Do Backlogs And Gap Years Affect Your Study Abroad Plans

Do backlogs and gap years affect your study abroad plans: Indian students who are looking to study abroad should know what backlogs and gap years are. Backlogs are subjects you were not able to pass/complete in your degree on the first attempt, and gap years are the breaks you took between two academic degrees because of reasons like family situations, travel, entrance exam preparations, etc. Backlogs, visas, and gap years have an impact on your study abroad plans whether it is in the US, Canada, UK, or Australia. We will discuss this in the article. This article evaluates how backlogs and gap years can affect your plans of studying abroad. Read the complete article to learn more about affects of backlogs and gaps for admission to top study abroad universities.

This Story also Contains

1. What are backlogs in studies?
2. What is a gap year?
3. Do backlogs and gap years affect your study abroad plans?
4. Does gap affect visa?
5. Does backlog affect admission in UK?
6. Does backlog affect admission in Canada?
7. Does backlog affect admission in USA?
8. Does gap year affect MBA placements?
9. How can you balance your backlogs?
10. How can you justify your gap years?
11. How are backlogs counted?
12. Destinations accepting backlogs

What are backlogs in studies?

Basically, a backlog is an exam in your academic degree that you could not pass in the first attempt. If you decide to drop a course or do not appear for a particular subject in a particular semester, that also can be considered a backlog. In order to clear that backlog, you have to necessarily appear for that particular course the next time so that you can obtain an all-clear degree from the university. In case you were absent in a particular exam due to a genuine reason like sickness, accident, or any other, do inform your institution so that they mention” absent” in the score section of the course and not “zero”. A “zero” in the score column would mean a backlog and not “absent”.

What is a gap year?

A gap between two academic degrees is known as a gap period or gap years. There could be many reasons for a gap year. It could be work, travel, preparation for entrance exams/skill development, or an emergency. Gap years can have an impact if you intend to work or study abroad.

Popular exams to study abroad:

Do backlogs and gap years affect your study abroad plans?

Both gap years and backlogs can have an impact on your candidature when you are applying to foreign universities for further studies, but not necessarily in a negative way. While it is important to understand that tier 1 universities do not consider gap years and backlogs favourably as they are highly competitive and look for candidates who have had a flawless academic record. While it is true that tier 1 universities prefer students with a clean history, it is not that you do not have a chance at studying abroad just because you have had backlogs or gap years. Many universities do not look at backlogs and gap years and just consider the overall profile of a student. So consider will backlogs affect studying abroad before making your university application.

More importantly, gap years do not appear in the final mark sheet if you clear all your backlogs before the final examination. However, backlogs affect CGPA because even if you have cleared your backlogs, it will not reflect in your CGPA.

Does gap affect visa?

You can easily cover up for the gap year when applying for a student visa by providing experience certificates, medical certificates, proof of participation, course certificates, etc. If you are wondering if does gap year affects visa applications, then there is a way out of this situation.

Acceptable gap for studying in the USA

Does backlog affect admission in UK?

Yes, backlogs can affect admission in UK for international students. However, it depends on the extent of the effects may vary depending on several factors. Generally, UK universities accept up to 15 backlogs for international students. The range may slightly differ for top-ranked UK universities. The overall academic record can be affected to a great extent. Students must note that no UK universities accept students with active backlogs. Try to clear all your backlogs before applying to the university.

Does backlog affect admission in Canada?

Yes, the number of backlogs can adversely affect the acceptance of international students who wish to study in Canada. Generally, Canada universities are less flexible for international students with single or multiple backlogs. Every university has its own limit for accepting backlogs. Generally, up to 5 backlogs for international students are accepted by the Canada medical colleges. However, students who have backlogs in core subjects are likely to be rejected from top MBBS universities in Canada. Students who are applying for MBBS in Canada must explain their backlogs with legitimate reasons to get consideration from top colleges in Canada.

Does backlog affect admission in USA?

Although, having backlogs does not necessarily define disqualification for USA medical universities. However, international students with backlogs can be affected to a great extent while applying for USA top medical colleges. Generally, USA MBBS universities prefer candidates with no backlogs. However, many universities show flexibility in enrolling international students with single or multiple backlogs. The number of backlogs and the subjects related to them are the major determinants of the student’s admission decision to USA medical colleges.

Does backlog affect CGPA?

Yes, backlogs can affect the overall CGPA of students. The impact is dependent on the number of backlogs. Students with backlogs are generally considered failed while calculating the overall CGPA initially. However, students who score well in their retake exams have the chance to increase their overall grades.

Does gap year affect MBA placements?

Yes, gap can affect MBA placements for international students. However, the extent of the affect may be variable. A few important factors determining the affect of gap for MBA placements are as follows:

• Some universities have their own minimum CGPA requirements. Students must qualify for the same to apply for those institutions.

• A strong academic profile can reduce the chances of rejection from top study abroad universities.

• Students with multiple years of gaps and backlogs are considered incapable of standing heavy workloads by many universities and recruiters.

• A good reason explaining the gap period may reduce the overall stress to a great extent.

How can you balance your backlogs?

While it is true that backlogs do have an adverse effect on your profile, there are ways by which you can balance the effects of backlogs. Engage in projects, internships, research, etc. related to the backlog subject and increase and showcase your practical skills in that particular subject. Also, prepare well for your GMAT/GRE, whichever one you are planning to take. A good GMAT/GRE score works really well for your profile building. Also, ensure there are no active backlogs when you are applying for a particular university. In case you have an active backlog during your university application, you will receive a conditional offer letter and your admission confirmation will depend on clearing your backlog before starting the said program.

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How can you justify your gap years?

You can very well justify your gap years with activities that promote profile building like practical experience, volunteer activities, etc, You can also justify your gap years with reasons pertaining to medical or family emergencies. Having said this, an important point to be noted is that tier 1 universities mostly consider candidates who do not have backlogs or gap years unless they are able to back it up with a strong profile. Another way out is to look for tier 2 or tier 3 universities that do consider students with gap years or backlogs. Also, looking out for private universities is a more viable option than public universities as private universities give more consideration to students with gap years or backlogs.

How are backlogs counted?

The way backlogs are counted varies with each institution. While some consider the number of attempts to clear a subject you have failed in as backlogs, others will take into account the number of subjects you have failed in to calculate the number of backlogs.

Australia considers the number of attempts as backlogs while the US and the UK consider the number of subjects as backlogs.

Destinations accepting backlogs

The UK and New Zealand are some of the study gap acceptable countries. These are some of the lenient countries that accept students who have a gap year history. You can make it to a British or a New Zealand university on the basis of a strong profile even if you have had gap years in the past.

There is no denying that backlogs and gap years do affect your study abroad plans. However, there is a way to get around them so that you can still pursue your dreams to study abroad.