| How to convince my mom to allow a gap year for language development?
NSLI-Y is a government funded program that gives generous scholarships for high school students - including gap year students - to study abroad. I am interested in the program for Korean, because I am of Korean heritage but not completely fluent. I'd like to learn Korean to be able to converse with the rest of my extended family (whom I haven't seen in over a decade - plane tickets are mad pricey, yo) and to use in my career (which will probably be a doctor, lawyer, economist, diplomat or international businesswoman - Barney Stinson anyone?).
Anyway, this program is free and allows accepted students to study abroad for a summer, a semester or an entire year. I want to go for the full year, to fully experience the culture. I would apply now (senior year) and, if accepted, would spend my gap year abroad. My mom doesn't want me to apply for the semester or year-long programs because...
1. I will graduate a year later than my "peers"
2. I have to graduate as quickly as possible to jump into my career and start spewing out money like a tennis ball machine
3. Knowing more Korean than I already know (which is roughly at a 4th grade level) is not useful for a career
I disagree because
1. I will be more mature than my new peers if I take a gap year (mom thinks this is bull)
2. My financial situation will allow me to attend college for free; household income is less than 40 grand for 4 people, EFC is probably 0
3. If the US government is encouraging students to pursue less popular languages i.e. Korean FOR FREE, then isn't it useful for something??
My mother is a traditional Asian immigrant and speaks two sentences in English. It's very difficult to change her mind - she was skeptical for a few years of blind-need admission when we found out about it. PLEASE HELP!
| 
