<p>Hey! Does anybody here know if penn is kind to applicants who’ve taken gap years? because I’m taking gap two years. Many many thanks!</p>
<p>how old are you?</p>
<p>will soon be 19… will this really hurt my chances?</p>
<p>I don’t know about Penn but I know a girl who got into Brown after taking gap two years. I don’t think a gap year will hurt you as long as you do something worthwhile with that year (or those years, in your case). If you just sit around your parents living room watching TV, yes that will hurt you. If you, say, go to Namibia to volunteer in a hospital clinic or do something substantial, I think it’s fine.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply!</p>
<p>I have been told that if there is a reason foir your actions, even if it is to pursue your interests, adcoms would understand. If you had a good reason to take two gap years, then explain yourself in the application.</p>
<p>Make sure you do something meaningful. The girl that’s going to Brown that I mentioned before, for example, had a dual citizenship with Israel and the US, so she went to go serve in the Israeli army for 2 years. Her parents actually wanted her to give up the citizenship a few years earlier so she wouldn’t have to go, but she wanted to keep it because she loves her country and wanted to do her required service.</p>
<p>so patriotic…colleges must love that. Since its unique.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s unique. I know a lot of people that go to the Israeli army before college. But it’s not like she was taking of a gap year to do something stupid. She had a reason for it and she made something of her years.</p>