Do backlogs and gap years have an impact on your college application?
Posted date: 03 Aug 2022
When a student fails to pass a paper on the first try during their undergraduate or graduate degree, a backlog is created. It would be incorrect to associate a backlog with a failure because most universities allow students to remove their backlogs by retaking the exam. A gap period is a period of time between high school and a bachelor's degree or between a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. Work, travel, preparation for entry tests development, or an emergency may cause this lapse.
Both of these factors can have an impact on your eligibility when applying to international universities. However, this effect does not have to be bad. Before proceeding, it should be reminded that most tier 1 universities in any country will not look favorably on backlogs because they are very competitive and seek people with a strong academic record. This does not rule out the possibility of studying abroad with backlogs, as most universities would consider your whole profile.
While backlogs are costly, they can be offset by excelling in other areas during the undergraduate program. Participate in related tasks, internships, research, and other activities to demonstrate your practical knowledge of the subject. A solid GMAT/GRE score is also important in demonstrating your suitability for the course. Make sure you don't have any active backlogs at the time of your application. If you have active backlogs for whatever reason, you will do so.
It's done in two ways: by counting the number of trials and by counting the number of subjects. In the United Kingdom and the United States, failed topics are regarded as backlogs, regardless of the number of attempts required to pass. Universities in Australia, on the other hand, will consider the number of tries to constitute a backlog. In this situation, if you fail one subject but pass it on the second try, the number of backlogs will be equal to the number of attempts.
What is the maximum number of backlogs that can be tolerated?
Different universities have their own set of restrictions. Private Australian universities accept no more than 7 - 8 backlogs; US, Canadian, and New Zealand universities accept the highest of five backlogs; UK institutions easily admit students with 15 backlogs, and Germany is more lenient on backlog admissions because the country believes in equal access to education for all.
You will be needed to submit a backlog certificate from the institute, which will detail the backlogs and the grades earned in each. Even if you don't have any, the same will be stated on the certificate.
Getting Through Gap Years
Just as you must cautiously justify your backlogs with a good profile, you can also appropriately explain the rationale for the gap year and illustrate how it has benefited you. This will undoubtedly help your chances. Admission officers are more diverse than ever before, taking into account profiles from all walks of life. Indeed, top-ranked institutes around the world actually encourage gap years for profile-building initiatives such as volunteering or acquiring real-world experience prior to enrolling in a program. Medical and family emergencies are taken into account as well.
Posted By
GSP Admin
