BecomingWhoYouWantToBe

I was asked this question by a reader fairly recently. He wanted to know if volunteering in Africa for a year before reapplying to an Ivy League School would help his chances of being accepted.

My response was, “Yes, perhaps.”

You may wonder why I said “it might” rather than “it will”.

Well, there are quite a few factors to take into consideration. Here are a few things you should think about when considering a gap year:

1. As with my advice regarding summer activities, it makes sense to take a year off as long as you are busy the whole time doing very note-worthy things.

Second: Be sure that the activity you choose fits in with your “big picture”. It must support the image you plan to present in your Common Applications. It should be connected with your stated areas of interest and/or your major course of study.

Third: Understand that a gap year really only lasts about six months, so don’t over commit your time. You will have from the time you graduate from high school in the late spring until the time you submit your Common Applications near the end of the calendar year to complete your tasks and add them to the Common Applications.

Click here for more info on Harvard and Stanford waitlists.

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!

Think about these 4 factors when you are considering whether you should work for your dad’s textile sales company for a year before admissions to Ivy League schools.

In the final analysis, a gap year may be helpful. However, you must be sure that you are a strong candidate in other areas to begin with and that your gap year only strengthens your candidacy.

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.