Taking a gap year to reapply?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I'm a senior right now and I've finished all of my college apps. I had to limit my choices down to a small selection mainly because of time constraints. I'm thinking of taking a gap year to work on my ECS(my business), volunteer and retake the SAT. Would this be a good idea or should I just go to college? To clear things up, I did not apply to may top schools. I only applied to 1 reach(Georgetown.)</p>

2

<p>Just go to college.</p>

3

<p>That’s a pretty poor reason to take a gap year.</p>

4

<p>Why so?</p>

5

<p>If you are unhappy with your college list this year, and you have a plan for how you could spend a gap year, well then take that gap year. Nothing wrong with that at all. Nowhere is it written that you have to start college somewhere, anywhere, this fall. </p>

6

<p>It sounds like a gap year might be an excellent plan for you, but not quite for the reason you have articulated. A gap year can be an opportunity, not simply to enhance your application but to gain additional maturity and life experience that will help you make the most of your college years. From what you said about your college applications, you did them without as much attention as you might like to what would be the best fit. Although you certainly could make the most of the choices that you end up with, you might also always wonder “what if???”<br>
I urge you to think about the gap year in a broader context – not simply to retake your standardized texts and buff your resume, but to get some depth in an area that interests you or just simply to grow more as a person before you get absorbed into college life. </p>

<p>Here’s a discussion about the pros and cons of gap years which has good advice</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000308.htm”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000308.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>It also includes some references to organizations that plan or run gap year programs – which will give you ideas about how others use this time.</p>

7

<p>Maybe find a year-long paid internship? Develop your business? Add some budget travel? Just a few of the many things to think about when considering your gap year. You also might want to apply to some safeties and once admitted request to defer enrollment for a year, if they permit that. </p>

8

<p>Developing your business, if it has a decent chance of making money, may be a worthwhile reason to take a gap year.</p>

<p>But simply taking a gap year because you are unsatisfied with your college admission results, without a worthwhile plan for the gap year, does not seem to make sense. At the very worst (i.e. you get shut out or cannot afford any of the colleges that admit you), you can start at community college, do well there, and transfer to a four year school to complete your bachelor’s degree.</p>