The background for this is really, really long so I’m not going to get too into detail here, but basically I’ve had severe anxiety and depression etc etc that, in addition to a few medical emergencies due to chronic illness, has kept me from going to school or doing just about anything for the better part of four years. I’m now in my senior year of high school and my physical and mental health has gotten a lot better over the past year or so, but I have about 9 of the required 22.5 credits my state requires me to have to graduate in June and a whopping zero extracurriculars or even hobbies to my name. While I still think I have a pretty good chance of getting my high school diploma in 2016, regardless of whether I graduate in May, I’m clearly not going to be able to apply for any of the universities I was planning on this year.
So far I’ve came up with two choices: I can either take a gap year, gain some experience, and then apply for university in fall 2016. Or I can apply to my local community college and spend a year there before transferring elsewhere.
Taking a gap year would help fill out the gaping hole in the extracurricular section of my college application, but if I don’t spend my time wisely it could end up hurting way more than it could possibly help. Going to CC would not only guarantee that I keep myself busy that year, but a good college transcript may allow them to overlook the fact that I took over 40% of my classes in my senior year of high school. The con is that my financial aid would probably be worse since I would have to apply as a transfer, and that staying home for another year may not be the best situation for my mental health. I’d also still have to deal with the issue of not having any relevant interests to put on my application.
My question is, which one would look better, or the least bad, to admissions? For the record, I’m planning on majoring in film and the universities I’m most looking to get into are FSU, USC, NYU, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. Also I should note that I didn’t fail the classes I’m missing credit for - I literally have not taken them yet. The lowest grade I’ve earned so far is a B+.
If you feel you have a gaping hole in your application, I would go on a gap year. Before you do, consider it thouroughly. Gap years are only good for certain people. I know a lot of colleges like seeing gap years, but I would research the schools you want to apply for first, just in case. If you want to go out into the world, take a gap year. There are some really good ones. If you don’t want to be a year behind everyone else in your grade and it will bother you, go to the community college. Also, a community college can save a ton of money while still getting credits for it!
Your situation is too specific for those of us without in-depth knowledge of your level of recovery, current health, risk of relapse, etc…to weigh in on these two options. You sound good right now and no one, least of all your parents, wants to jeopardize that. Please discuss it with your therapist and parents to come up with the right plan for you.
For information on gap years, take a look at The Gap Year Advantage by Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson. Lots of good food for thought, ideas about where to go. You CC might also be a good choice depending on what you plan to study, your family’s financial situation, your health, etc…
Good luck with a continued strong recovery - but don’t feel pressured to rush anything. The world will still be there a year from now waiting for you.
Keep in mind that for the schools you’ve stated you’re targeting, the two UC school’s would require that you be in junior standing prior to matriculation, meaning that you would need to do two years at a community college to qualify as a transfer.
What state are you in? If you’re in-state, two-years at a CC will make you eligible for the TAG (although not at LA or Berkeley), but can set you up for Transfer success. If you’re out-of-state, it’s unlikely that the UC’s are affordable, so you may want give your target schools some additional consideration.
Good luck. It’s sounds like you’re on the right track. I agree with the previous posters who say take your time and don’t feel that you have to adhere to a timeline other than your own.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I definitely don’t want to push myself beyond my current limits. I’ve just been planning on going to university after senior year for so long, now that it’s not an option, I’m a bit lost on what to do next.
And thanks for the book recommendation! I’ll definitely take a look at it.
Being behind my classmates isn’t a foreign feeling for me, so I’m not too worried about that. As for gap years only being good for certain people, I’m hyperware of that, which is one of the main reason I’m unsure of whether I should go for it or not. I want to spend it doing something worthwhile, but I’m not exactly sure what, or if I would be able handle it at this point in time.
NYU & UCs out-of-state are very expensive, so consider this.
I would plan activities to make my gap year useful, such as working or volunteering. There are amazing volunteering experiences overseas, which would stand out, and give you some time away. I definitely wouldn’t spend a gap year doing nothing. Not only does this not look impressive, these “breaks” often extend well past a year.
@newjerseygirl98 I totally agree. My main reason for wanting to take a gap year is so I can round myself out a bit and gain some practical filmmaking experience before I apply to university. Volunteering is also something I’ve been thinking about, though I haven’t really looked into it yet.
Could you do both? Maybe take a few classes in the morning and then spend your afternoons working or volunteering? I think that a gap year would be beneficial in terms of experience but I can see how staying in school could also be a benefit as well.
Many states allow students to enroll in high school past age 16. In NYS, for instance, a student can attend high school until they’re 21. If your state allows that, you could stay in high school and get all your credits and maybe participate in a few ECs. Have you taken the SAT or ACT yet? You could spend some time preparing for them too.
Attending a cc after you graduate will make you a transfer at 4-year schools. The best aid goes to freshmen. What state are you in?
Neither.
You take advantage of the fact you have a right to a free education until you’re 19, 20, or 21 (depending on the state).
You need to complete your HS education before you can think of college.
High school isn’t just a number of years, or age-based.
It supposes you’ve taken and passed a certain number of classes, and for college that would be 4 units each of English, Math, Foreign Language, History/Social Science, and science, plus very often Health, PE, and Art.
Stay in HS. Get better, take good care of yourself, take the classes you need. Or, if you can’t attend easily, see whether your state has an online “virtual high school” that you can attend for free.
In any case, DO NOT graduate.
Attending a community college would cost you money for remedial classes you could take for free in HS. In addition, being a transfer would mean losing out on the best scholarships.
Taking a gap year would do nothing for the units you don’t have.
I you only have 9 of the 22.5 required credits, then you are far from graduating in June! Your choices are to stay in high school or to complete your state’s high school equivalence (GED, CHSPE, Adult High School, etc.).
Your best option is to stay in high school until you have fulfilled all of your graduation requirements. As MYOS1634 has pointed out, this is much cheaper than taking classes at a community college. Speak with your guidance counselor and to the resource staff who have been supervising your program. If your health has been bad, you should have a 504 plan, and the resource staff at your school should be able to tell you what all the options are in your state and in your school district for completing your graduation requirements.
In the states where I have lived, students can remain in the public schools until the end of the school year in which they turn 21 or until they have completed the state and school district graduation requirements. I know of special cases in which a public school district has allowed certain students who have had severe disruptions in their educations to remain in class for an extra semester past their 22nd birthdays in order to complete high school graduation requirements.
^I agree that it doesn’t sound like you can graduate in June 2016. Sounds more reasonable for you to at least wait until June 2017. That also give you more time to figure out where you want to apply and how you’re going to pay for it - the schools on your list are all expensive (UCLA and Berkeley for nonresident CA students, and Florida State for nonresident FL students).
The question is difficult to answer without context. Either could be better. Yes, first-time freshman do get the best financial aid, and if you are truly competitive for schools like USC or NYU (or other schools that give out better aid) a gap year might be better to preserve your eligibility for that - especially if you do something awesome during the gap year. However, if realistically you are better-suited to attend a public school in your home state, and you’re not competitive for a lot of merit aid, going to community college could be a better option: it’d save you two years of four-year university tuition and also the room and board.