under your parents’ insurance if you’re not in school for a year.</p>
<p>5) Will your parents financially support this gap year? Will they pay for all you want to do for a year? If not, that will be a problem. If they will, you need to ask them for a budget, so you can determine whether your plans will be affordable.</p>
<p>6) Since you go to a boarding school, then is it safe to say that your parents are willing to spend $50k+ for each year of your college education? If so, great. But, if your parents have a budget of say - only spending $30k/yr - then you may need to consider schools that will give you merit scholarships for your stats. Many of those are ONLY given to students who go to college right after high school. So, before you make any final decisions, be sure to find out how much your parents are willing to pay each year for college. </p>
<p>You’re a junior - do something great this summer! Something enjoyable and fulfilling, then make this decision next year after speaking with your college counselor and your parents etc. Either way you choose, good luck to you!</p>
<p>Since you go to a boarding school, go to your college counselor and ask. A lot of boarding school kids take PG years, so I’m sure they can help you figure it out.</p>
<p>Have you thought about what you want to do on a gap year? Go abroad maybe?</p>
<p>You’ve gotten great advice. Here’s another one: apply to your schools next year regardless. You’ll have lots of support nearby. Once you have school acceptances in hand, then you can decide to take a gap year or not. The colleges are very supportive of this. </p>
<p>Can you imagine 8 months after graduating HS and then starting to apply to colleges? That seems dreadful to me. Do it while you’re still in HS. Best of luck to you. And it’s great advice to speak to your counselor</p>
<p>Broaden your scope to schools beyond Duke, which looks like a reach for you. Then apply to schools during your senior year, get accepted and let the school know you’ll be taking a year off.</p>
<p>I see a potential weakness in your “plan” for a year off to strengthen your application. If you take a gap year, you’ll need to apply to Duke in the fall of that gap year. Will that be enough time for you to have substantially improve your ECs?</p>
<p>I just emailed my teachers and counselor from Germany and asked them for one. Not that different a process.</p>
<p>But if you end up seriously considering a gap year, I do suggest that you check out Rotary’s Youth Exchange program. I am currently in Germany acquiring my third language and having pretty much the time of my life (getting all the parties out of me so I can buckle down next year, haha).</p>
<p>usually with a gap year you would apply to college in your senior year then after being accepted let them know that you will be deferring a year</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the feedback guys. I talked to my parents and they definitely want me to apply to colleges my senior year. All of you have given GREAT advice thus far, and I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>Also, never think you have to stay in the same canoe just because you started the voyage in one particular boat. Can you switch schools for your senior year? Can you graduate early? (like January and then have some months to play/travel before fall college?). </p>
<p>Can you be a local intern and attend classes half day or only two days a week? For instance, if you love horses, maybe you can be a stable “lad” for MWF and just take classes TTH. Or if you like to swing a hammer, can you spend part of a term with Habitat for Humanity? It’s amazing how happy life can be if you can get out of the rut that’s making you nuts.</p>
<p>Going to Duke isn’t everything trust me. It’s really not as great as you make it out to be. It’s an expensive college that’s as much a crap shoot as Harvard, Princeton or Yale. Go somewhere where you’re wanted, and can find something you’re interested in right away. You’ll like college much more than High School this way and you can make connections fast.</p>
<p>If you want to do a gap year, there is a really great book on the market that you should read. “The Complete Guide to the Gap Year” by Kristin White. It has a section on applying to colleges from the gap year, and how the gap year can help you get into a top college if you apply from the trip. There is even a quote from Duke’s dean of admission on how they have accepted students who applied from the gap year. Give it a look!</p>
<p>Im currently taking a gap year, I graduated spring 09 and planing on going to college this september. You need to sort out and ask for recommendations before you graduate and inform your councilors in advanced that you will be needing transcripts etc. from them before you graduate and leave the school. You can of course sort out the application and everything after graduation, but don’t wait until you are a few months away from applying before contacting your old school. </p>
<p>But if you want to go to Duke, what you really need to do is make your resum</p>