<p>I'm currently a senior in high school, and recently got the last of my decision letters. I applied to ten schools overall, in a pretty equal mix of safeties, matches, and reaches. Out of the ten, I got rejected from five separate schools. Most of them were my reach schools, so it's not a huge surprise, but a couple of my matches denied me as well and I'm left with a list of prospective schools for next year that I'm not thrilled about.</p>
<p>I got into UBC, which I toured and realized was far too large. Beautiful campus, but I just couldn't do it. My state school is University of Oregon, which is a great school but somewhere I really only applied in case I wasn't able to go anywhere else based on financial aid. I was accepted to UPS, which unfortunately didn't give me the financial aid I needed. So now I'm left with College of Idaho, a nice but VERY tiny school in the suburbs of Boise, and Western Washington. I've visited both and enjoyed both of them, but I'm having a hard time seeing myself at them.</p>
<p>At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I'd hoped to take a gap year anyways, assuming my future school would allow it and it wouldn't hurt my financial aid. I'm curious as to whether I should suck it up, accept one of these schools, and possibly end up very happy or very miserable, or whether taking a gap year is a better idea for me at this point. I have some tentative plans, nothing concrete yet, but I think I could manage to make it work. During my gap year I'd do some more thorough research on schools and reapply as well (Note: I'm not intending to reapply to the reaches that reject me, as I know most of the time you won't get accepted the second time. I'd apply to new schools that I'd had more time to research.)</p>
<p>Please let me know if you have any thoughts.</p>
<p>Take a look at The Gap Year Advantage. Lots of great ideas for a gap year. And it’s not like you get extra points for starting and finishing college faster, so if you aren’t really excited about your choices, by all means, take the gap year and reapply. It could be a life-changing experience. At a minimum, you’ll enter college knowing you’ve done a thorough look at what was available and found the best fit.</p>
<p>I’m just worried that I may not get some of the scholarships I’ve received if I had to reapply, or that my financial aid might be worse. Or that I might not even get into new schools (or some of the safeties I may reapply to) at all! I really do think that a gap year may be the best option for me.</p>
<p>Anyone else with thoughts?</p>
<p>Didn’t really want to do this, but bump?</p>
<p>You choices:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Go to one of the four year schools you are admitted to and can afford, and has the academic offerings that you want. This is the obvious, simple choice – presumably they were on your application list because they would be at least acceptable for you.</p></li>
<li><p>Go to community college, targeting transfer to some other four year schools that you like, can afford, and accept transfer students.</p></li>
<li><p>Not go to school for a year, reapplying as a freshman to a more carefully considered list of schools, including safeties that you will certainly get into and can certainly afford and that you like.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>In both of the latter two situations, you need to re-evaluate your list of target schools, such that it includes safeties that you like, as well as what you will certainly get into and can certainly afford. It looks like your original application list did not include properly chosen safeties that you like.</p>
<p>I guess that’s a fair thing to say. I guess they seemed better on paper than I really did in real life. In a way, I’m probably just being too picky but it honestly feels wrong for me to spend my money on a place I’m not sure I’ll be happy, have no idea as to what I want to, and am not ready for.</p>
<p>Anyone else?</p>
<p>perhaps go to the best school you can afford then look to transfer in a year. And maybe you’ll be surprised and love it wherever you go.</p>
<p>I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love WWU. It has become the state school for kids who got in to highly selective LACs but balked at the price. I know a whole range of types of kids who attend and they seem to be universally happy. Have you done a visit?</p>
<p>I have done a visit and I really did like it. There was something very homey feeling about it. Beautiful location and facilities too. I just feel incredibly overwhelmed at this point, and I’m not sure I’m ready to make a decision, which is unfortunate given I’m OOS and they’ve given me a WUE scholarship to go there.</p>
<p>I met a WWU grad through a Lewis and Clark (LAC) get together. The WWU grad and his wife (L&C grad) had nothing but great things to say about both schools. I see no down side to the school. If you really can’t pick one then take the gap year.</p>
<p>I would ask Western Washington about deferring acceptance for a year, including your scholarship. You can explain that you want to (insert here some creative or community service opportunity that you are considering so it looks like you are choosing a positibe not just hesitating.) If that is approved, in the gap year you can decide if it is right for you or you want to apply elsewhere.</p>
<p>Call the schools financial aid offices and ask about the scholarships. I graduated in 2011 and picked my current university because it was simply the “best school” I got into but was a total wrong fit for me and now I’m going through the transfer process. My best advice is to pick a school where you see yourself at an that you love! Don’t waste your time and money on a school you hate. Trust me from experience. I would take the year off</p>
<p>The problem with the transfer option is that transfer students usually get lousy aid and scholarships, so I don’t think that should be an option for a student who needs aid.</p>
<p>Either take a gap year or figure out if you like any of the schools you applied to and can afford.</p>
<p>Can you afford WWU? My nieces loved that school. How much will your family pay each year and what did WWU give you?</p>