Have to take 2 years off... Need help!!

[PRE-pt-student]

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So I'm sure I'm in a unique situation here, but I am in a position where I HAVE to take TWO years off after graduating with a Kinesiology degree. Because I'm from South Korea I have to serve in the Korean military for a year and a half and I have decided to do that after graduating from the university I'm currently attending.

NOW my question is: do you guys recommend I apply next summer (I'm entering my junior year this year) and hope that schools would let me defer my acceptance for 2 years? Or should I just apply after I return to the U.S. after I'm done with the military?

* I prefer to apply next application cycle because of circumstances like having to ask PTs and professors for LOR 2 years after I've last seen them.

If you know of anyone like this or have an advice for me, I would very much appreciate it.

THANKS!

 

[jblil]

Good ol' conscription system... I had to endure it, too (but not in Korea).

Call up your target schools and ask them if they give out 2-yr deferments. One-yr deferments are not uncommon, but you better get the answer from the horse's mouth about 2-yr ones. Getting decent LORs would be hard, 2 years from now.

Oh, and good luck with the 18-mo stint in the ROK Army. Hopefully the crazy guy up North won't stir up the pot while you're in.

 

[PRE-pt-student]

Good ol' conscription system... I had to endure it, too (but not in Korea).

Call up your target schools and ask them if they give out 2-yr deferments. One-yr deferments are not uncommon, but you better get the answer from the horse's mouth about 2-yr ones. Getting decent LORs would be hard, 2 years from now.

Oh, and good luck with the 18-mo stint in the ROK Army. Hopefully the crazy guy up North won't stir up the pot while you're in.

You have a strong point, thanks a lot for the advice!

 

[Hinges]

Take online classes. Being in the military is no excuse. I am currently in the military and completed 60 credits in the last year. You won't work more than 12 hours a day I am pretty sure. You can finish up easily while serving for your country.

 

[ptstudent408]

As for getting LORs, my A&P professor wrote me a great LOR 2 years after I took her class. The class was smaller (24 students) so I'm sure that played a part in her remembering me as well, but it is possible to get good recommendations after a couple years.

 

[starrsgirl]

One option for you is to ask for the recommendation now (i.e. have them write it now while you are fresh in their mind) and then ask them to save it (and offer to save it for them). Then you can resend the copy back to them and have them make any edits to it.