<p>Hi, I'm currently a British student who is planning to apply to US to study at undergraduate level. I also do however, wish to take a gap year to gain some work experience and do some traveling. </p>
<p>I don't know whether this is true or not but i heard that not a lot of americans do gap years if at all and many universities dislike it as your skills are waning. </p>
<p>So i was wondering what US universities think of gap years, particularly the top US universities like the Ivy Leagues, Stanford etc.</p>
<p>If i do decide to take a gap year, will my application be disadvantaged?</p>
<p>It depends on what you do with the gap year. If you spend it sitting around that’s a problem. But if you can put on your application that it was for financial reasons or personal enrichment it could actually help, and if you’re going to work and travel (just do something that you can write was life-changing when you do it) you should be okay.</p>
<p>Top American universities often like and encourage gap years–usually, though, they want you to have been admitted first and then delay matriculation. I think applying during one’s gap year usually applies that one’s applications did not go as well as one would want the first time. (Second part is speculation.)</p>
<p>I agree with prior poster – it is common to apply, be accepted, then defer for a year (take a gap year). Less common to take a gap year then apply.</p>