<p>"Maybe the problem is that I selected a major that is too common at Penn (but have done a lot of things related to it through ECs, research, etc.) so I wasn’t unique enough for Penn? "</p>
<p>Its very possible! Penn wants a student body can engaging with professors in the various academic areas and majors that Penn offers, not a student body that is overwhelmingly interested just in one major [ Business for instance] </p>
<p>Or, more likely, you were just unlucky. This year was an extremely competitive year for admissions for several reasons. Compounded with the selectivity of top schools like Penn, highly qualified students are liable to get rejected from several well ranked schools for no obvious reason. Some JHU admissions officers I talked to at their admitted student’s day literally said that they had to reject students when “there was absolutely nothing wrong with them.”
Just congratulate yourself on getting into the top school in the country (as per usnews rankings) and don’t fret about Penn. </p>
<p>Since you applied to Princeton in the first place, it must be an acceptable school for you. Why not just attend Princeton (or some other school that admitted you) if it is affordable?</p>
<p>Taking a gap year to reapply again to the same school that rejected you the first time is unlikely to be successful, since you obviously did not offer what that school was looking for.</p>
<p>'Some JHU admissions officers I talked to at their admitted student’s day literally said that they had to reject students when “there was absolutely nothing wrong with them.”</p>
<p>These days admissions officers at top schools have to look for applications that they can deny , since there is no room for 90% of the “qualified” students that apply .
Its a sign of the times… 
</p>
<p>Okay, come on now. At first I sympathized with you because you hadn’t gotten into your dream school and had a right to be a little disappointed, but this is getting to be a bit much. You’re considering turning down <em>all</em> your schools to have another shot at Penn, a school that flat-out rejected you? Princeton will not let you take a gap year and reapply to other schools at the same time. They’re not interested in being someone’s stepping stone. You could try to transfer during your freshman year at Princeton, but that’s about it. </p>
<p>For whatever reason, Penn might not have seen something in you, but Princeton did! That’s pretty darn good. Your ego might be bruised now, but once you matriculate there I’m sure you’ll get over Penn very quickly. </p>
<p>Good luck! </p>
<p>Congrats on your acceptance to Princeton!
I may be superstitious, but when something like this happens to me - unlooked-for major opportunity arrives while expected/forecasted one does not - I think of it as God/Fate/The Universe telling me to “Go Here” in major blinking neon lights.
Part of growing up is letting go of things beyond your control AND recognizing and grabbing unexpected opportunities.</p>
<p>Luck is being able to take advantage of opportunity when it presents itself. This is one of those opportunities, they are rarer than you can possibly imagine and are rarely this obvious.</p>
<p>Are you ABSOLUTELY SURE Princeton will allow you to defer admission for a gap year? Have you heard this from Princeton, and not from your high school guidance counselor? If you haven’t done this already, you need to call Princeton to ask them if you can take a gap year and matriculate the following year. I know Princeton has a special “Bridge Year” program–is that what you are thinking about doing?</p>
<p>In any case, it is highly, highly unlikely that Penn will admit you a year later if you were rejected. You need to rethink this plan.</p>
<p>Look, it’s not that I don’t like Princeton. It’s just that I have uncommon interests academically and extra curricularly that princeton, being a smaller school, simply doesn’t provide for. That’s it. I think my reasoning in wanting penn is pretty legitimate considering th above. </p>
<p>Without being specific about whatever it is you’re talking about, I don’t think you’re going to get any sympathy. With all the highly intelligent people at Princeton, I’m sure there is more than enough high weirdness to satisfy even the most exotic tastes.</p>
<p>You may want Penn, but Penn does not want you. There is no reason to believe that Penn will want you next year, given that it has already rejected you once. Attend one of your other options (Princeton or otherwise) and move on.</p>
<p>As others have diplomatically tried to point out, you aren’t getting into Penn. You were rejected, not waitlisted. Applying a year later will change nothing. </p>
<p>You should choose from your current options with Princeton being the obvious choice. If Penn is important, you can always try to transfer.</p>