Taking another gap year VS studying in Nepal or India

International Students
1

<p>I am having a difficult time deciding if I should take another GAP year so that I could improve my SATs and EC's and apply or just give up studying ugad in American colleges ? What should I do?
My STATs
SAT : 1890 (610CR 670M 610W)
SAT II : Not Taken
TOEFL: 106
Grade: Just made it to distinction in +2</p>

<p>A pros and cons list would be great and possibly helpful for future applicant.</p>

2

<p>If you believe you could do better, DO IT… But keep it in mind that taking gap year may prove a disadvantage if you’ll just be hanging around the SAT’s all the time…</p>

3

<p>If you want to take another gap year to give yourself a shot at US undergrad education, that would be understandable. However, a gap year is a single YEAR: 365 days of nothing but idleness. Not many people can handle that kind of doing-nothing scenario. But of course, if you are resourceful, which I don;t doubt you are, you can actually spend this time in something that will help improve your applications greatly and at the same time, will keep you involved.

Arguments in favor for another gap year:
1. It is US! If you have a chance, take it.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A YEAR is a LONG time to add copious amount of ECs and Community Service to your resume. I would go for depth in a field I love rather than try a huge variety of superficial activities that don't make a huge difference.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;A lot of people definitely improve their SAT scores in their second try. Even if you don't manage to improve overall, an improvement in any one section would raise your Superscore.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;Time for SAT 2. Not all colleges ask for SAT 2, but apart from money, you don't have a whole lot to lose in taking the SAT II. A gap year would allow you to take SAT II and get good scores and amp your resume quality.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;p&gt;US colleges are on a whole level higher than anything Nepal (and in most cases, India) could provide.

Arguments against another gap year:</p></li>
<li><p>A YEAR that could POSSIBLY go to waste if you are not careful. If you can manage your time to do something that will put you in a better position, then it is great, no doubt! But if you can’t, it is a lost cause and you might as well give up right now and save yourself the time, money and especially, stress. [Whoa! That came out more brutal than I intended it to be!]</p></li>
<li><p>You have to explain the second gap year. The question will somehow manage to crop up. Alumni interview, Visa interview, that sort of thing! If you think you have a convincing enough reason other than “it is America!” then you are good to go.</p></li>
<li><p>Another year worth of college applications will cost you some serious amount of money. Most colleges ask for SAT, Toefl and CSS Profile, bringing the total cost of application to [11+18+16 = ] $45 per college. And that’s excluding college application fees [you might have those waived]. sure, Rs 45 doesn’t sound ominous but it adds up.

That's all I can think of. Ultimately, it depends on you. No one else can make this decision for you. Everything boils down to this: Do you crave an American education enough to go through the suffering of college applications once again? There's nothing anyone can really do to convince you to do something you don't want to. This is one of the biggest decisions you are going to make. So choose carefully!! No pressure!! &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;

&lt;p&gt;:)&gt;- &lt;/p&gt;
4

<p>Have you already applied to colleges? and whatever Huahauha has said, you really have to sort that out</p>

5

<p>Thanks @Huhahuha‌ . :slight_smile: Your list gave me a better perspective of repercussion of taking another gap year. I am ready to rake the risk.</p>

<p>@mumford07‌ Yes I’ve already applied to colleges and sadly got a huge pile of rejection. :frowning:
Hopefully, I will be able to turn my luck around next year with enough hard work.</p>

6

<p>Thanks @Huhahuha‌. Your list gave me a better perspective of repercussions of taking another gap year. :slight_smile:
@mumford07‌ Yes I applied to couple of colleges this year and got a huge pile of rejection from most. :frowning:
Hopefully, I can change my luck around next year. </p>

7

<p>Thanks @Huhahuha‌. Your list gave me a better perspective of repercussions of taking another gap year. :slight_smile:
@mumford07‌ Yes I applied to couple of colleges this year and got a huge pile of rejection from most. :frowning:
Hopefully, I can change my luck around next year. </p>