Taking a gap year and reapplying to colleges - how does it work?

If I take a gap year after high school, can I use that time to improve my college applications and reapply? Does taking a year off make reapplying harder or do colleges look at it favorably?

Taking a gap year can definitely provide an opportunity to strengthen your college applications for reapplying. There’s no inherent disadvantage in applying again after a gap year and colleges do not typically penalize students who take a year off. However, it's important to note that a gap year must be productive and show development, learning, or engagement in some significant activity or activities. Additionally, even with that growth, there's no guarantee a gap year will make you a more competitive applicant.

If you decide to take a gap year, you should make an effort to do something meaningful with your time, ideally something related to your intended field of study or a passion you discussed in your initial application. This could include volunteering, interning, working, taking community college classes, or initiating a project.

For example, if you're interested in public policy, intern at a local government agency. If you're into computer science, try to get a job or internship at a tech company, or spend the time learning a new programming language and creating your own software. Make sure whatever you do aligns with your academic and career goals.

When reapplying to colleges, be strategic about how you include your gap year experiences within your application. Highlight the skills and knowledge you acquired—this could be in your essays, your updated extracurricular list, or possibly through an additional recommendation letter from someone who supervised you during your gap year. Remember that colleges appreciate students who show initiative, dedication, and a desire for self-improvement, which a well-utilized gap year can certainly demonstrate.

However, just like the first time around, you'll be evaluated holistically, so be honest with yourself about why you didn't get into certain schools, and how you could best use a gap year to bolster your application. For example, if your SAT or ACT scores weren't what you hoped, you may want to spend time studying for and retaking one of those exams. Or, if your essays were lackluster, you may not want to have concrete plans in the fall, so that you can concentrate fully on writing better ones.

Good luck with your planning!