Applying to college after graduating from high school?

[Mépris]

Education down here consists of 13 years of schooling and often, after the first five years of secondary school (post GCSE/iGCSE/O-Level), students choose to complete the remaining two years at a separate institution. My case is a little different. I started year 12 at the same school but due to some "unusual circumstances" (not going to get into this), I had to complete my thirteenth year elsewhere. While I think I can get relatively good grades (As and Bs) this time 'round, I don't want to go to college immediately. There's other things I intend on doing first and would like to take a "gap year" before applying. How should I go about this? Can teachers from either of the schools I've been to write the recommendation letters?

Also, has anyone here who's done A-Levels applied to college in the US?

 

[Mépris]

I take it no one has or knows anyone who didn't go to college right after high school? I want to get a job and work for a while first. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Clever-Name]

People do this all the time. I'm not sure what you're worried about. Just don't apply to college right away. Take the year off, work, and during that year off apply at the appropriate time to college. No-one is expecting you to jump straight into college after high school, it definitely isn't a requirement and it definitely won't deter your future chances of getting in.

 

[Mépris]

People do this all the time. I'm not sure what you're worried about. Just don't apply to college right away. Take the year off, work, and during that year off apply at the appropriate time to college. No-one is expecting you to jump straight into college after high school, it definitely isn't a requirement and it definitely won't deter your future chances of getting in.

I see. I felt pretty concerned because I'm not all that familiar with the US system In application forms that were available, I always saw mentions of "teacher and principal/counselor recommendations" and since I won't even be in school, I was wondering how I should go about that.

Can I ask from recommendations from teachers from both schools? Say, humanities teacher rec from one school and science from the other? I don't really know how much "freedom" there is with regards to this.

 

[Angry Citizen]

Can't hurt to ask. Just call the schools, get in touch with the teachers, and ask.

 

[sweetpotato]

Tell the teachers/guidance counselors you would like letters from that you plan to work for a year before college, and ask if they would still be willing to write letters of recommendation for you. It is pretty common for students to do a "gap year", so it probably won't be a problem.

 

[Mépris]

Can't hurt to ask. Just call the schools, get in touch with the teachers, and ask.

Tell the teachers/guidance counselors you would like letters from that you plan to work for a year before college, and ask if they would still be willing to write letters of recommendation for you. It is pretty common for students to do a "gap year", so it probably won't be a problem.

Thank you.

I was under the impression that it was really "srs business". So, that's good news for me. I actually had five month stint in an IB school and I think that my English teacher there would be more likely to write a positive recommendation for me. Same goes for the guidance counsellor (they actually had one, heh) of that school.