retired_cowboy69

I plan to have a gap year, although it's also kind of forced, as I really don't fancy going to Uni at 177.

retired_cowboy69

remove a 7 there somewhere.

retired_autumn

How did you manage to get a 'poor form' in calc but get all A's?

Crapping around might make sense if you didn't get into a school you wanted, because there is probably a fair bit of difference in the prestige factor between something ending in 'community college' and something ending in 'Berkeley'. That said, if you have good connections with adults who hand out good jobs (i.e., dad runs the company), it probably doesn't matter.

If you do take the year off, make sure you do something that will sound 'productive' to the starry-eyed admissions officers who like to socially engineer their schools with as much 'go-getter' diversity as possible. You know, dig wells in Burundi or teach English in rural China. If you do something a bit more mundane, like work on cars or work the register at the local Starbucks, I get the impression this will fall flat with the admins people. Even if it makes you real.

And if you need to take the year off to re-apply, make sure you have a good excuse/reason for doing so. You pretty much have one, though, with your 'econ to lit' conversion. But beware that you don't sound like one of those 'I'll change my major 6 times and be an 8th year senior' type. 'I swear I'll never change my mind again' would probably seem a little forced too, so its a kind of balancing act, but basically you want to reassure them that you are serious about coming in and doing the work. The A's will help in that respect.

That said, if you take a year off and reapply, you may want to try to do something in the meantime that reflects your conversion. Like intern at a publishing house or something.

retired_craftynm@pa.net

I'm in the midst of my first Calculus class, which I'm most likely going to get a C in. I've never been very mathematically inclined, and this handicap was compounded by the abortion of a Precalculus class I took.

Tbqh, the prestige disparity isn't a huge issue because transfer admissions within the UC system are ridiculously accommodating to California community college students.

Do you think a denominational humanitarian activity would be frowned upon? I have loads of connections with various Christian charities, but wouldn't want to be perceived as Adoniron Judson trying to convert yellow savages.

Cheers, will look into that.

retired_craftynm@pa.net

Ha, **** that.

retired_openmic100

I took a gap year, loved it, then came home and started uni. Also I would personally recommend if you're in a position to take a gap year you really really should.

Assuming you want to go onto university or college taking a gap year probably won't change your long term goals. Its a year to chill out and really decide what you want to do with your life/degree, DO IT.

retired_sedimohasel

I spent a semester working for a month in France then going to Spain on vacation at my mate's house back and forth... I did that for almost 6 months, had no problem going back to College and now I speak Spanish fluently and use it on the job everyday so I guess it was pretty useful to me

I'd say take it but gain something important from it :thup:

retired_krishinf

I've started applying to some US schools and looking at their admissions requirments, it seems so alien compared the European school admissions.

From what i can gather the gap year shouldn't be an issue provided there is a good reason for it that can be easily mitigated in admissions essays. Also, the gap year needs to be a productive year in enhancing your admissibility, moreover, if you want to go on to do an MBA later, the C in calculus will not help, particulary at Berkely Haas or UCLA Anderson, as they want people to have shown stong academic potential in calculus or accounting at pre-college level.

So the answer is, what can you do in the gap year which helps with your admission and somehting which you have passion in.

retired_assy22

What's so compelling about a lit major that'd make it a more viable option?

retired_kimmymarlo

he's a mamby pamby mama's boy, probably.