Transfer or Gap Year?

Parents Forum
1

<p>I feel embarrassed to ask this question, but I need advice, so here goes nothing.</p>

<p>It's the end of high school and admissions just wasn't smiling at me. I didn't apply to nothing but top schools; I only applied to 4 out of 12, who sadly all rejected me. I got into the other 8, but most of them disappointed me. My matches gave me scholarships, but they weren't enough, as my parents could only afford about 12K per year (give or take 1K) and their scholarships + FA still left me with 18K or more out of pocket (which already included loans). Those schools that gave me scholarships didn't exactly meet full need. It turned out, the only safety school was UT Dallas, which is where I'm bound unless I take a gap year. I thought those match schools' scholarships would put me at ease. Turns out I was just foolish and I overreached in my reaches.</p>

<p>Problem is, UT Dallas doesn't suit me. It's a commuter school and I'll be stuck there with no car to travel around. I visited and I just couldn't see myself being happy. Their curriculum is also pretty skewed toward math/sciences. They have humanities and languages, but they're so limited. A lot of those subjects only have 2 courses: an intro and intermediate. It doesn't even have what I most likely want to major in (Classics). Sure, they've got great premed support, but that's the only plus I could find. It's like an obscure RPI where everyone commutes and consequently where campus and social scene are bound to be lacking. Overall, I can't really see myself thriving in that environment. That's why I want to transfer or, ideally, take a gap year and reapply as a first-year.</p>

<p>Why favor gap year over transferring? My previous college list didn't reflect my interests since I didn't think about them much during senior year. The biggest problem: I didn't apply to LAC's, which, as I research more and more about, appeal to me very much. I don't know why I didn't apply to them in the first place. If I take a gap year, I could have another shot at applying to them, and LAC's will be where I'll mostly apply (the ones where I checked the NPC and gave me generous estimates -- much better than the "match" schools that gave me scholarships but still left a big gap in what we could afford). If I have to transfer, then so be it, but the transfer rates for LAC's are MUCH lower than freshman rates RD. Furthermore, as a transfer, a lot of the LAC's will become need-aware, bringing me at a further disadvantage. Their transfer rates are completely dependent on freshmen and retention rates, so for all I know the transfer rates could plummet next year. Overall, where I can realistically transfer into will be limited. A particular LAC I have in mind is Haverford. I love its small size and honor code and strength in Classics alongside Bryn Mawr, to name very few of its many appeals (my high school only differs by 200 less students and a single sex). My grades for my second semester of senior year will also help my GPA and how my grades look, as I now have a 3.91 as opposed to a 3.88; my final grades will also show that I kept my momentum as an upward trend. Their generous aid (according to the NPC, which I heard for HC was pretty accurate) plus their no-loan policy makes it affordable for my family. And as with almost all top LAC's, the community is so tight-knit and the vast majority will live and spend their time on campus. I also will have more access to the professors and have an easier time getting to know them. And the HC-BMC collaboration simulates the collaboration between my high school and the all-girls school nearby. Add Swat and Penn into the mix and I get 4 campuses to explore.</p>

<p>As for the cost of the gap year, the program I applied to has really generous aid that covers the majority of the costs, including airfare. I checked the UT Dallas website and I can defer my scholarship for a year. So if all else fails, I still have UT Dallas to fall back on and essentially I'm not losing anything UT Dallas offered me. </p>

<p>I just want my shot at redemption. It's a shame I didn't apply to LAC's the first time around and that I applied to schools that weren't financially feasible or, in UT Dallas' case, didn't match my interests and environment. This isn't something I just thought about; I've been thinking about this since the last decisions came out in late March. My GC and other GC's in my high school say they support me either way and will keep everything on file for whatever happens.</p>

<p>Is it bad or foolish for wanting to take a gap year with a completely different college list or to transfer? I'm making sure that the schools in my list will give my family something affordable so I won't make the financial mistake again and so I won't force my family to sell their souls away. Any advice and guidance is greatly appreciated. And if my ideas of a gap year sound foolish, please don't hesitate to say so.</p>

2

<p>There is nothing wrong with a gap year. This is no set path to attending college and entering the workforce - many people may feel there is, but you need to find what works for you and your financial situation. In the end, you’ll be thankful that you did.</p>

<p>It sounds as though you have many good reasons for deferring your offer to UT Dallas. The fact that you can defer the scholarship offer is great - you have now secured a safety, and one year’s time isn’t much in the grand scheme of life.</p>

<p>Make your gap year count. Gain as many new experiences as you can, explore your interests, make some money, and enjoy the freedom of being young and newly graduated. But don’t lose sight of your college plans - continue researching schools, improving your essays, and keep in touch with your recommendation writers. </p>

<p>I attended a small LAC and loved it. Larger state schools were not for me given my personality type and interests. I’m sure you’ll find a school that excites and challenges you while keeping your finances reasonable.</p>

3

<p>Thanks. I’m not running away from college; I just want another chance to do it right this time around now that I have a much clearer sense of what I want and what I should look out for. So it’s not like I plan on taking a gap year and never going to school again.</p>

<p>I posted this here to see what the parents here think of this situation.</p>

4

<p>Another very important thing to keep in mind is that financial aid for many, many schools is better for Freshman than transfers/non-Freshman. Do NOT, I repeat NOT, take any college courses, or anything for credit in your gap year.</p>

5

<p>I took two gap years - one voluntary, one “forced” (financial) between high school and college. I think a positive attitude towards the gap year is essential - looking back, I probably spent a large part of my second gap year in a mild depression, and parts of that year do feel “wasted” to me, in a way that the first gap year wasn’t. Go in with a plan, and enter that gap year with gusto. </p>

<p>With the benefit of hindsight, those were great growing years. I think time outside of school gives you a different perspective, and you begin to consider critically what it is that school can and cannot give you. If not for a job that I held at the end of my second gap year, I don’t think I would have been able to navigate college as well as I did. Because of that experience I was more prepared to take advantage of everything college has to offer. I have to admit I contemplated not returning to school if the financial situation didn’t work out. </p>

<p>One more thing: just because you aren’t in school doesn’t mean you stop learning and growing. Take that attitude towards a gap year and you’ll get a great deal out of it.</p>

6

<p>@kayf: Oh yeah I’m well aware of that. The gap year program that I applied to doesn’t do that.</p>

<p>@pelicularities: Nice insight. Were you worried at all about losing your academic “mojo” or forgetting the things you’ve learned the previous years during your gap years?</p>

7

<p>Juvenis: no, I wasn’t. I think if you were a solid student in high school, you’ll be able to pick it back up quickly. If it’s something you’re worried about, I’d give yourself a few weeks before the start of the school year to gear back up for school.</p>