<p>Im a high school senior and Im thinking about taking a gap year. Im currently enrolled at an in-state public school, but I know that it isnt a good fit for me. Thus, I would like to take a gap year and use it to apply to colleges.</p>
<p>During my gap year, I plan to work in at a government laboratory as a paid research intern. Ill be working at the lab this summer as well, so Ill have done some interesting projects by the time I apply. In addition, I want to do some volunteering or participate in a service project abroad. Ill also defer my acceptance from my current school so that Ill have somewhere to go if I dont get accepted anywhere else. </p>
<p>If I do take a gap year, I will apply ED to my top-choice school as a finance or econ major. I dont want to name the college Im applying to on this thread, so please send me a PM and I can tell you which one it is. Just so you know, its not an Ivy-league school (or in the top 15) so applying there isn't a complete crapshoot. </p>
<p>Im new to the gap year process and I want to know what you think. Will my current plans suffice, or should I be doing a lot more? What have most successful gap year applicants done? </p>
<p>Also, please send me a PM so that I can tell you where Im going to apply. I want to know if what Im doing will be enough to get me into my top-choice (or any other good school). My stats are posted on this thread, so take a look at them if you want to learn more about my application (Im also considering transferring BTW):</p>
<p>Do not do a gap year and re-apply. I took a look at your stats - they are not too too hideous, but something must have obviously gone wrong if you arent where you wanted to be. Nothing will have changed from your Senior year to next October to warrant your ED choice to all of a sudden accept you. Volunteering for a few months or a service project abroad is totally Hohum to colleges. Not going to add a thing to your application. Plus the teachers will have to re-write your recs, and generally those will be much more lackluster than if they had written them the first time – first of all you are out of their school so they dont have the incentive, nor the time since they are doing the current seniors, etc; in cases where a rec was borderline and they gave a better rec than they should have b/c they felt they should help an applying senior, they wont feel the same obligation. Same with your GC.
Your best bet is to take somewhat easy but general courses (i.e if there is a choice of statistic classes for engineers or for english majors, take the engl. major stat) that you can apply to your major in the next place, get as close to a 3.7 as you can and reapply as a transfer.
Your work in a lab is solid, but not necessarily relevant to a finance major.</p>
<p>It’s possible that your applications will have a different outcome after a gap year, however that should not be the reason you decide to take a gap year. Look at the year as an opportunity to try something new (could still be at the lab where you worked during summer, but don’t stick with it just for convenience) or work on an important project, explore career options, become familiar with a new place, etc. I believe there are very few, if any, high school seniors who would not benefit from a gap year if done right. That said, if you are not ready to embrace one wholeheartedly, do as PP said and start at the school you enrolled in, then transfer. Building up your academic record will do far more toward admissions at most schools.</p>
<p>I read the other thread, and I think I know which college you will be attending this fall.</p>
<p>I’m not sure which college you are thinking of transferring to, but I think you should give the school you will be attending more of a chance. If it’s the school I think it is, I think you’d be surprised at the opportunities that will present themselves if you do well there. Also, you don’t need to name the school in this thread, but specifically what don’t you like about it?</p>