Gap Year Decisions and ensuing mental turmoil

SmithieandProud
Tue, 04 Sep 2012 11:15:48 +0000

It might be helpful to disentangle your gap year decision from your anxiety about being accpeted to Smith. Ultimately, you should take a gap year if you think it will be of benefit to you, and not because you think it will improve your chances of getting into college. Gap years are nice, they can add flavor and depth to your application, but they’re probably not going to have a huge impact, at least not a bigger one than your high school record. It sounds like you’re already an international student with a unique perspective on the world (being an immigrant to the US, also studying abroad as a high school student), so it’s not as if adding additional experiences overseas is going to really shift your profile.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t do the gap year. I think it sounds like a great opportunity to do something fun and interesting and to strengthen connections to your cultural roots. But don’t look at your gap year in the lens of your college application. Look at it as a chance to have an amazing life experience.

Also, I know you mention you feel rushed, but I think you still have lots of time to get your application together prior to the ED deadlines for this year. There are two ED deadlines after all, and you could aim for the ED II deadline if you think the ED I is too soon. And keep in mind that it’s usually a lot easier to put together application materials while you’re still in school and have direct access to your counselors and teachers. Have you thought about how logistically you’re going to request and organize transcripts, recommendations, and other materials while you’re in Bangladesh next year? It might be simpler just to apply now and, if you decide to do the gap year, to defer. If you’re not accepted, you could do the gap year anyway and then apply again after you return, but if you are accepted, you won’t have to worry about trying to apply to college and doing your gap year at once.