Gap Year?

Hello there, I am not sure of where you heard this but it could not be further from the truth. It is actually very common in the US to take gap years, precisely to grow in extracurriculars, interests and develop new abilities or even just travel. I took this statement from US news (an accredited news organization.) They said this “ The Gap Year Association, an Oregon-based nonprofit that helps students access gap year opportunities, estimates that on average, between 40,000 and 60,000 students take a gap year each academic year. That number rose to an estimated 130,000 students during the 2020-2021 school year, according to the organization.” My American cousin took a gap year just last year to learn a new language and focus on community service projects and got into Duke this year! I would not worry about this and instead use the opportunity to grow and focus on what you want. I hope this helps!