<p>@Woandering Gap years are good for people who are burnt out after four years of intensive honors/AP classes and however many years total in a classroom. It can be useful to do something else for a year before spending another four years in the classroom. </p>
<p>Obviously, if you’re going to sit on your couch for a year (which I doubt the person writing about doing a gap year was planning on), there’s no point in taking a gap year, but if you’re going to work, intern, or do some sort of study abroad program, there’s definitely a lot of value in it. </p>
<p>@evan241 Right, if you’re doing something that’s economically beneficial, it’s fine. But if what you’re doing is not something you MUST do before college, then you’re just wasting your parent’s or even your own money. Basically what I’m saying is make sure you think through exactly what you’re planning to do for a gap year because once your an adult, finances really matter. </p>
<p>@glasshours Not necessarily the system. The Bay Area in California is buzzing with news about recent suicides in the Palo Alto area. The biggest correlation here is their ethnicity being Asian and their going to two Asian dominated, competitive public schools. I can completely understand why they might consider suicide under the situation. </p>
<p>On the other hand, there’s definitely something wrong with the education system in America because we’re a year behind practically all other education systems in the world, disregarding, of course, the really undeveloped areas with a very weak education system. And even in those, the results are usually the majority drop out and the few others are a year ahead of American graduates.</p>
<p>Hmmm
I’m going to apply to Cornell and maybe Princeton next year as far reaches. UDel is match/safety because I’m instate and get good grades. UDel might be the only school I can realistically go to.
I was always an extremely smart kid, I started studying for the GRE’s at age 10 and had a stash of grammar books under my bed when I was six. I never got very good grades in middle school and freshman year of high school, I ended my freshman year with a 2.3.
However, last year I squeaked by with a 3.6 and so far this year I have a 3.9. I’m hoping this incredibly strong upward trend is impressive to selective schools. </p>
<p>@evan241, I am! Probably for photography and writing. I’m working on mine as well and hoping to submit early as I missed the deadline last year. What specific category(ies) are you submitting to? </p>
<p>@abstract1 - Me too, photography and writing! I’m probably going to submit a couple of photographs, five-ish poetry collections, a short story, and a couple of personal essays. I’m working on one of the personal essays right now - which is hard 'cause I have almost no experience with personal essays. What categories are you submitting to? have you submitted before?</p>
<p>@evan241 Cool! I’m submitting a couple of photographs, a few poetry compilations, a few personal essays, and probably some flash fiction. I’m currently working on poetry-related stuff and trying to decide how I’m gonna divide up everything into distinct, cohesive collections. A bit daunting! And I agree, personal essays can be difficult; most of the time I end up re-working mine as poetry anyway since the ideas I’m getting at seem to flow better when they’re expressed less directly. </p>
<p>And nope, I haven’t submitted before; I wanted to last year but alas my inability to remember deadlines was my downfall. Have you? Also, outta curiosity, what do you like to photograph? </p>
<p>@evan241 I entered last year under photography because my art class required it, but nothing came from that. This year, I’m doing writing for certain, but as to what type of writing, I’m not 100% sure.</p>
<p>@abstract1 You are stealing words right out of my mouth! Haha I was just working yesterday on my poetry collections, thinking “how on earth will I divide them” Unfortunately, I don’t really know any writers, so it’s hard to get second opinions - I tend to group them, feel satisfied, and then re-group them three days later. It’s all part of the process! </p>
<p>AND YES. Everything that I try to express in personal essays tends to come out as a poem. It can be hard because, for example, right now, I’m trying to write a personal essay about a topic that I’ve written a LOT of poems about, so my personal essay is getting a bit too abstract and indirect. </p>
<p>I couldn’t submit last year 'cause I was enrolled in a foreign high school, so I didn’t meet the eligibility requirements. I submitted in 8th and 9th grade though, I won some gold keys, some silver, a few honorable mentions, a national silver in poetry, and an American Voices Nomination for a short story (I’m convinced that those last two awards were flukes haha) </p>
<p>I like photographing a variety of things…I really love urban photography (which is kind of hard considering I’m living in a tiny town right now haha). What do you like to photograph?</p>
<p>@evan241, that’s awesome! Congrats, seriously. And I’m sure your awards were more than deserved </p>
<p>Yep, I totally feel you on the second-guessing with regard to grouping poems. Haven’t done the precise calculations, but I’ve probably gone through like 3/4 of all the permutations possible. I’ve also pretty much accepted that all the personal essays I’m gonna write are gonna come out more as prose poems than anything else; oh well, I hope the judges like elusive and meandering, ha. </p>
<p>And I do the exact same thing- once I find something that moves me to write, I tend to exhaust all possible formats/perspectives reflecting on it. Sooo many poems on the same three topics, basically. </p>
<p>Also, urban photography is totally my thing too! Luckily I live in a gritty city, ha, so I have plenty of daily inspiration. Are you applying to any other writing/photography things this year? </p>
<p>I just found out a friend, who’s in our grade, just got a 2350 on the SAT. I should feel happy for her, but I just feel stupid, since I’ve made no progress.</p>
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