Take the full ride offer or the gap year?

College Search & Selection
1

I am in a very difficult position. I am a senior at a relatively low income school who, until this previous October, had not really considered college as more than a place I would end up due to nothing more than following the crowd and was unsure I would even apply to, let alone attend. I will be only the second in my family to pursue a higher education (my older sister is currently a freshman at a nearby small university), and with only realizing recently the college experience has many more components to it than just getting a degree, I had little time to research or dictate which school I felt suited me the best.

As a result, I applied to most of the nearby schools I felt were safeties and ultimately only two schools I truly have any interest in. I wanted to go out of state, but because all of this was last minute and my mother wished to avoid as much debt as possible (our annual income is app. $25,000 in a house of 3 students and 2 adults), I settled with only applying to in-state schools. I surprisingly though, received a full ride offer from the same school my sister is currently attending.

However, I have only until the 15th of January to respond on whether or not I will accept it but have still not heard back from the only two schools I ever had any really interest in (Gettysburg and Lafayette). But since I had never expected a full ride opportunity, I never seriously considered attending any of my safety schools unless I was rejected from my more preferable choices. I, though, don’t expect a full ride from either of my preferred options and am unable to decide if I should take the offer I have now. It would be an easy yes, but I do not overall very much like the school and even despise it to a point, and if I were accepted into either of the schools I am still waiting to hear back from, would even consider graduating with loans worth attending them.

The problem is though I am not in the best position to be accepted into either school. I am ranked only top third of my class, have a cumulative GPA of a 3.3, excel in no sports and have no leadership positions, and did not prioritize on school at all until this past October. If it were not for this offer from this university of a full ride, I even considered a gap year (and still partially am) in order to prove through some act or effort I would be worth accepting for schools I actually had some interest in attending just because I knew my high school record may not prove that alone and I had not begun to apply myself until very last minute.

I was confident that even if I were still not accepted, I would still have my original safety choices to fall back on after reapplying. And since I was only expecting the typical offers of money given to almost any student, I did not think that would change if I just reapplied a year later, but I know that isn’t the case with full tuition offers and know if I say no this year and am still rejected to my first choice schools, I won’t be likely to be offered a full ride a second time, making the tuition of attending not only a burden, but a feeling of waste considering I could have just taken a full ride if I had just said yes the first time around.

Without going into detail, I am certain I have experienced strenuous circumstances not only economically, but also personally and medically. These include moving houses, the birth of my very dependent nephew, the loss of a teammate (we played the same sport but I would not say we were friends), ranging degrees of self-harm, and a drawn-out ordeal searching for an explanation to my abnormal tiredness which was only diagnosed this past November, the same month I began to receive medication to treat my diagnosis.

I would love to still take the gap year but only if I knew certainly it would either result in such significant change in myself that it was undeniable, or if it included such accomplishments or involvements that the year was indisputably not wasted and ultimately worth the risk of still getting rejected from my dream schools. I really just need advice. I know I could take the offer and just do my undergrad at the school offering the full ride and just then go somewhere else, but I know the incorporation and attention given to freshmen at my first-choice schools (or any school really) is much different, or at least the same, as the focus given to students outside of those first four years.

*Sorry if this is lengthy or anything, I’ve never used a forum before and am not sure what kind of things are considered essential for what kinds of problems. If you need or would like to know more details to help provide what you think is an appropriate response just ask and I can elaborate.

2

Taking a gap year might allow you to improve your ACT if you really thought you were going to be able to focus on that but won’t really alter the rest of your record. I would take the full-ride. It seems like your environment isn’t that conducive to your future success and maybe going away to school would be best.

3

Full ride. You can always try to transfer later if finances allow. Or go for grad school.

4

Take your offer and show it to a teacher or guidance counselor. You should have until May 1st before any decision you make is binding. This will allow you a little more time to see how your health is doing and whether you have any other offers to consider. (For my daughter’s safety school, the admissions deposit is refundable up to may 1, but the dorm deposit isn’t. You need to see what the rules are for your particular offer.)

However a full ride is a very good opportunity. Don’t turn it down lightly.

5

When I refer act I mean my choices and behavior as a person and not my actual ACT. But since it’s mentioned, I scored a 24 on my ACT, which although sounds respectable, is very disappointing to me since I had almost zero time to prepare due to the fact I hadn’t thought of college earlier and honestly think I could have easily scored at least a 28 or maybe in the low thirties had I even just more appropriate time to study, or at the minimum become, become familiar with the test itself. But since I started so late, I registered the last day possible for both my ACT and SAT and had to try and prepare for both simultaneously. I scored an 1140 on my SAT, but just as with my ACT, think I could have scored higher (likely in the range of a 1300 as for the SAT). At the time I took each I was still undiagnosed (the diagnosis I received was narcolepsy) and fell asleep during both tests, which aggravates me even more because it obviously was not intended, but to the blind eye, simply appears like I was careless or not putting in the effort or possibly even arrogant.I would retake both if I took the gap year just because I know my original scores are not accurately representative of my potential score considering my narcolepsy was not yet medicated, let alone known. I would take a selection of SAT Subject Tests as well because a few of the scores I would go to if I had the chance require them and it never hurts to just show what specifically you are skilled at.

6

Make sure schools you apply to will take a post high school test score. If this was so easy everyone would take the test at leisure when they had nothing else to do. You need to make a gap year more meaningful than taking tests. And what are you hoping for if your score is a 30 say? Which dream school?

7
  1. Determine whether you really have to make a decision on the full-ride scholarship by January 15.
  2. Consider what you want to do with your college degree. What careers are you looking at? What majors?
  3. Do your dream schools really offer you better career prospects than your full-ride option? You could consult with your sister and her friends about this, and should be able to talk to other reps at the full-ride school (career planning and placement, advisors in the department(s) for your planned major(s))
  4. What exactly would you do with a gap year? There are scenarios where you would end up with poorer options than what you have now. I don't think it's worth taking a year to improve your scores. Use that energy towards your freshman year of college.

I would say you probably should take the full-ride offer unless your answers to the questions really point you strongly in a different direction. Having a college degree (“any” degree, within reason) and no debt puts you in a very good position to have a better life for yourself and your future family. Given your narcolepsy diagnosis, I think it will be important for you to have the career options that a college degree will give you, both in terms of the type of job you do, and having a good enough job to provide good medical coverage.

8

" I would love to still take the gap year but only if I knew certainly it would either result in such significant change in myself that it was undeniable, or if it included such accomplishments or involvements that the year was indisputably not wasted … ’

Agree with the other commenters that a gap year of retaking tests is unlikely to be of significant benefit. Show your counselor your full ride offer. It doesn’t make sense to keep talking about the GPA or activities you might have had. You are a late bloomer and you might very well excel at the full ride school.

9

Why the full ride? Is it merit money, need-based money or something else? Does this place offer your probable major, and is the career office decent?

I am inclined to advise that you accept the full ride. Clearly this place believes in you and sees your potential. If you get a much better offer later, change your mind then.

You have a 3.3, a 24 & 1140 and a recently diagnosed health problem. You would need at least 30 on your ACT to get that kind of guaranteed merit money elsewhere, and even then your GPA might not meet the cut-off. You would need something truly spectacular in your life and your LORs in order to get into the places that are likely to give you really good need-based aid. You also probably should stick close to your medical team until your health is completely under control.

10

You can only borrow ~$5500/year, and that’s not enough to fund OOS schools. What makes you think you have to decide to accept your state school by next week?

11

Take the full ride offered.

12

I would hope that the gap year would increase my chances to get into schools such as the University of Chicago or UCLA. I may not have made this very clear so I will clarify. Although I’d likely retake my SAT and ACT if I took a gap year, that would not at all be my focus or what I’d want to take away from it. I guess what I’m looking for are suggestions of what one could do in a gap year that remains just as, if not more so, productive than what they would have done without it (like internships or low cost but life changing events). It is not that I necessarily have to commit by the fifteenth with my deposit, but more so that is simply the latest the school has told me I can inform them on whether or not I will accept the full ride offer. My guess is that this is so if I decline they can still have time to reward to another student. Much of my conflict on whether or not to say yes descends from my pure distaste for the school. I do not enjoy the campus, the people, or the lack of diversity in where the people who go there originate from. I would just much more prefer a wide variety of personalities and this school I think may just be too small to have that. With all of that considered, I just don’t know if I’d be happy going there and never thought the offer of a full ride would come about to make me almost an idiot to say no.

13

“I would hope that the gap year would increase my chances to get into schools such as the University of Chicago or UCLA.”

A friend of my older daughter went to U.Chicago. He is an exceptionally strong student. I don’t think that he ever got any B (or lower) in his life prior to going to university, and had over 1500 (out of 1600) on the SAT. He comes back during breaks and talks about how much work U.Chicago is. He says, half kiddingly, that “U.Chicago is where fun goes to die”. He is doing well and likes it, but it is a very demanding school for a straight A / A+ student. For a student with a high school GPA of 3.3, attending the University of Chicago would be a rather rough shock.

According to Prepscholar, the average GPA for incoming students at UCLA is 4.3.

There are a lot of very knowledgeable professors at pretty much any university – getting a job as a professor anywhere is not easy. If there is any academic difference in the big name schools, it is that they can assume that the students are all hard working and all very smart and all very well prepared with very strong study skills, so that they cover material faster and give more homework and more difficult homework and have more difficult tests.

It is hard to comment on the school where you were offered a full ride without knowing which school it is.

14

UCLA does not give financial aid to out ot state applicants, so i’ts very expensive. I forgot to say–assuming you’re close with your sister, it’s nice to have family at the same school.

15

“I would hope that the gap year would increase my chances to get into schools such as the University of Chicago or UCLA.”<<<<<<<<<<

Are you a URM?

16

^ Wouldn’t matter for UCLA. Stats are too low to matter for the U of C anyway.

17

Does the nearby school offer include housing? Even if close to home, you can have a full college experience at state schools. Did you run the net price calculator for Lafayette? See what they will give you for your family income level. If it’s not going to be affordable, then take the full ride, and get as much as you can out of it.

18

Please talk to your guidance counselor to help you get an extension on the offer.

Don’t take a gap year, gap year for low income students are the first year of never going to college

19

You’ve been offered a tuition grant to a local school? What college is it? Do you know what you want to major in? Because your mom earns only $25k/year, you should qualify for a ~$5k/year Pell grant. That will help cover books and commuting expenses.

Even if you get accepted to an OOS school, the chances of getting a full ride are small. I don’t think a 24 ACT/3.3 GPA will make you eligible for full tuition grants at OOS colleges. Raising your ACT won’t offset your GPA, and colleges consider both when awarding grants, so I don’t see how a gap year will help you. You can only borrow ~$5500/year. With the Pell Grant, that gives you ~$10k/year. That’s not enough to go OOS, and your mom won’t be able to borrow the difference.

I was a low income student, and my best advice to you is to avoid borrowing anything if you can. Being able to start your adult life with a college degree and no debt is a gift. If I were you, I’d accept the full ride offer. You can always turn it down later if you get an acceptance from an OOS school that includes enough grants to make it affordable. Your backup plan, if you turn it down, is your local cc or commuting to the school that’s offering you free tuition but paying out-of-pocket for it like your sister is.

20

With a 3.3 UChicago and UCLA are out no matter what your ACT or race. What do you think you will accomplish during your gap year? Just getting a better ACT score, and perhaps working at a restaurant or service place isn’t a good use of time when compared to a free ride in college. You will also break the positive momentum you have for school now.

A much better plan would be to excel at the college for 2 years, and then transfer to a better one if you wish. Your family’s income will get your full financial aid if you find a school that meets full need. You can work over the summer to help defray your other expenses.