I was recently thinking of whether it would be worth it to take a gap year to get into a better school. I have decent stats
3.7 GPA, 28 ACT, but I only ended up applying to a few schools and realizing I don’t really want to attend any of them, and I missed all the deadlines for good ones. Should I take a gap year, get my ACT up and get some money from work and try applying to better schools? Or does it not work like that? Any advice is appreciated.
Where did you get into school?
@juillet I got into TCU (Can’t afford), Baylor (Can’t afford) University of Arizona, ASU, and University of Kansas, I also won’t be qualifying for any FA.
Any reason why you aren’t applying for FA when you can’t afford some schools? Have you been applying for outside scholarships?
@kmizzle I did apply for FA… I just said we had like FA analysts look at our statement and multiple people said I won’t be receiving any, and yes I have and so far haven’t received any.
A gap year with dedicated exam prep to get your ACT at least to 30 will put you in the range for merit-based aid at some places, and guaranteed admission with guaranteed scholarships at a few of them. Start here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html#latest
Talk with your parents. Get a dollar figure for what they are ready, willing, and able to pay each year. Take another look at your current list, and go visit any that are affordable to determine whether or not they are likable. Then if you still dislike all of the affordable ones, take a gap year.
Yes, a gap year would be a great idea if you aren’t admitted to any schools that you are keen to attend. Read The Gap Year Advantage for ideas.
Remember to ask your teachers and guidance counselor to hold onto their letters of rec for you because you may need them again for the coming year (unless you have some new and better letters to include as part of your gap experience.)
And if you’ve not tried the SAT, give it a shot. Most kids do about the same, but for some the difference can be substantial.
@happymomof1 My 28 got me merit at every school, just not enough. I got like 10k a year at TCU which sounds great. But the cost of tuition is 52k a year, and tuition rises each year and the scholarship doesn’t.
It sounds like you need a good financial safety. Run the Net Price Calculators on the websites of any schools you decide you’d like to attend to get an estimate of how much they’d cost your family. Taking a gap year to figure out the most affordable option is a good idea. You can retake the ACT and give the SAT a try too.
What kinds of schools are you looking for, and what kind of budget limits are you looking at?
Whether a gap year (usually working to earn money) is more helpful to your goals compared to starting in a community college or whatever affordable four year school you get admitted to depends on various factors. I.e. are the affordable schools you get admitted to really poor fits for your academic and other goals, or are they merely “just ok” fits rather than optimal fits.