Thinking about taking a gap year -- a couple questions

Applying to College
1

I’m thinking about taking a gap year and reapplying to some of my dream schools that I didn’t get into this time around as well as for some other reasons. For my gap year, I plan on pursuing my hobby-dream.

A couple questions:

  1. Would my chances go down or be affected for these dream schools (highly selective ones) if I were to take a gap year?
  2. Can I apply early decision if I took a gap year?
  3. I was admitted to schools that I’m interested in going to, would these colleges still be offering me a seat the next year if I defer the acceptance? If not, do my chances at being admitted to them again go down if I do take a gap year?
  4. Also, am I allowed to recycle the essays I wrote previously for each school on the Common App?
  5. I made some mistakes in my college applications process, namely thinking I could get into some extremely selective schools and not applying ED to a high match/low reach (Stern) that I now really regret. Also part of the reason I didn’t apply ED is because I felt like NYU was the ultimate backup-match for me and if I were to be rejected from Stern, I would likely be shut out of NYU as a whole as NYU doesn’t often offer admission to your second choice school if you put down Stern as first. But obviously, I now regret that decision. So, my purpose for taking the gap year mainly revolves around me wanting to pursue my hobby-dream and also me wanting the chance to apply to Stern ED and also to try my hand again at those dream schools I was rejected from. With that being said:
    4a. Being that I was already accepted to NYU CAS, am I allowed to reapply except this time to Stern?
    4b. Is this a more or less feasible way than not taking a gap year and trying to transfer as a sophomore?

Thank you for taking the time to read and reply. FYI, if I don’t take a gap year I’ll be attending NYU in the fall

2

no expert on this but here is my 2 cents
1, probably, but sometimes it works out. You have to realize that the bulk of your application is unchanged.
2a. yes
2b. not sure if it is okay to apply to other schools if you accept one and defer enrolling for a year. Not sure if they take you again if you decline and reapply. Wait for more comments.
3. It seems to me they will find that unsatisfactory that you don’t have something to say after a gap year. And those essays didn’t work the first time, right? I think it is a bad idea.
4. NYU may be a match for you but Stern isn’t a match.I don’t really understand ED to stern AND trying some reaches, as you will have to withdraw those reach applications if your ED is accepted.
a. I would ask them
b?

3
  1. They'll stay pretty much the same.
  2. Yes b. Schools generally only let you defer if you promise to attend that school after your gap year. You can't apply to other universities during your gap year if you are deferring enrollment.
  3. Yes, but only if you're applying to different universities. Universities ask you if you've applied to their school before. If they open up your old app from last year, they'd be able to tell the essays are the same. Won't look good. 4a+b. Can't you just ask them to transfer you to Stern? It's within the same university isn't it?
4

@BrownParent‌ @Enthouse‌ thank you. And doing an internal transfer to Stern is nearly impossible (2%). Transferring to any selective university is really tough which is why I asked 4b. And BrownParent, why not? If I become wait listed or rejected by Stern ED, I can’t have some other reaches in my pocket?

And I don’t know if it was my essays that didn’t work this time, I believe it was my GPA that really brought down my app. And Enthouse, what if the prompts are the same? if it’s asking something like “Why us” I highly doubt ones reasons would drastically change for wanting to go there.

So if I defer enrollment to NYU CAS, I can’t try to do Stern ED after the gap year?

5

Please read this thread:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1759898-guide-for-gap-year-planners.html

Ask me any questions you may have.