More Questions

Will taking a year out cause problems with getting into Higher Education?

It shouldn’t if you use your time constructively and you check with your course admissions tutors to see what their views are.

You will need to think about:

Whether admissions tutors for the courses that interest you view a year out in a positive light.
How you will explain your year out plans on your UCAS form.

If I'm taking year out, what's the system for applying to university?

If you’re planning to take a year out, your application options are as follows:

You can apply to UCAS in autumn 2010 for deferred entry in 2012. Check the prospectus or contact the course admissions tutors to see if deferred applications will be considered. Also, use your UCAS application form to explain your year out plans. Individual departments may limit the number of deferred applications they accept in order to be fair to the following year’s applicants.
Alternatively, if you don’t originally apply for a deferred entry but later decide you would like to take a year out contact the admissions tutors direct to see if they will allow it.
Some students decide to take a year out first and then apply to UCAS during their gap year. Others, post-results, find themselves having to do this. If you are applying to university during a year out,you will need to think carefully about the timing of any plans for overseas work or travel - will they clash with applications, interviews or offers?

Do employers value time spent on a year out?

A survey by AGR, a group of the UK’s leading graduate recruiters, has fully endorsed taking a year out as a way of equipping graduates with vital skills like communication, problem solving, decision making and relationship building. In the study called ‘Time Well Spent’, over 80% of recruiters agreed that applicants with these skills would find it easier to progress through their employing organisation in the longer term.

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