Pan on earning my undergraduate's in the UK, but my gap year...?

Applying to College
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<p>The name of the thread is supposed to be "plan", but uh...haha I kinda typo'd it. :p</p>

<p>Anyways, I'm an American junior in high school. I've wanted to study in the UK for about a year now. It's definitley something I want to do. I plan on applying to Oxford, University of St Andrews, and Cardiff University for sure. My grades and ACT scores are enough to get me into St Andrews and Cardiff for sure, but I've yet to reach Oxford level.</p>

<p>The question I'm asking is that I really want to take a gap year. I hear it's common that many UK students take a gap year, and I think it would be very beneficial for me. I'm still not quite sure what I want to study. So far, I have it narrowed down to Archaeology, English Language and Literature, History and Modern Languages, or Modern Languages and Linguistics (all Oxford courses, but I know St Andrews and Cardiff have similar "majors"). I also love to act, so I'm still not sure if I want to try drama school or not. I think a gap year, in which I would either move to England and do theatre, or go on a missionary trip to India, would really help me clear my mind.</p>

<p>What I'm wondering is, how exactly do I apply to these universities if I take a gap year? Do I apply like I normally would, during the fall of my senior year, and then ask the college if they can "hold" my spot? I know that at Oxford (and I believe Cardiff), you are required to apply with what you plan to study. What if I change my mind during my gap year? Would I be able to reapply with my other course in mind, or would the uni let me change my major? Should I just apply in the fall of my gap year? Any advice is really helpful. :-/ Thank you so much for any answers!</p>

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<p>You have two choices; you can either apply before your gap year for a deferred entry (it’s pretty simple, you just tick a box in the application form) or you can apply during your gap year. I recommend the latter option because it allows you cooling off time where you can lay to rest any niggling doubts you still may have. If you do change your mind simply contact the university you’ve accepted and ask them to release you (which they will, they won’t force you to study something you don’t want to) and then apply for something else.</p>

<p>A few universities don’t accept deferred applications for certain subjects, so make sure you check either by emailing the respective admissions tutor or checking their website.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much! :slight_smile: I really appreciate it.</p>