How to Apply to College After a Gap Year

Taking a year away in between high school and college has become increasingly common. There are two main ways to approach a gap year: deferring admission and delaying the application process. Deferring simply means that you have been accepted to the school, but you decide to postpone attendance for a year. Delaying means that you will apply during your gap year. 

Deferring College to Accommodate a Gap Year

You can apply to college while you’re still in high school, the most common tactic, during your gap year, or after your time off is complete. An upside to applying to college during high school is that you’re on the same timeline as your peers and you can lean on your teachers and guidance counselors for help. 

The approach you choose will sometimes depend on the college or university you choose. Some schools only allow deferrals for accredited gap year programs while others may require you to take additional action during or after the application process. If you plan to apply, then postpone your start date after acceptance, make sure you understand the deferral policy of each school you apply to. 

If you’re going to take a gap year, then make it part of your college application process. Call the admissions offices and ask about gap years and what your options are. Many schools like Harvard “encourage admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way.” However, if you have scholarships or financial aid you’ll want to ensure they’re deferrable or you’ll have to plan on re-applying. 

Applying to College After a Gap Year

If you wait to apply to college until after you’re out of high school, you’ll have the benefit of channeling the self-discoveries you’ve made on your gap year into your applications, making your college apps a better reflection of who you are and who you hope to become in college, but you’ll need to stay on top of deadlines to make sure you can enroll seamlessly after your gap experience. You’ll likely have to apply again for federal financial aid, and you may have to re-apply for scholarships if they didn’t allow deferral.

Applying to college on a gap year adds some complexity to the application process. Ideally, discuss your gap year with your guidance counselor before you graduate to ensure the logistics of getting your recommendation letters, records and transcripts from high school are easy. If you haven’t had that discussion, contact them as soon as possible to get those files and start the application process early so you have plenty of time to gather everything. 

There are two times to mention the importance of your gap year when you’re applying for college: the admissions essay and the interview. These are opportunities for you to write and speak honestly about your goals, aspirations and experiences you’ve had during your time away from formal education. Interviews are a chance for colleges to learn about you and how you’ll contribute to their community, and it’s the perfect setting to have a dialogue about the results of your gap time.

Traveling abroad, immersing yourself in a different culture and seeing the world from a different perspective is a transformative experience that can help better prepare you for college. We’d love to see you on a trip! Give us a call 800.982.9203 or contact us to learn more.