Taking a year off after High School

Student Lounge Hispanic Students
1

<p>I wanted to know if it's a terrible idea to take a year off after HS and then apply to college. I applied to several schools and got into most of them, but eventually I decided on Hunter College because it's so inexpensive. However, now I want to apply to the Macaulay Honors College, and you must be a freshman in order to be eligible to apply. My SAT scores were OK (610 R; 600 W), except for math, which was just horrible so I will not post it here; this is another reason I want to apply as a freshman in SAT optional schools. </p>

<p>I'm not going to pretend my academic record was outstanding (especially compared to those of other students on this site). I went to a "New Visions" high school, one that didn't really offer AP Courses, many clubs, or anything like that. However, I was the first in my class, and I did have the opportunity to intern here and there and get some work experience. </p>

<p>I know it's possible to transfer, but quite honestly, I don't think I have the courage to ask for professor recommendations. Don't you have to be close to your professors to do this? And what if I fail a course? Then I'll never be able to transfer. </p>

<p>So, with that in mind, would it be a good idea to wait a year, or should I enroll now and transfer?</p>

2

<p>A lot depends on what you do during your year off. Colleges like to see some sort of direction or accomplishment. I don’t know that much about gap years, so I’ll let some other members comment about their experiences. However, this type of question has been asked frequently, so I suggest you use the Search function (upper R) on the College Admissions and the Parents forums. Just type in ‘gap’ and you’ll come up with lots of threads that should help answer your question.</p>