Chances at Ivies? (Reapplying after a gap year)

Hi guys, I'm a high school senior (international student attending school in the U.S.) and college applications didn't go well for me this year (rejected at all target schools). I'm considering taking a gap year and reapplying to the Ivies. I'm 16 and will be 17 by the time I reapply.
I heard that these schools are very unlikely to accept someone they've previously rejected. I'm pretty sure what had killed my apps is my low GPA from a top competitive high school. I have weak stats, but my ECs and essays were quite good imo. But they could've definitely been better if I had more time.
I'm planning to get better scores on the SATs and APs, get involved with interesting programs and projects, get an internship, make some money, and definitely work with a reliable consultant and put lots of work into the essays.
Do you guys think I stand a chance if I reapply? Has someone on this forum gotten accepted after being rejected once? I'm also gonna apply to some other top schools that I didn't apply to this year - MIT, Stanford, Columbia, Dartmouth, UMich, Oxbridge
I'm kinda not into the idea of transferring. I'm a little young and perhaps not socially mature enough for college, and I also want to go to a top school that offers generous FA packages to internationals.
What do you guys think about taking this gap year? Any insights will be really appreciated :0
Should I apply early to HYP (which I was rejected from this year) or Columbia / MIT in the early round?

 

burningbrownie, hey, look at the bright side, at least you didn't get a ton of monkey shit thrown at you...here is my best guess on threads that might be helpful:

  • Go to Wharton or reapply in 2 years to H/S/W reapplying to business school two years from now. The main reasons are as follows: 1) Change industries now ... within the next month 2) Wharton gave me no financial aid, so I'd be looking at taking out $200k+ in ... in a high paying field such as consulting for at least a few years to pay down my debt before I can ...
  • 30 year-old breaking in at maths and had no clue what I wanted to do next, I enrolled in a five year joint BSc and MSc ... after more rejections than I wish to remember. The following story is not a story of someone from ... one, doesn't pay sufficiently to make a living, reality came knocking after three years of failing ...
  • What kind of ECs should I do to better my chances at applying to target schools like Wharton, Ivies, Stern, etc. for ibanking? I didn't study at all (for that reason). Well, next year when I take the SAT, I want to get at least ... ECs that display leadership and dedication for Ivies regardless. The reason I'm posting here is ... that that's out of the way, let's get to the real stuff. ECs. After researching for a few ...
  • Re-Applying after Rejection getting interviewed again if I re-apply in a year or to? And what if I apply to an international office of ... for a different domestic office. Post MBA I will be heading to a top firm in its industry (not ... consulting) with a great brand name. I attend a top 15 MBA program. Question is simple, what are my chances of ...
  • Wharton or Reapply? out extraversion. A bit about myself. 4 years out of school. Started my career at Deloitte, left to ... side hustle that I am growing in the meantime, should I apply next year? Also, fully expecting the ... I applied to bschool this year (HSW + LBS, Darden & INSEAD). My main goals with an MBA were to ...
  • Low Gpa (3.3) at Ivy for full time next year. Unsure what to do? a Stats major at an Ivy with a poor gpa. The highest I can bring my gpa to is a 3.4 but It's unlikely ... coming semester, I'm working at a F100 doing project management sort of work. I also hold 2 Research ... sure how much it'll help at this point. Does anyone have any advice or guidance? Am I completely ...
  • Yale SOM or Re-apply? GMAT equivalent or 95th percentile) 3 years work experience worked at hedge fund project ... here? 3) If I apply next year, I might have 0 schools. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. Open ... Hi all, Profile: 25-year old Asian Male Transferred from a top 50 undergrad (3.9GPA) to a top 10 ...
  • More suggestions...

Hope that helps.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
Most Helpful

Wait till applications open up. Around August/September. Take a serious look at your application this year vs. last year. Are you a totally new applicant? Are the reasons you were rejected gone or mostly gone? If yes, then consider reapplying. If you haven’t improved that much compared to last year (30 more SAT points, one or two more ECs, and slightly better essays), then you probably won’t cut it. You have to make sure you’re distinguished and you’ve really improved to someone who would be accepted. That said, you could always apply to one or two reaches that you feel you have semi-decent chances at. If you got rejected though, take a look at last years app. Determine why. Fix it, or forget about it. Not trying to put you down I just don’t want you to waste your time, as I ended up applying to way too many reaches and lost sight of what I wanted. If you do end up applying, make sure your essays are fire. They are probably the most important thing for these types of schools given decent ECs and good grades/course rigor. That said, it’s all a lottery my friend. Good luck.

 

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