Reply to DC shut out from all but one, now wants a gap year

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]You would have to look at the terms of the deferral agreement for the particular school. Ultimately at any school, you'd just lose your deposit, but they wouldn't know that you were applying elsewhere.[/quote]

This isn't true in many cases.

When you agree to go to X college and pay a deposit--even if you intend to defer--your high school has to send acopy of your final transcript, including your last semester. Often, as part of that process the high school agrees that it will not send copies of the student's transcript to any other college without notifying the college where the student has deferred enrollment.

So, when the student who has deferred tries to get the high school to send a transcript to other colleges, the guidance counselor will say no. No transcripts and no recommendation from the guidance counselor will be sent until the student notifies the college at which the student has agreed to enroll.

Even at the small number of colleges that will accept an unofficial transcript to apply, you usually need a final, official one to enroll. Then you're up a creek without a paddle.

I[/quote]

OP, I don't think your DS understands that his choices may be starting where he is admitted and transferring or community college then transferring. Doing more of what is already on the application is not going to make his fall application stronger for the schools he is disappointed about.

If he does not defer he may have no option but community college. If he does defer, he may be locked in to attending for the reasons above, so what will have been the point of delaying going there by a year?

I think he is misunderstanding that he is going to get a blank slate and do over and have as good or even better odds but it doesn't work that way. He can always work on the farm this summer. Again, working on the family farm is ALREADY on his applications, so it adds nothing new except a possible red flag that he did not go "on time."

Please have him talk to a consultant and go for another visit to the school. Being older is not at all the same experience may both impact HS friendships and put him out of step if he tries to go in 2024 and in all likelihood the choice will be the school on the table or community college. Those 2 sets of friendships can be really important in adult life. I know he feels disappointed but I don't think he understands the ramifications.

I graduated college in 3 years for financial reasons and feel it impacted those friendships not to have been there for the final year together. I've stayed in touch with people but the ties are not as close. When DS is 19 and possibly in dorms with 17 year olds he is not going to feel a "fit" and if he has to go to community college in 2024 then transfer, it will be a VERY different experience than peers had. Temporary emotions are just that. And of course, if he does not go to college it will be a very different trajectory. Does he hope to inherit the family farm and make that a career? That is the only way it makes sense to do more of the same farm work. [/quote]

+100 to all of this[/quote]

OP has since updated but I disagree with the conclusion in the above that he might end up with only community college as an option. We know nothing about his stats or the kinds of schools he applied to but there seems a hint that he was a reasonably good student. There are plenty of schools out there that aren’t community college and aren’t rejective where he could apply next year and be accepted. Whether those are better schools than the acceptance he currently has in hand I have no idea but there can be options.

OP, your son sounds very committed to this family farm and agriculture. Was that emphasized in the applications this round? This may be something he may want to go all in on next time around and I’d imagine there are schools that are strong in agriculture that most of us in this area don’t pay a lot of attention to but would be solid in that field. There was all that back and forth about Cornell but I’m guessing Nebraska and Kansas have strong programs and I’ve actually heard great things about Kansas. [/quote]

UC Davis is another school I’d consider for someone with an agricultural interest.  [/quote]
Didn't Purdue start off as an agriculture school? 
The kid showed initiative and motivation with this gap year farm plan.
I think OP's son made a respectable choice and he may enter college with a well informed agenda about what he wants to do with his education.
As we all know, there are TONS of kids taking out loans, losing 4 years of prime youth and coming out of college with no direction, no clue and a useless degree.[/quote]

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