<p>After examining my SAT scores and colleges I applied to, I've realized rather late in the game that I'm not satisfied with the schools I've chosen. Though I've only received one rejection so far (MIT) and still have to wait on the other decisions, I was considering taking a year off instead of going to college if I get rejected. I figure I could retake and improve my SAT scores while working as a lab tech (my parents' workplace, I have the job guaranteed) and perhaps emailing some local professors at SUNY Stony Brook and seeing if I can do some research with them. </p>
<p>Is this a good idea? Or would it be a better idea to attend one of my safeties for a year and then transfer to a better school? Also, if I do get accepted to a safety school, can I defer my admission there as a backup while I apply to other schools next fall? I'd appreciate any info on this.</p>
<p>if you can really do good things the year off, do it. It isn't that easy to xfer. But just working as a lab tech doesn't sound like that great a year off. Do a web search for "gap year" and see what some other kids have done with it.</p>
<p>BTW given the magnitude of what your deciding here, it might be worth sinking a couple of hundred bucks into professional advice. They offer it here at College Confidential, and you can find private counselors elsewhere as well.</p>
<p>So far, just Pace, Fordham, and Stonybrook (rejected from the honors college though). And I've been waitlisted at BU. Still waiting on NYU and RPI, but I'm not expecting much.</p>