So, I am sort of a special case, and currently in my last year of high school. (Before anyone calls me out for being arrogant or anything, just letting you know that I don’t mean to come across that way, and that I am only trying to tell it like it is!)
Profile by the end of 1st semester senior year:
GPA: 3.38UW/3.9W (my school sents weighted scores (drastic rise from my sophomore year 3.3W to a 4.17W junior year)
I am from the DC area, and my school has a website listing all the people who got into specific colleges and what their GPA and SAT score was. all of the colleges at my school had a significantly lower average GPA than the avg GPA for the national acceptance, if that makes sense. for example, UChicago’s avg accepted gpa at my school was a 3.96, weighted; Northeastern and Bucknell’s average accepted GPA was a 3.85 W GPA
SAT: 1310, started studying just a 2-3 months ago and now I have been taking practice tests with a score of about 1400-1450
Classes: 9 AP classes, 12 HN classes (Quite rigorous, my school doesn’t allow you to take APs until junior yr)
ECs:
10+ years of figure skating
5 time figure skating regional competitor
competed in several local competitions, at least 10 and medaled in a few
figure skating group lessons instructor since 2015
ice assistant instructor volunteer from 2014-15
Adaptive program: private ice volunteer instructor to teach mentally disabled kids how to skate from 2014-15
Math honors society
What would be different if I took a gap year?
GPA: 3.38UW/3.9W -> 3.42UW/3.99W
SAT: I am assuming about 1500+ (will be studying for SATs for about 2hrs a day)
ECs:
will become a private lesson figure skating group lessons instructor (also this doesn’t have to do with college admissions, but I could make 10,000K+ during my gap year if I worked at least 5 days a week, 8 hours a week)
will be training for 3+ hours every day in figure skating, so making it to sectionals (next round after regionals, 4/20 girls can get it) will be very possible, and maybe even nationals (television!)
I will have time to take a few subject tests
my school has this program where you have the opportunity to take an internship instead of going to school for the 4th quarter. 4th quarter grades during senior year if you choose this program would be omitted. My dad works at Gtown, so I think I may be able to get an internship there.
the advantage of having more time to work on college essays
the main reason for doing this whole gap thing is for figure skating. I recently got a lot better, and I don't want my work of 10 years to just go to waste by going to college next year (will make my skating worse and I won't have time to skate that much),
Schools that I am looking at for this year:
Columbia ED Legacy, already applied
Northeastern
Northwestern
Boston
Chicago
NYU
USC
Vandy
Emory
Lehigh
Hamilton
Colgate
IU Business
VTech
Schools that I am looking to applying to during my gap year:
Columbia ED Legacy
Georgetown EA (child of Gtown employee-scientific researcher for 15+ yrs if it helps)
ND
Northwestern
USC
Vandy
BC
Either boston or Northeastern EA
Hamilton
Emory
VTech
thank you so much if you read until the bottom of the page; I know it was a lot to read and I appreciate it! I am aware that taking a gap year will not instantly get me into nationals/increase my sat score to a 1500/increase my GPA by .1 points, but I believe that it is very realistic and I have the potential to do so if I work hard towards it. If it makes it any more credible, my parents think it is realistic as well.
Agreed it’s better to apply during senior year and defer. Deferring for sports has been happening for decades, long before the gap year concept became popular. (Anything that has an elite junior circuit seemed to have a slew of kids who were deferring entry to college. The sport year never matched the school year!)
You can always submit additional applications during the gap year or reapply, but I would guess that what would make a bigger difference from one year to the next would not be the skating but higher grades at the end of senior year. Really leaning into this year and taking rigorous classes and doing well - not succumbing to senioritis - could help.
It sounds like you should take the year, though. With your talent and drive, you have a special opportunity in skating.
It sounds like taking a gap year would be a good idea for you.
The one thing I will point out with your application plan is that you cannot apply EA to GTown if you are applying ED or SCEA somewhere else- they explicitly say you cannot bind yourself to a school and apply early to them as well.
I do agree that it is far better to apply and defer entry to college for a year. However, how determined are you to get into your reach schools? If that’s your main goal, you need a higher SAT. I know you say kids at your school get admitted with grades in your range, but combined with your test scores, this list is extremely reach-heavy. Perhaps your school has grade deflation. Hopefully you did well on your AP tests, which in your case will help you.
V Tech is your only safety school. Your other schools might be difficult with your score, or are reaches. Are you a URM? Yes, your ice skating is interesting and might be helpful, but it won’t make up for grades and test scores. Err on the side of caution and try to find another safety or low match.
Why? Each state has various rules for qualifying for in-state tuition. If you follow the rules and become a resident, why wouldn’t the student get in-state tuition?
@Zinhead – I’m challenging the idea that a simple gap year will qualify someone who was previously ineligible for instate tuition discount suddenly eligible. By all means, follow the rules and get yourself eligible – they’re simply not one year’s residency – that’s all.
I agree that a gap year to do ice skating won’t help your application unless perhaps you compete and win at a national level (ex, US Champion). Taking a year off for regional and local competitions and to teach skating won’t move the needle on where you can get in. In terms of the SAT you can take the next exam offered and see if those scores improve and can help RD applications. As others said, you are best off applying to schools now and once admitted you can explore taking a gap year.
I think you should make sure you apply to schools that allow you to defer your start date for a year. You may never get another chance to excel at the highest level you can in figure skating. However, I do not think you should take a gap year and apply after a gap year. Apply now, defer entrance a year.
I do think the figure skating stuff is worth doing but it is worth doing for you, not for colleges. I don’t think colleges will care any more about figure skating than any other EC. Apply now for schools that are reasonable for you (your list is too reach heavy), defer your entrance until Fall 2018 and pursue the figure skating thing (and make some money).
If you have something you WANT to do during your gap year (e.g., skating), then a gap year sounds great!
Like others say, apply as a senior to colleges that let you defer.
Taking a gap year and applying later is usually a positive in the admissions process. Admissions offices really like it when you’re applying a year out of high school because, in most cases, you’re going to be more mature. That being said, you want to use your gap year as best as possible - i.e. to do something meaningful that will really impact your application. So if you’re doing it for figure skating, that’s great, but you want to make sure that that decision will add value to your application.
Hi everyone this is the OP, I had to make a new account because I forgot this password/username but I got them back now!
Anyways, I get that people are trying to tell me to apply before high school and then take a gap year, but would it hurt my chances to apply during the gap year?
If what Stanford16grad was true about how colleges like seeing more maturity, then does that mean that the admission officers would take that into account and it would be an advantage for me if I were to apply during that gap year?
My plan was to apply normally, don’t get senioritis while waiting for colleges to respond to my application and increase grades, and then see where I end up. If I don’t like my options, then I will reapply during my gap year. If I do like my options and decide on attending one of those colleges, I still might do the gap year and defer my acceptance for figure skating depending on the college (proximity to rink and coach). Is that reasonable:?
@lookingforward sorry, but I dont think the grades quoted from peers are debatable. there is an official website for my school where the counselor inputs everyone’s exact GPA and SAT scores into the system and colleges that the students got accepted to. I am pretty sure that a 3.96 UW is lower than the national average gpa acceptance for Chicago
It is not the students who input their grades in this website, its the school administrators and counselors
@“Erin’s Dad” I was actually planning to, if I had time! But I feel like I would have a better chance the next year. plus my dad isn’t the dean or anything, he is a scientist at one of the georgetown buildings so I am not sure how much that helps.
And yes everyone, I do intend on going for nationals! Its definitely not the olympics, but its a huge deal. only about 20 of the best skaters in the country can make it. Even sectionals is a pretty big deal, its about 50 highest level skaters in the nation, I believe. And I have a great shot of qualifying
@Endora Columbia is the only school I’ve every really visited (super strict parents and busy schedule). I love it!
I also like hamilton based on what I’ve heard though, because of their smaller school as well as their huge hockey/figure skating community.Its also one of the best LACs for business majors, which is what I want to go into