Semester Gap After High School -- Will It Matter?

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

As I was filling out the Transfer Admission Planner with my coursework, I came across this message:

“Please explain the gap in education from your high school graduation date to your first term of college”

How long should my explanation be? It was only one semester I missed. Will this have a major effect on my actual application later on? I wrote a few sentences…

“I wasn’t a very good student in high school, and I was very confused about and scared of college. I had no idea that I’d be able to receive financial aid and go to community college for almost no money, so I decided to work a full time retail job instead. I thought it’d give me some time away from education to reflect on and think about what I would do better when I started college, while also giving me valuable work experience and the money to pay for classes.”

Is that okay? I’m really worried that my being an idiot and not going to CC right after high school will hinder my chances of transferring.

2

Yes, it’s fine. Just keep in mind, they may (oddly) ask again in January even when you already answered it, but what you wrote is fine and the gap will have zero impact. Nada. :slight_smile:

3

Doesn’t affect you at all.

I wouldn’t write that you weren’t a good student in HS. No point. Just explain that you were confused about what you wanted to do for college after coming out of HS so you took a gap semester to work. No need for the bad student part.

4

I think they are asking what you did during that time, not why you did it. I would just say “I worked for a semester before attending community college.”

5

I waited seven years to go back! I do think that if it isn’t touched on in your PS, you should briefly explain why you took the semester off. They’re looking to get a diverse body of students. If everyone went to CC right after high school before transferring, that wouldn’t do much for them. It’s becoming a much more common pattern now than it used to be.