Deferring For One Semester

[pali123]

What do you guys think of deferring my acceptance to start in the spring instead of the fall? I really want to take one semester off and since the curriculum of the school I am choosing to go to is pretty flexible. Should I ask? Has anyone ever done this before?

 

Thanks!

[fuzzylogician]

I know some people who deferred for a year. The one thing I'd worry about if you defer for a semester is how doing so might affect your social life -- if everyone starts together in the fall and friendships are formed during that first semester of first year, you might have a bit of a hard time making friends. Of course, this depends on many other factors and might not be an issue at all, but if you're the only one who starts late, it might not be trivial. And then, even though you've said it's not a problem, you should make sure that there aren't actually any prereqs that you have to take in the fall for spring courses, or classes that are only offered every other year, or any other complication that could set you back if you miss the fall semester. But overall, I don't think there is any problem with asking, especially if you'd be ready to begin in the fall if they tell you it's not an option.