Get Into Stanford: Taking A Year After 12th Grade
A reader who wanted to do some volunteer work in Africa before reapplying to an Ivy League school recently asked me this question. He wondered if the volunteer work would make him a more desirable candidate.
I told him that it might.
Why “possible” and not “definitely”?
Acceptance to an Ivy League school is dependent on a number of factors that must all be balanced, one against the other. Here are some things to think about when considering a gap year:
#1 Taking a year off is like participating in summer activities. It will only help you if you are very, very busy doing really worthwhile things the whole time.
#2 The volunteer work, activity, or program you are engaged in must be a puzzle piece that helps you create your total picture. It must contribute to the overall image you want to present when you apply to an Ivy League School. So, for example, if you are interested in global warming, taking a year to study Norwegian climate patterns would make sense.
#3 Bear in mind that you will really only have about 6 months. Common Applications are due at the end of the calendar year. You will probably graduate from high school in May, so you will not have a full year for your gap year.
Click here for more info on waitlisted at Ivy League schools.
Fourth: Gap year activities only make a strong application stronger. They will not fix a weak application. If your SAT scores or your grades are low, your transcripts are poor or you don’t really have much in the way of extracurricular activities, a great gap year won’t help you!
Keep these four factors in mind when you are when you are weighing the strengths and weaknesses of for your dad’s textile sales company for a year before applying to Ivy League schools.
After you have weighed all of these considerations, you may decide that a gap year will, indeed, be beneficial to you. If you determine that you are already a very strong candidate, and a gap year will make you even stronger, then it is definitely a good idea.
As far as personal development goes, a productive gap year is an excellent choice. It can give you a break from academic life while simultaneously advancing your academic career. This is an excellent choice, as long as you understand that a gap year is not necessarily a guarantee of acceptance to an Ivy League school.