Schools I'm forced to take a gap before uni, how will it affect me?

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An 18-year-old high school graduate with a strong academic background in science and engineering is concerned about the impact of a 16-month gap due to mandatory military service on his university admission prospects. He has been accepted to several UK universities, including Durham, Birmingham, Lancaster, and Nottingham, and is seeking advice on whether these institutions will prepare him for prestigious graduate programs. The discussion emphasizes that taking a gap year is generally acceptable for UK universities, which often allow deferral for such reasons. Additionally, it is suggested that top universities in the US are likely to understand the context of mandatory military service, and it is recommended to check individual university policies regarding gap years. Resources for university policies on gap years are provided for further guidance.
FlyingPhysicist
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Hi. I am an 18-year-old guy who graduated HS last July with an average of 88%. I studied AP Physics C, AP Calculus AB and took a uni-level class in Energy physics, among other science and engineering related courses like Java programming, Autocad and Inventor. I Also worked with my country's national space agency, got interviewed on TV for my HS graduation project and reached the finals of the largest science fair in my country. But now I have to take a 1 year and 4 months gap before I am able to continue my education because of my country's obligatory military service program. I was wondering if taking such a long gap would affect my chances of getting into a good university because now I feel that all the hard work I put in would be discredited by top universities because of the large gap I'm forced to take.
I was also wondering if it matters where I study physics as an undergrad given that I wish to continue into grad school after my bachelors.

I got admitted to the following universities in the UK so far and was wondering if they would qualify me to get into a prestigious grad school.
1. Durham University
2. University of Birmingham
3. Lancaster University
4. University of Nottingham

I plan to apply to other schools in Canada and the US next year too, so if you could recommend me good institutions I would greatly appreciate it.

Sorry for the long post, and thank you very much in advance.
 
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Taking a year out should not be a problem for most UK universities. Normally they will allow you to defer entry for a year.
 
CWatters said:
Taking a year out should not be a problem for most UK universities. Normally they will allow you to defer entry for a year.
What about top universities in the US?
 
I would suspect that most places will understand if your country has a mandatory military service requirement.
 

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