Can you defer a university offer for two years?

I'm thinking about taking a gap year or two before heading to college. Is it possible to defer a university offer for two years, or is one year the maximum? How flexible are universities with this?

The flexibility of deferral policies can vary greatly between universities. Generally, most colleges allow students to defer their admission for one year. However, there are some colleges that might allow deferrals for up to two years, though this is less common. It's important to contact the admissions office of the university you're interested in to gain specific details about their deferral policies.

Bear in mind, some universities may have conditions attached to deferments. For instance, while in some cases you may be allowed to take classes elsewhere during the gap year(s), some universities forbid this as a part of their deferral policy.

A concrete example encapsulating this is Harvard University, which encourages students to take a gap year before enrolling, and does allow two-year deferrals on a case-by-case basis. However, Harvard does expect the student to not enroll in a degree-granting program at another college during their gap years.

Remember, there could be implications for financial aid and housing too, depending on the university's policy, so be sure to gather all the necessary information before making a decision.

Lastly, keep in mind that if a deferral of two years is not possible, you might need to reapply. This could potentially mean that the university might not accept your application the second time around, so weigh your options carefully.