Taking a gap year?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

Brown was my dream school and I was rejected RD. I truly cannot think of another place as perfect for me, and not necessarily because of the prestige - I didn’t apply to any other Ivies because Brown has always been the school I saw myself at. I was accepted to some good schools, but am not excited about any of them. I know people say you will love wherever you end up, but I am hung up my dream and what I believe is the right place for me. I considered starting at one of my other schools, working hard, and trying to transfer, but am now considering another option…

Since I am also unsure about what I want to study and feeling very lost in general, I am considering taking a gap year and volunteering with the Americorps program for 10 months. I have heard nothing but good things about this program - how rewarding the work is, as well as how much you learn about yourself and the world.

I would then re-apply to Brown ED this coming fall. Having just started the program at this point, I do not know how much of it I could include in my application (i.e., unsure if a program leader could write me a letter of rec having not known me very long, or if I could write a good essay about it in these beginning stages - but I would definitely include it on my resumé and explain my circumstances as a non-traditional applicant in the additional information section).

To give some background I have a 4.16 GPA that I hope to maintain or improve with this final semester of high school, 35 ACT, significant ECs/leadership including starting some of my own things, National Merit Finalist. Most selective school I was accepted to was Northwestern.

I’ve read that re-applying to a school you got rejected from as a first year student again (as opposed to as a transfer) is unwise bc your grades/scores won’t have changed so you will probably get rejected again…but since Ivies are such a lottery and many academically qualified students get rejected, I am wondering if my situation is different. Not to say I would definitely be accepted, but would I have a better chance? Especially applying ED this time since the acceptance rate is 22% as opposed to around 8? (Although I know the ED pool is generally stronger so it isn’t necessarily a boost). Would Brown seeing me apply a second time demonstrate my dedication and help me, or they’d see someone that they rejected applied again without taking college courses somewhere else, and be an almost automatic rejection?

I also want to note I wouldn’t be taking a gap year solely to try and “beef up” my resumé for Brown. I truly believe it would be good for me to get a year away from school, do some good for the world, and seek clarity about myself and my aspirations.

I would love to hear speculation from everyone but also if anyone has sought a similar route or knows someone who has, I would really like to know how it turned out for you. Thanks!

2

There was a student here who did that – took a gap year, reapplied to Brown and got in. For the life of me I can’t remember her screen name. This was at least 2 years ago? Try searching the Brown forum.

That said, I think your plan is risky. What if you don’t get in again?

I think doing a gap year is great. Go for it. Reapplying to Brown again – fine. But please find other schools to apply to that you LOVE, so that if you don’t get into Brown you have options that you can be excited about. I don’t think reapplying is an automatic rejection, although my sense from reading CC for years is that students who go this route typically don’t get into the schools they were rejected from.

I also think it’s a mistake to put Brown on such a pedestal. There really is no such thing as perfection. I suspect that you would be perfectly happy at Northwestern. After a week there you’d probably be wondering why on earth you ever wanted to go to Brown. I hate to sound like an old fogy, but all of life is compromise. There is no such thing as the dream house, the dream job, the dream husband, the dream college. There’s always something wrong, and your challenge in life is to adapt to the reality that’s in front of you and accept that there are things in life that you just can’t have.

3

What aspects of Brown do you find most compelling? A gap year could be an excellent experience, but I worry that in your case it may be a spur-of-the-moment reaction to not getting into your top choice. The problem I see with your plan is the possibility for you to be rejected again, and you will end up right back where you started, whereas if you went to another school-even with the intention of transfering-you are giving yourself the opportunity to make progress, and possibly fall in love with that school. If you do take a gap year, make sure that you cultivate a list of other schools that you would happily attend in the event you don’t get in again.

4

Don’t give up on your dream because it’s not out of reach yet. You’re obviously qualified (I was accepted Brown RD, denied from Northwestern) enough to have another decent shot at getting in.