Read on Twitter
Prospective grad students, let’s talk about the gap year! Time off between undergrad and grad school (aka “gap year”) can be beneficial for some people, but it’s not required to get into grad school. My thoughts as #DGS in a science dept. at UIC follow. Your mileage may vary. 1/8
I’ve noticed that some prospective graduate students think that a #gapyear is necessary to be competitive for graduate programs. Gap years have become more common, but you shouldn't view them as a requirement to get into graduate school. 2/8
The majority of students we accept into our program in pharmaceutical sciences at @uicpharm come straight from an undergraduate degree. Rather than being something a graduate program wants from you, a gap year should be more about what you want for yourself: 3/8
If you feel burned out from undergrad or if you feel directionless and need some time away from studies to decide what to do with your career, a gap year can make sense. A gap year may also be a way to address a hole in your academic or research record. 4/8
There are some great programs out there that are geared toward postbacs, like PREPs offered through @NIGMS ( https://bit.ly/3kD3KVr ) and POSTBAC IRTA at @NIH ( https://bit.ly/2UCK1KY ). 5/8
I took three years off between undergrad and grad school. I traveled a lot, learned what I wanted in a career, and started the process of coming out, all of which would have been difficult or impossible if I had gone straight into a graduate program. 6/8
I wouldn’t trade my experiences, but now that I’m well into my career, I see at least one disadvantage to taking time off: those “40 under 40” types of awards are hard to get. (Those awards are unjust for a lot of people, but that’s a different thread!) 7/8
If you know what you want from a grad degree, have a decent academic record, and have some research experience, consider applying directly out of undergrad. If you need to take a break or work on your record, consider a gap year. But don’t feel like you have to to get in. 8/8
