<p>Simple question. Should I wait a year before going to a university? Or should I go straight after high school? What are some of the benefits of waiting an extra year?</p>
<p>Ask the Dean has a good piece on this. I included other articles as well. Hope this helps. Best of luck! :)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/000308/”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/000308/</a></p>
<p><a href=“Should Your Kid Take a Gap Year Before Going to College? | Time”>http://time.com/97065/gap-year-college/</a></p>
<p><a href=“Should You Take A Gap Year?”>http://www.forbes.com/sites/francesbridges/2014/04/29/should-you-take-a-gap-year/</a></p>
<p>@overachieverEvan: What would you do during a potential gap year? How would these activities enhance your future plans?</p>
<p>I took a gap-year. I actually had no choice but to take it, but it turns out to be one of the best academic decisions I have made (which I don’t do very often :P).</p>
<p>If you have a solid plan, I strongly recommend you to take it. But if you are planning to laze your year off, don’t do it. </p>
<p>@viphan how was gap year the best acadwmic decision? Like what did you do to make it useful ?
thanks </p>
<p>@omarijaz I interned at two places, took bunch of college-level courses, and pursued my religious faith more deeply than I would ever have. These are just few of the things I am doing right now until next Summer, by which hopefully, I will be mature than ever. </p>
<p>so helpful man</p>
<p>Taking college level courses is not considered a gpa year. That makes you a transfer student in the eyes of many (most?) colleges. Gap year means no college, you are working or travelling abroad etc.</p>
<p>@BrownParent Online college-level courses are not awarded with credits unless you pay them. Also, there is no “set” definition for gap-year, yet alone what do pursue during that year off. It’s up to individual students to pursue things that are most valuable for them. Obviously, it won’t be the same for all.</p>
<p>No, it is not set what you do.And taking online classes without credit is not considered taking college classes. It is a <em>very</em> important distinction to make these fine points because it can disqualify students from applying as freshmen and getting the superior financial aid packages that are often only available to freshmen.</p>
<p>I think it is hard to say how the gap year is going to work out for @viphan until it is a few years in the rear-view mirror. Can’t tell if it will make it harder to get admitted to college, cause a major shift in career goals, give additional maturity which makes colleges go better, or possibly contribute to never finishing college.</p>
<p>@intparent That’s why so many people who were not familiar with my situation strongly advised me NOT to take a gap year, since they feared that I will never finish college ;
I know that’s the least of my worries.</p>
<p>I think gap-year can only help, if you show colleges how well you spent your time. Even if colleges do not consider it a “major” improvement, if it means something valuable to the gap-yearers, I don’t think it matters at all. </p>
<p>I don’t think the OP has given enough information of why they want to take a gap year to say if it would help or hurt. And I don’t think you can really judge the impact of your own gap year while you are in the middle of it.</p>