Not going to grad school directly

[Mépris]

Is not going to grad school, right after undergrad, going to hurt one's chances at getting into any graduate program at some other point in the future?

I think I would want to go (maths/physics/stats) but I would like to teach for a few years first.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I started grad school a year and a half after I graduated, and I think that helped. It let my application get one more term of grades in. I worked in the days, and spent the evenings studying, so I smoked the GRE.

As the gap gets longer, I would be more and more worried. You are getting more distant from the material, you're becoming a more distant memory in the people writing your recommendations, and frankly, it's easy to get used to things like money and free time, neither of which is plentiful in grad school.

 

[Mépris]

Reasonable points. At least, now I know it's possible to do that.

Well, can one not just use recommendation letters that were written at the time of graduation a year or two after?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Well, you don't get to hold on to (or even read) the letters. A year is not a problem. But the longer it goes, the more likely that the professor has misplaced them, or has retired, or whatever. But if you don't apply right away, the letters won't even exist, and memories fade.

 

[Mépris]

I understand. It does make sense that the writers should be sending those directly.

I appreciate your input. Thank you.