I got into a few schools I am cool with but I got rejected from my top 8 or so schools and I was thinking about taking a year off to maybe work on my music and French and maybe work for a political campaign. If I were to take a year off and reapply, would it affect my applications negatively? would i have a better chance? A worse chance? About the same? I think it’s worth mentioning that I’m 16, so that might have had some effect on my application idk.
How about a postgrad year abroad through AFS or similar exchange program? You could attend an extra year of HS in a French-speaking country, get a few more AP classes under your belt, pursue music, and become fluent in French. (And still be back in time to spend the summer before the 2020 election doing political stuff) A broadening experience like that could definitely enhance your applications, but more importantly it could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and give you another year of personal growth instead of starting college at 16-17. (You could also defer admission to one of the colleges you got into - you wouldn’t necessarily have to start over on college admissions. If the “top 8 or so schools” are the ones alluded to in your username, reapplying will still be a long shot… but there are many, many great options - some of which you may already have gotten into!)
@aquapt thanknyou so much for your help! I have been thinking about an exchange program. In terms of applying, at this point it would be between Wellesley and BU, but I am really devastated from Ivy Day. My username is a joke, but I really did work really hard for those schools and I’m not sure if I could be happy at Wellesley or BU. Do colleges view the applications of students who reapplied differently?
“I think it’s worth mentioning that I’m 16”
I agree that this is worth mentioning. You are very young to be going off to university. I similarly graduated high school at 16, and I think that a gap year would have allowed me to be more ready for university. Of course this will vary from one student to the next.
I don’t expect that a gap year would make a significant difference in terms of your acceptances to universities. Thus I would not do it just to try to get into the same schools that already rejected you. As @aquapt said, you could consider deferring at one of the universities where you were accepted and attending one year later. If you were accepted to Wellesley, and if you can afford it, it is a great school (I took a couple of classes there as an exchange student from MIT).
However, if you find something interesting or worthwhile to do during a gap year, it might give you a broader perspective on the world and make you that much more ready to start university in a year.
I think taking a gap year because you are pining for prestige is not a good idea. I don’t see your stated plan as improving your odds much for admissions.
Wellesley is a fine school and will give you all you can handle academically. You won’t miss a step if you go there.
I also wanted to say that in no way am I trying to say that either of these schools is bad, and also that I have been lucky in many ways, but I am trying to navigate this personally for myself. If I could improve my essays and maybe retake my SAT subject tests, would that help at all? I also had a huge mess of a time with my counselor recommendation, so that could’ve had some effect on my application. It’s a tough process and I appreciate your help.
That you got into Wellesley means that you are indeed “ivy calibre” right now. That you didn’t get into any of the other “top” places you applied is just the luck of the draw. So if you want an “ivy quality” experience, and you aren’t totally terrified of the women at Wellesley, you should think about going there. A gap year to reapply to the places you thought you liked better than Wellesley could yield the very same results as this year.
A gap year can be a very good thing, especially if the student uses part of that time to re-think their application list. Why was it composed the way it was? How did those particular places end up on the list? (Hint: “I just applied to the “top” places because they are “top” on the USNWR list.” is not the answer someone who had carefully thought through their list would give.) What different places should be on the list now that you are one year older and one year wiser? What do you now think you want to do with your life?
I’m going to throw in some details about my application. Objectively, I have a 1590 SAT, 3.98 UW GPA, 4.1 weighted but my school doesn’t really do weighted, 760 Math 2 SATII and 730 Literature. AP testing was 4 on APUSH, 4 on AP Lang, and 5 on Calc AB. I took 7/10 AP classes offered at my school and am Senior class VP, NHS president, 4 years on math team, 3 years student council, 3 years NHS, 2 years JV swim and 1 year club swim, 3 years Student newspaper (1 year editor), 5 years volunteering at the local library. Summer activities are French camp and Foreign exchange in germany. Awards were National German Exam Gold and Silver Awards, Davidson Young Scholar, AO scholar, National Merit Commended Student, and the best AMC 12 score at my school. I understand that in a lot of ways it is a lottery/crapshoot, but my hard work has really not paid off at school and it’s definitely tough.
@happymomof1 , thank you so much for the advice! I was very very panicked when choosing which schools to apply to and ended up applying to so many that I think my essays suffered. If I could fix this, would it make a difference?
I don’t have a great idea of what I want to do in terms if a career so that has been something that’s been difficult with this process.
I agree with intparent that just wanting to re-storm the same barricades is not a good reason to take a gap year. On the other hand, sometimes people do in fact do the right thing for the wrong reason, and this could be a case in point. Right now, I would apply to gap year abroad programs so that hopefully you can have that option lined up by May 1st. Once you’ve taken the step of applying, then step back and consider your options.
Are you going to attend accepted students’ events at Wellesley and BU?
Full disclosure: Back in the day when mere mortals could get into T10 schools, I was accepted to one at 16 and matriculated at 17. Given a choice between doing that, and having any sort of worthwhile and maturity-building experience for a year first, I would heartily recommend the gap year. Life is not a race, and the opportunity to experience life as a teenager in another part of the world will never come again. If it is doable logistically and financially, I don’t see how it wouldn’t be a win-win, as Wellesley or BU would be waiting for you whether you decided to file more applications or not, and there’s no prize bestowed for graduating at 20.
You’re still absorbing and recovering from the disappointing news from “Ivy Day.” It’s natural to think about wanting to reapply to the same schools. This week, while your feelings are still raw, is not the time to debate the wisdom of that strategy. Get at least one gap year plan lined up, and revisit both of your schools. By the second half of April, hopefully you will have insight into whether you can see a path to enrolling at Wellesley or BU next year, with a positive, bitterness-free outlook on the experience, or whether a gap year is a better plan. If you do decide on the gap year, there will be time enough to think through what you most want in a college experience and what your list should be if/when you reapply. But really, put a pin in that for now; you need time to simply process your disappointment and your feelings about the immediate options in front of you. It is a tough process; be kind to yourself and take it one step at a time.
@aquapt thank you very much for the advice. I’ve been considering a gap year for a while so I think this would be a good thing for me. I might be going to the admitted students days, but it is pretty hard to get there from the west coast.
How would I go about taking the year off? would I put down a deposit at the school and then apply to places?
@ivyorbust27 Technically you cannot do that by telling the school to save a seat for you next year while applying elsewhere.
I would be happy with your wonderful choices and pick one and ask if you could take a gap year.
Gee, you were accepted to Wellesley and BU? I would be dancing around the room with joy!
@HiToWaMom Thank you 
Celebrate is right. Wellesley ? BU and it’s 18% admission rate? Both in the world’s greatest collective college town (city Lol). ?
And a degree by 20. Masters by 22. Or MD by 24. Holy smokes.
If you’re ready. Super big congratulations! If you want a year off to grow and mature. That’s really attractive too. But if it’s for some desire for a school brand. Go for it if you like, of course.
But perhaps you are being guided to the right path for you but you can’t see it yet.
“Wellesley is a fine school,” is quite possibly the biggest understatement I’ve seen on College Confidential.
Maybe a gap year would be a good idea but more so because you are 16 rather than so you could regroup and attack those 8 schools again in the next enrollment cycle. You’re obviously, tremendously intelligent and Wellesley wouldn’t admit you if they had any doubts about your ability to cope there but, socially, you might benefit from entering freshman year with students your own age. It’s something I always had reservations about when teachers wanted to move my own daughter ahead in school. My wife and I resisted and I’m glad we did. More importantly, so is my daughter.
Congratulations on your acceptance at one of the finest colleges in America.
@ivyorbust27 - I would strongly urge you to move on from your ivy rejections. You will get an equivalent or better education at Wellsley. If you want to take some time to mature, take a gap year. But don’t give any more of your precious time and energy to the ivies.
@Jon234 Agree that’s quite an understatement.
“Congratulations on your acceptance to one of the finest schools in the country.” this is as well, tbh. It’s ‘two’ of the finest colleges in America.
She has been accepted to both Wellesley and BU.
Both crazy great and quite different. Great differences lead to great choices.
I really appreciate the positivity from everyone. Wellesley is an amazing school, as is BU.
@Jon234 , I really appreciate your input but just had one thing to add for anyone reading who might be considering moving their child ahead: it is not for everybody and some people have bad experiences, but I am overhwhelmingly glad I did it and I think if I hadn’t I would not still be in school, and my parents agree.
I really appreciate everybody’s insight.
Fair point. It wasn’t my intention to disrespect BU in any way.
I’m glad moving ahead worked for you. Good luck with whatever you decide.