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04-12-2008, 04:51 PM
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#1 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Not Saying
Threads: 35
Posts: 108
| gap year??
Do prestigious schools look down upon gap years??
i am currently thinking of graduating early, taking a gap yr, and then going to college..b/c my parents think that going to college straight away that young will b stressful...should i just not graduate early??
will graduating early hurt my chances in getting into a prestigious school, even if i don't take a gap year? | 
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04-12-2008, 04:54 PM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Long Beach --->Rohnert Park, CA Gender: Female
Threads: 125
Posts: 1,723
| I wouldn't graduate early...not for the prestigious schools, but rather because it's such an important experience IMO. Think about it...it's the culmination of what you've been working towards for 12 years! You get all the fun stuff...prom, Senior Week, special privileges (at least at my school...only seniors can park in the parking lot, get lockers, etc.)...and don't you want to walk across that special stage with your friends in June??? | |
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04-12-2008, 05:31 PM
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#3 | | Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Threads: 2
Posts: 332
| she's talking about graduating regular time vs. taking a year off
princeton has a program where students there do a gap year before freshman year, so they actually have something to contribute when they begin classes the next year. it can't be looked down upon if they're the ones organizing it | |
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04-12-2008, 06:11 PM
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#4 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008 Gender: Male
Threads: 0
Posts: 220
| S/he also mentioned graduating early...
A friend of mine graduated early but because of the way he had to organize his schedule to fulfill credits requirements, he probably would have been better off just graduating at the normal time. He ended up not getting into the top universities people expected. | |
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04-12-2008, 06:16 PM
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#5 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Not Saying
Threads: 35
Posts: 108
| one of the reasons i want to graduate early is b.c i'll b in the same grade as my sister..so we can graduate together... and most of my friends are a year older nywyz...so i would really be with my friends if i graduate early.. | |
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04-12-2008, 07:19 PM
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#6 | | Member
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Florida Gender: Male
Threads: 15
Posts: 483
| Do it. Senior year is overrated anyway. | |
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04-12-2008, 08:54 PM
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#7 | | Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Threads: 16
Posts: 348
| I dont think graduating early is looked down upon and a gap year daf. isn't looked down upon. Im graduating early and I got into an ivy. Oh, and my test scores are def. not what most would consider ivy material. If you wanna do it, go right ahead. | |
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04-13-2008, 01:20 AM
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#8 | | Member
Join Date: Jun 2007 Gender: Female
Threads: 48
Posts: 736
| I graduated early and got a full-ride merit scholarship to Caltech. But I strongly recommend against it. Suffice it to say that instead of taking a gap year before college, they're making me take one during college. If you do decide to graduate early be absolutely certain you're emotionally ready for it. Or you'll end up like me. =/
Graduating early won't hurt your admissions chances except
(a) you have to demonstrate you're mature enough and give good reasons for leaving early
(b) you have to do in three years what everyone else did in four. Which is hard unless you're a super student. | |
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04-13-2008, 01:12 PM
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#9 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Not Saying
Threads: 35
Posts: 108
| fizix2, how did u feel u weren't emotionally ready/? that is what my parents are telling me, that it will b emotionally hard for me to handle..how are u taking a gap yr in college now, r u graduating in 5 yrs? | |
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04-13-2008, 06:37 PM
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#10 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pasadena, CA (Caltech)
Threads: 0
Posts: 84
| I considered graduating early to go to college (actually, I might have officially dropped out because the administration didn't want to let me graduate early). I feel that I'm better off for not having done so: I would have gone to a college that while decent, just wasn't the school for me.
In my situation, I was considering going straight to college. In your situation, however, I'm not quite sure how it will benefit you personally (besides allowing you to take a gap year while entering the job market on-time, if that's what you're interested in). If you can offer a good enough reason, then any college worth going to should accept it (but my understanding is that normally you elect to tell the college you've matriculated to that you want to take a gap year after you've matriculated, not before you even apply for admission). I suspect that any college admission office for a powerhouse school (Caltech, MIT, Stanford, Ivy's) would like to see that you actually did something meaningful rather than know you just sat around your parent's house. | |
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04-14-2008, 09:04 PM
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#11 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Not Saying
Threads: 35
Posts: 108
| so should i just try to apply to schools next yr ( my 3rd yr of high school, instead of 4th, even though techniqually i would b a "senior") and ask them for a gap year?? | |
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