<p>My daughter (a junior) is thinking seriously of taking a gap year after high school, during which time she would live abroad. She asked me how that is arranged... and I don't really know. Do most colleges allow deferred admission? Is that something that you request with the initial application - or after acceptance? If by senior year she is sure that she wants to do this, would it be better for her to delay applying to colleges altogether, applying the during the fall of her gap year? Or better to apply as usual during the fall of her senior year, even though she would be applying in the fall of 2005 with the intention of delaying college entrance until 2007? What about EA or ED applications - can someone who wants a gap year use ED, or is the "binding" part also a promise to attend the following fall?</p>
<p>I believe most universities will let you defer admission.</p>
<p>My S took a Gap Year of sorts. He graduated from his Southern hemisphere school in November and spent nine months on three stints; one in East Africa, one in London and one in Beijing. </p>
<p>His apps were in before he left and the outline of what he proposed didn't begin to describe the actual experiences. Had he been able to apply AFTER the Gap Year, he might have looked slightly more interesting? Anyway, I don't think adcoms 'got' his CV and one admitted it after the fact as they pursued him for a Spring admittance. "Oh! He sounds like the kind of student we are looking for!" However, in hindsight, he ended up at the ideal school. The others wouldn't have worked as well.</p>
<p>Your D is in Russia, right? Can you say what she wants to do for the Gap Year? It isn't something she could do in a sophomore/junior year abroad? </p>
<p>My only caution is, since she is already sophisticated enough to live independently in Russia...and she ought to consider that a year delay might accelerate her worldliness FAR beyond the majority of American freshmen. It's one thing to be eighteen with a year abroad. It's another matter to be nineteen, a year older than everyone else, with TWO years of independent living abroad.</p>
<p>Thanks Cheers -- my daughter is in Russia, but only for a semester. And -- she does want to go back to Russia for the gap year, though her plans are a a little different than what she is doing now. She really feels that she needs that time to gain true fluency in the language - she says she is now "conversant" but not "fluent". I did think about the fact that my daughter will end up being more worldly and mature than the average Freshman... but I think that is something that just would influence college choice. She probably should aim for a larger college or university in an urban environment -- which I think is what she wants anyway. I did suggest to her that she could attend college outside of the US - but she is adamant that she wants an American university. </p>
<p>Did your son include his travel proposal in his applications, as an addendum or part of his essay? Since he graduated in November, was he able to enter college the following September?</p>
<p>I'd apply to college normally, during the senior year. If she gets into the schools she really wants to go to, that good. If not, she should accept the offer of one school (just in case) and apply to more after her gap year. She may have better chances, but even if she doesn't get in, she has one school as a back up.</p>
<p>Cheers,
I think your observation regarding the maturation discrepancy which might occur after a gap year is interesting. We have friends whose son was a "February admission" to an LAC which has a % of their kids come in at that time. He was a kid who had lived as an expat in several locales, with great success, most of his life. He was very mature to begin with, and then spent the first semester on a semi-independent experience in South America to enhance his language fluency. He got off to a good start at the LAC, but his mom tells me that he is struggling socially- which had never been the case before. Some of it might be lack of shared freshman experiences with his peers, some of it might be that he had so many credits he is now a junior after only 1 semester, and some of it might be just that he IS more mature-- I think he needs a bigger pond myself. Anyways, I think your observation is worth taking into consideration. My #2 son is possibly interested in taking a gap year...so I will follow this thread with interest.</p>
<p>Calmom, out of curiousity, what does your D plan on doing during the gap year in Russia? I'm thinking about taking a gap year myself, in London, but I'm confused as to what I could actually do there.</p>
<p>Calmom; He didn't write his essay about the proposed experience. He did write about his ex-pat experience. S is a go along-get along kind of boy. He's doing quite well socially, but my guess is that few of his floormates know the details of his Gap Year. </p>
<p>I understand your D's Russian concerns. S is going back to Beijing this summer to continue the immersive Mandarin he started this past summer. He is investigating semester and year abroad options and will probably go abroad for two semesters as well as every summer. </p>
<p>That's my biggest piece of advice--investigate the Russian abroad/internship programs. Some schools offer AMAZING opportunities. Really, now that she's had a taste of independent living abroad--will she be content to churn through four years of AMerican university? A blend of straight university and more study/interning might be the best solution.</p>
<p>Is she a great student? If she is, she should consider Gtown SFS. Those kids are so serious--I wouldn't think it would matter if she were nineteen. Otherwise, I agree that location, size and diversity are, perhaps, important to an independent, worldly kid.</p>
<p>Is there a Russian boy influencing her decision to stay on another year? :)</p>
<p>Gatsby -- I'm not entirely sure what my daughter plans, but she spent three weeks last summer studying at the Center for Russian Language & Culture at Smolny, in St. Petersburg - and I think she wants to go back and spend a lot more time there. Living in Russia she feels she needs a lot more in the way of formal instruction to master the grammar. Of course there is still plenty of time for her to change plans. I think that for you, there would be many more opportunities in London, as there are no language barriers or restrictions on travel -- Russia still has complicated visa requirements that essentially require a local sponsor for long-term stays. </p>
<p>Cheers -- I think it really is the same thing as with your son studying Mandarin. Some languages are very difficult to master -- and I do think my daughter wants the level of fluency that would pave the way for a career position. Georgetown SFS is definitely on the "wish" and very-high-reach list -- my daughter is an A student, but SAT scores are iffy. She definitely plans to continue studying Russian in college and she is interested in politics -- I'm sure she's thinking of possible diplomatic career. I do realize that she could plan a semester or year abroad, but I think she is feeling that an interval of 3-4 years (the time between junior year of high school and sophomore or junior year of college) is too long, and that a summer visit is too short. What she will be "content" doing in college is something we'll deal with when the time comes -- though at least some colleges will give her credit for placement on language tests, so it may turn out that she finishes college in less than 4 years. But I do wonder if her college preferences may change somewhat after a gap year -- which leads to my also wondering whether the timing of the college apps should be changed to accomodate her plans. </p>
<p>And as to your other question: no, there is no Russian boy in the picture, but daughter says that the Russian boys are much more charming and romantic than American boys - she enjoys flirting with the boys, but is not dating there.</p>
<p>I took a gap year before going to university, and I can honestly say it was the best time of my life. I taught English is China for about 8 months, while studying and travelling whenever I could. I learned so much in that year - not only the language, but I gained an insight into the culture that there's no way I could have achieved here at university (I study Chinese now BTW) - for me, it solidified my reasons for wanting to study Chinese. </p>
<p>So basically, I cannot speak highly enough of gap years :) If your daughter wants to email me for any help I can give her, send me a PM and I'll reply with my address.</p>
<p>Well, she could go abroad in her sophomore year. She needn't wait until junior year. But can she stay on for her senior year in high school? Perhaps she should consider it if she is learning so much? With a couple of nice long visits home? </p>
<p>She sounds like an ideal SFS student if she puts in the time and research to hone those SAT scores. If she takes a Gap Year, she should have plenty of time! :)</p>
<p>Cheers, I don't really understand your comment... it sounds as if you don't understand how a high school foreign exchange works. My daughter is on a semester exchange; she will return next month. It's not a situation where she can simply decide to stay longer. She needs to finish high school here - she is scheduled to graduate in June 2006. After that, she wants to go abroad again for a year.</p>
<p>In any case, I'm not asking whether my daughter should take a gap year -- I'm asking what she should do in terms of college apps to accomplish that - IF that's what she wants. So I'd like to hear from parents (or kids) who have been through the process to find out how to do that. Again: should my daughter apply to colleges during the fall of her Senior year, and ask for deferred enrollment after being accepted? What about ED -- is deferred enrollment even an option there? Do all colleges allow deferred enrollment for new admittees -- or are we throwing away application fees for a process that will have to be repeated the following year? Is it a good idea to tell the college of the plans in the application? -- or will that hurt the application, because the student is essentially stating at the outset that they probably will not be entering the following year. </p>
<p>I really do appreciate the suggestions of people who have had positive experiences taking the gap year ... but my daughter hasn't asked for help in figuring out whether to do this. That part she can figure out on her own. What she did ask -- and what I don't know -- is HOW should she go about arranging this in terms of college apps.</p>
<p>I can't answer your question directly either. But I can tell you about one boy I know. He did not get into first choice school where he was a legacy. He did get into other schools, including Carnegie Mellon. He asked to be defered but was denied. He was accepted the next year RD.</p>
<p>He did use time well and had resources to live overseas.</p>
<p>Bettina, that's what worries me - I thought all colleges would allow students to defer admissions, but if not -- then it seems to me that there is a lot of stress and aggravation involved in the college admission process - plus the expense of application fees -- and it seems to me to put more stress on a kid if she has her heart sets on a school - but also wants the gap year -- and has to choose between accepting a space when offered or giving up the gap year plans.</p>
<p>calmom
senior year my daughter only applied to public schools. We didnt ask but perhaps since they are larger than most private schools along with possibly fewer resources they didn't want the hassle of keeping a slot open for someone who may or may not attend the next year.She did just hang on to everything, and resubmitted it the next year to the same group of colleges plus one.
If the gap year is something that the student is interested in, I think that is more important than worrying about reapplying the next year. It is more in app fees but unless you are applying to a ridiculous number of schools, it isn't that much more in the big picture.</p>
<p>Thanks for replying, emeraldkity .... I'm thinking that in some ways, this plan might be an advantage. Here in California, the UC system requires 3 SAT II's, but because my daughter is deferring some 11th grade courses to her senior year, she won't have had the courses that some of the tests she needs are geared to. So she might be better off waiting until spring of senior year to take those exams. I think we are going to have to do our research and plan on two rounds of apps, with the early ones focused on colleges that are going to be more likely to allow her to defer entrance if she wants. The problem is that these days, it's almost mandatory to apply to a "ridiculous number" of schools.... and it sounds like my daughter's application strategy should be modified along with her gap year plans. I'd hate for her to be stuck without a college if she changes her mind or other circumstances intervene -- but if the kid has travel on her mind, she's going to want to find a college that will be flexible about allowing students time off in any case.</p>
<p>I am interested in hearing how your D's gap year concept ended up. Did she, or did she not take the year off, and did she go to Russia, or did she end up going straight to college? How did the applications go? Thank you for responding to this. Donna</p>