Gap Year for International StudentsAnswered
I'm a 12th-grade student from India. I don't have enough E.C's and Grades to get into My dream University.
So, I'm in the thought of taking a GAP YEAR. But I want to know that does it affects my college acceptance, do I get rejected for taking a GAP Year.
And also please suggest to me what to do in my Gap Year.
Bye :)
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3 answers
Taking a Gap Year doesn't affect your chances of getting accepted into a college. Historically, many wealthy Americans and Europeans took gap years at private boarding schools to prop up their course rigor, grades, and athletic ability so they could play on varsity college teams. It's been something the elite have done for over a hundred years. I asked my dad this and he remembered that in the 1980s, some kids did that when their stats just weren't that good. This is called a PG year or Post Graduate year and currently, almost 150 boarding schools offer this, just in the US.
During your gap year I would do the following:
-Test prep for the SAT or ACT. I'm not talking about a week or two but if you want a 1500+ SAT or 35+ ACT, that will take 3 to 6 months of solid work.
-Re-take any of your core subjects that you didn't do well in HS. If your HS will not allow you to re-enroll and take them, then take them at a community college. For instance, if you got a B in Calculus or Physics or Biology or Chemistry, these are classes you can easily take at a community college. Also, top American schools like Ivys fully expect you to take US History and European History so you can do yourself a favor and take those.
-Test prep for either the TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo English proficiency exams and make sure you get a high score in those.
-Pick 3 or 4 ECs you can develop into something you are good at and work on them.
Good luck
If you think that you don't have the grades or ECs to get into your dream school I don't know if taking a gap year would help as far as admissions chances the following year. I think most schools won't frown down on taking a gap year, but I don't know if it would actually help your admissions chances. However with that said if you want to take a gap year you should! At the very least your admissions chances would probably be the same as if you applied this year. As far as what to do on your gap year, that's totally up to you. Many students spend several months abroad doing community service work, you could get work experience in your local community and earn money, etc.
Also be sure to check out our blogposts on taking a gap year: https://blog.collegevine.com/should-you-take-a-gap-year/ https://blog.collegevine.com/what-are-the-pros-of-taking-a-gap-year/ https://www.collegevine.com/blog/search/gap%20year
Hi there! Don't worry about taking a gap year if it improves your ECs. As long as your gap year give you benefit, don't worry and just take it. In fact, many prestigious colleges suggest their student to take some gap years to improve their life skills. You can try to search on the google about which college support gap year.
However, you have to make sure about what will you do in your gap year. Plan something that will help you stand out as an applicant. Don't only do one or two activities, in short, just maximize it.
I hope it helps!
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@CameronBameron Thanks a lot