Any Accepted Students who took a Gap Year?

victorkangnz
Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:56:51 +0000

Hi there theweester. My name is Victor, and I have recently been admitted to Princeton. I live in New Zealand, and I took my gap year from Dec 2008 to Feb 2010, after graduating from high school. For me, i think it was a very important phase of my life, as it really opened up opportunities that I would never have dreamed of if I went straight to uni in NZ.

During my gap year, I travelled to China, US, and Korea, and in between my travels I pursued my interest in music, and picked up several new hobbies along the way. I also self-taught myself the SAT and SAT subject tests, which I sat in May and June. I saw the world, I gained a more profound and mature perspective of life; I read so many books that broadened my understanding. All these things would not have been possible had I not taken my gap year.

I guess my circumstances are a little different to what you are asking, in that I didn’t apply to US colleges before taking my gap year. I have a friend, however, who reapplied after taking a gap year. He now has offers from Stanford, Brown, BU and several other places.

If you want to ask me more questions, feel free to message me!

Victor