<p>I'm planning on transferring to either USC or CMC (Claremont Mckenna College) next year as a sophomore, assuming I can get in. Now, if I do get in, do you think they'll let me defer admission for a year? I want to backpack around the rockies for a year, then return to college.</p>
<p>If you’re an incoming freshman some colleges encourage a gap year, and I expect that others may approve one. But as a transfer student, and with your plan to “backpack for a year” it sounds very unlikely that you’ll get such support. I would think that colleges would expect a transfer student to be “ready”.</p>
<p>Perhaps, if the gap year is essential to you, and your current college will accept a leave of absence for a year, take it next year, and then return to your current college for a year and apply as a transfer student during that year,</p>
<p>They probably couldn’t stop you from attending the school you transferred into for a semester/ year then taking a leave of absence.</p>
<p>Do all/most colleges allow students already enrolled to take a year off then come back without reapplying?</p>