Hey guys!
I didn’t get into one of my top Universities and hence I plan to take a gap year.
I plan to defer enrollment at a couple of decent Universities that I did get accepted at and then I plan to reapply everywhere next year while keeping those as a backup.
Is this viable?
What should I do during my gap year to increase my chances of admissions next year?
I also plan to switch out my major, I took computer science without an alternative major and got rejected across the board. I plan to take the APs as well, and here are my SAT scores:
SAT1: 2100
SAT Math Level 2: 710
SAT Physics: 770
Do I need to improve on these?
Please let me know.
Thanks!
What were your top universities? What realm of comptitiveness are you targeting? I don’t feel like a 2100 SAT and a 710 Math2 is competitive without a major hook if you are talking Ivies.
Do you honestly think that the university that you decide to “attend” will let you take a gap year if you mean to use that gap year to apply to other universities? Plus, in order to defer enrollment, you need to explain why you are deciding to take a gap year and what you are planning to do with it.
@doschicos
I got waitlisted from these:
Michigan
UIUC
Georgia Tech
Rejected from:
UCLA
UT, Austin
UCSB
USC
Cornell
CMU
I plan to apply to all of these again, along with:
UCSD
UCB
Rice University
While deferring my admissions at:
Purdue University
University of Wisconsin, Madison
@dancingwriter Do they have their ways of finding out? I can make up anything to do during my gap year.
@derprage That’s a really unethical idea. Don’t do it. Be happy with the choices you have. Many people have been completely shut out whereas you have been fortunate enough to be accepted to two great schools.
@dancingwriter But they say that transfer admissions is SO MUCH MORE harder. And I can’t believe I will have to graduate from a second tier University when all my life I and my friends and family had been thinking that I would graduate from one of the very best.
Look I am an International student and my family is spending a fortune on my education, I don’t think it’s worth going to a second tier Institution. At this point, ethics mean less than nothing to me.
I’m pretty sure you’ll have deposit and sign a commitment to take a gap year. Not sure what the consequences will be but its not the most ethical thing to do. I think gap years are best for people who have a specific gap year plan/goal. How about transferring? Are you full pay or looking for aid? If you do decide to go ahead and take a year off and reapply, it would probably be wise to make more changes to your application list than just adding 3 schools. I don’t think enough will change between now and the fall to make your application much different. As we’ve seen this week, even higher stat applicants are getting rejections and waitlists.
@doschicos I know right?
I have considered transfer but again, that means that I follow a certain path in my first year, try to get a 4.0 GPA while sacrificing a whole year of college life and transferring is really, really tough and much more harder than freshman admissions.
Yes, I plan to rewrite my whole application for a non-computer science person, since that’s why I got shot in the foot. I plan to take an easier, less impacted major like mathematics so I can manage to get into a top university somehow.
@doschicos I am not looking for aid at all. That’s a huge load off my back. I can afford the whole package.
But whats more important? Pursuing your area of academic interest or going to a certain college? Seriously, I just don’t get it. When I think of the people I know in my life who are successful and happy, they are doing something they enjoy. Most of them did not go to top 20 type schools. I don’t know if it makes sense to reinvent yourself. Aren’t a lot of your ECs and coursework CS related?
Not looking for aid will make it easier to pursue a transfer as well.
I am an international student who got rejected from all schools that I applied to last admissions round. I also have friends and family that were one hundred percent sure that I would get picked up by a top 20 school but I didn’t. After receiving my decisions this year (I was much more fortunate than last year and for that, I am grateful), I am most likely committing to what you and my friends/family would consider a second-tier school. Your case is not a special one. It happens to international students everywhere.
UWM is an excellent school. I have many international student friends at UWM who are having a heck of a time and receiving a great education at the same time. Be grateful that you got in. Purdue is also a wonderful school and a dream school for many.
If you are set on reapplying, don’t, I repeat, DON’T put in a deposit in either UWM or Purdue. Start with a clean slate. Try again. Do something meaningful with your gap year. Gap years can be wonderful opportunities. I took one myself and I’ve matured so much more than I could have ever imagined. Additionally, my world view has expanded so much that I can’t even recognize myself from one year ago. And finally, when you reapply, don’t be disappointed when the same results arise (which is likely). One gap year and changing from CS to something else (most schools don’t care which major you say you want to study. Most students end up switching their majors multiple times and colleges know this.) is not going to change your entire application.
@doschicos That’s something conflicting to me as well. I don’t think it’s worth giving up my major for a better school, but quite frankly, I would study Anthropology if it meant that I go to Berkeley 
Yes, my coursework is very much related to computer science (Math, Physics, Chem, Computer Science) but my ECs are pretty spread across the board (Guitar, Soccer, Student Parliament, MUN, Tournaments, Quizzes, Volunteer).
I plan to transfer to one of these:
Carnegie Mellon University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
Cornell University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Rice University
Duke
University of Virginia
Northwestern University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Texas, Austin
University of California, San Diego
University of Southern California
What do you think are my chances of getting into at least ONE of these for computer science after a pretty good freshman term at the University of Wisconsin, Madison ? (3.8+ GPA)?
@dancingwriter Damn that’s a lot of risk factor and too many variables 
I don’t feel like I have a lot of time to ponder over this. Housing contract for UWMadison is due 15th April. Need to decide. Don’t colleges generally look down upon people who took a gap year?
I think it would be safest to transfer at this point.
I am honestly not versed in the CS area so don’t feel I can make a good judgement but I do know people who have transferred to more competitive schools in different majors. In addition to great grades freshman year, they also got involved on campus to show they had that to offer as well. Do you have a good college counselor whose opinion you trust?
BTW, Wisconsin is a great state school and Madison is a really fun college town!
From my experience, no, colleges don’t look down on people who took gap years. I know several people who took gap years along with me on CC and they’ve all gotten into wonderful schools.
Transferring is a good idea. Good luck! 
@doschicos I blame my terrible situation mostly on my college counselor so… no Need to rely on the good people of college confidential now B-|
Yeah I know, but the cold can be a real big deal breaker for me. (I come from a place where the temperatures go as high as 122 degree Fahrenheit)
CS is too competitive man. Everyone on earth wants CS.
@dancingwriter Thanks for the help! I will definitely consider it.
@derpage - I live in a place where the weather is cold. The saying around here is “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just wrong clothing.” I’d take the cold any day because you can always add more clothing. You’ll adjust and in Wisconsin they know how to have fun and embrace their winters. You can learn to play broomball. http://www.recsports.wisc.edu/documents/SP12_Broomball_Rules.pdf
Another plus - the people in Wisconsin are super friendly!