An extra year off? Please help!

[theominousfuture]

Hey all!

So I have a problem.

I just finished my summer semester in my post-bacc through SUNY New Paltz. I have a 4.0 in those three post-bacc courses, a 3.53 in my overall psychology major (last 60 being a 3.96). I have some pretty okay experience working with selectively mute students and administering preschool assessments like the PLS-5 to kiddos in NYC. I could be applying to schools for 2017 BUT I don't feel comfortable trying to cram for the GRE between August and an October test date. I have really bad test anxiety and I'm thoroughly dreading math. ALSO I have 1-2 LOR people in mind but I don't have the third letter I'd need. I'm waiting to hear back this week from a speech clinic to volunteer and observe at. Hopefully everything works out and then I'd feel pretty confident about getting a good letter through them. Of course, getting a letter from a clinic would mean working with them for a while which would be a part of my "take the extra year" plan. (If it doesn't work out, I'll just continue my search for experience.) My plan now is to finish my post-bacc in May 2017, spend that free summer studying for the GRE and getting speech experience, take the GRE in like October 2017, and hear back from schools in early 2018. My lease is also through 2018 so I wouldn't need to worry about living somewhere while not in school. I also want to stay in NYC and be competitive for NYC schools so more pressure to have a pristine application.

Pros for applying now:

- Don't have to take an extra year off and join the class of 2018 (so I don't potentially miss out on a year's salary?)

Cons for applying now:

- I'd have a weak third letter of rec

- Having to cram for the GRE in such a short amount of time (definitely not do as well as I would after prepping for longer)

- Having to do all the test prep, SOP drafting, and app preparation while taking 4 more post-bacc classes that start Aug 29th. 

I just feel so strange taking an extra year when I feel like I should be moving forward. It kinda feels like wasting time but I also really feel like spacing everything out would be so much better. Does anyone have anything to add to my list that I didn't consider? How would you all act in my position? This nervous wreck thanks you all profusely for your help.

[Puffer Fish]

Hi, I took a "break" year too. Not by choice; I didn't get accepted in my first round.

You're right, it feels like you're not making any "progress" but that's not true at all. You're learning how to adult, manage yourself and your time, etc. It would also give you more experience to write your statements on and allows for a better letter of rec in your case.

You are allowed to take an academic  break for one year. Give yourself time to be a non-student for once, learn who you are without academia forcing you forward all the time.

Also who cares about missing one year's salary in the grand scheme of things? Find a different job in your interim year. Any life experience is good on applications, for fresh grads like us.

HOWEVER, if you do decide to apply, you have stellar stats already so as long as you don't fail the GRE, you'd be more likely to get in somewhere than I am (see my stats in my sig for proof lol). No matter what you choose to do, you can spin it positively for a personal statement! Good luck.

[theominousfuture]

Thank you so so much for your response! It's so great to hear that I'm not the only one who feels stagnant when having to delay school. Many of my other friends will already be in school when I start applying so that makes me feel a bit out of the loop but you're absolutely right in saying that the time and salary won't matter in the long run. I think I might take a diagnostic GRE and if I really bomb it, then I'll be settled on my extra year plan. If it doesn't go terribly, maybe I'll try to apply to a few schools. Thanks for your input and best of luck with your applications!

[castikat]

If taking the gap year means higher GRE scores, better letters of rec, and more work/volunteer experience (in-field or just with target populations), it possibly means the difference between getting in and not getting in. Honestly, I do think it is better to take the year off and save up money for app fees and strengthen your application as much as possible to give yourself the best shot at getting in. You do risk missing out on a year's worth of salary but if you don't get in the first time because your application wasn't strong enough (but would have been if you waited), you're just throwing away money on the applications. And it's not a paltry sum! I know a lot of people on this forum are prone to saying things like "It can't hurt to apply!" but we're talking $500-$1000 dollars here, depending on the number of schools you apply to, possibly even more. So, just think about if you'll be showing the strongest possible application if you decide to apply this year.

[ThatSpeechGuy]

I took a gap year by choice, and it helped me a lot figure out who I was and helped me save up some money! It also let me focus totally on the application process which can be daunting.

One thing that you NEED to make sure you do is describe our gap year and briefly state how it was beneficial to you as a graduate student and what you gained from the experience. Graduate schools want students who make wise decisions, and not decisions for just the heck of it! 

Also, if you're taking a year and studying for the GRE make sure you NAIL it by studying! Don't feel pressure to do well, feel pressure to do the best you can do! Do the best you can do by studying.