I was recently rejected from Harvard, Yale, Brown, and Penn. Although I’m not surprised, I definitely think I have what it takes to get in. Would there be any merit in taking a gap year (I would probably try and study abroad in Spain or apply to be a nanny to a Spanish family) and then reapplying to some of these schools again next year? I mean, worst case scenario I get rejected again, I got a fun experience in Spain, and I end up going to my safety school anyway. What do you guys think? Is there any point?
Attending college in Spain or anywhere could disqualify you from frosh admission at many colleges. And reapplying to the same schools will likely give you the same results (they did not want you the first time, so what makes you think they will want you the second time with nothing more than a gap year without some sort of top-end EC achievement or award?).
Why not just attend your safety (which is?), since you presumably like it enough to apply to it?
I bet it’s even more difficult next year! Me Id lick my wounds, go to a solid state school we can afford, work my a** off then if I shine there, then apply for grad school at a top school. No sense in re banging your head against the wall again!
@ucbalumnus I wouldn’t go to college in Spain. Rather do a service/language study kind of thing. Also, even though they didn’t want me the first time, college admissions are very subjective. I may get someone different reading my application, I could edit my essays, focus on different parts of who I am, etc.
My safety is fine, just a state university, I was just hoping for a better school.
@Rdtsmith Yeah, you’re probably right…maybe I’m just trying to deal with the multiple rejections, lol. I just am looking for any chance of getting into these schools and maybe that will just be grad school…
Read my previous posts. The odds are that if you reapply you are not getting in. However, it you try applying to new colleges with an improved profile, you may get in.
Best of luck!
Pm if you have any question
If there was something they wanted, they would’ve waitlisted you. Let it go.
Are your parents really okay with you going to Spain on your own? Can they afford it? I took a gap year. My parents were okay with me going abroad by myself to learn a language too until about 3 months before I was actually wanted to go. Then they told me they’d let me go if I signed up for a legitimate, popular course offered in that country, but they were all too expensive. Going abroad on your own without supervision freaks parents out. I wish people in favour of gap years would stop indicating “solo traveling” as one of the advantages because that rarely actually happens. I did travel a bit but with family. Also, I don’t think there’s any point in taking a gap year because you were rejected from universities like Yale, Harvard etc. However, if you don’t like any of the universities you got into then go for it and aim at more realistic choices next time.
What schools were you accepted at? I wouldn’t advise taking a gap year if you were accepted at top non-Ivy schools.