When To Go, When To Wait, & The "Gap" Year(s)

Reasons to wait

Many students decide to wait to apply to graduate school until after they graduate. Some complete applications the next fall; others wait another year or two. The decision about when to apply or attend graduate school is essentially an individual one. Things to consider include:

• Do you need some time to recharge your batteries before entering another rigorous academic year?
• Do you want to have four full years of coursework, grades and a finished BA project before applying? You may be able to get stronger letters of reference as well.
• Do you want some additional time to build up your skills through additional, post-bac or language coursework? This may be especially true for students changing their field of focus or for students considering graduate programs where language skills in a number of languages are important.
• Do you want additional time to consider your options, to make sure you want to go, or what you want to study?
• Do you have financial considerations and want to work to reduce your college debt before embarking on graduate work?

What you should do before you graduate

• Talk to faculty and mentors about your plans, how long you will wait before applying, what you might do until then, and what your goals are regarding graduate study.
• Open an Interfolio account and request letters of reference from faculty you know well and can speak highly of you and your accomplishments.
• If you are planning to strengthen your skills, you should research different options/schools/programs that will help you do so and make sure that you are submitting any necessary applications so that you do not miss an opportunity.

Ideas for the Gap Year

What you do during your gap year or years really depends on why you want time between college and graduate school. You should decide what your goals are for your time and plan accordingly.

• If you are looking to recharge yourself—make sure that you are going to be able to do this and not feel like you are lost for a year. Look for short-term work abroad opportunities; do something non-academic. Talk to CAPS staff and visit the Career Resource Center for ideas.
• If you are looking to prepare further for graduate school, plan what you need or want to do so that you can accomplish this before you submit applications or begin graduate school.
• Look for short-term employment or opportunities such as Fulbright Fellowships, Teach for America, the JET program and others. You can talk to CAPS staff about these possibilities.
• Refine what your academic goals are; work on improving your writing sample and writing your application essays. Investigate and research institutions more completely.

In thinking about employment, if you want more knowledge and understanding of the academy, look for employment at a university or college. This will keep you in an intellectual community, enable you to continue talking with faculty and graduate students, and get to know life in the academy from a different perspective. There are often jobs in labs or with libraries, centers or departments that would be appropriate for you.

Remember, whatever your post-college experience, you should keep in touch with your faculty mentors and those who agreed to write letters of reference for you. Let them know what you are doing and how your plans are progressing.

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