I’m in a similar predicament as another poster here, but I’m seeking different advice.
I applied to 16 schools, here are the most relevant:
UCLA/Berkeley (Rej)
Barnard (Rej)
Smith (WL)
Wellesley (WL)
Kenyon (WL)
UDelaware (Acc)
And my stats:
3.5 UW/4.1 W
2200+ SAT
33 ACT
IB Diploma
Lots of community-oriented ECs (tutouring for years, environmentalism, social activism)
Latina & Black, ESOL
1st Gen, daughter of 2 immigrants, single parent household
Below 40k income, 3 person household
I’m considering taking a gap year in order to raise money for college & for a service trip in Latin America, if I’m not accepted into Wellesley. (I also found a few schools that I hadn’t heard of that I’d like to apply to.)
I’ve read conflicting advice on CC/other sites; some advise against it, while others cite the low aid transfer students receive & how a gap year can aid your application.
Does anyone have experience (positive and negative with this) and could give some advice? Thank you!
Please let me know if I forgot some information.
If you really want Wellesley, write a letter reiterating why you are a great fit for them & that you want to come- they do take people off the waiting list.
IMO, a service trip will only help you if it (genuinely) fits with the rest of your overall story.
Thank you for the response! I’m in the process of drafting a letter (looking at several success stories and hoping to emulate them), but I’m also willing to face the fact that mu EFC is really low, and that that will definitely hinder my chances.
And my service trip interest is because I plan on becoming a Spanish/English teacher in impoverished communities in the US/Cuba; all of my essays have talked about how growing up in my community has shaped how I want to give back to the world through education.
You can do a search on gap years. I did a bunch of gap semesters, certainly, way back in the Stone Age. It was the best thing I ever could have done. But I wasn’t attending colleges like you are thinking of. If you take a gap year, make the most of it and do something you are interested in. Good luck!
I really like the Gap Year idea for you. It’s become increasingly popular to take these Gap Years-- largely because students (and their parents) have had such great experiences. But PLAN THEM OUT. Don’t improvise that year. Figure out how you are going to make your mark (personal goals are fine, you don’t have to do anything extraordinary). And given that there is a major Presidential election this year it’s a good time to join a campaign and learn how those work… And then you are free to begin the rest of your Gap year in November (as you finish up those applications, armed with some GREAT stories to tell…). ESOL voters are going to be very important in this race, so you can help in voter registration, et al.