Worth taking a gap year for Western?

I got rejected from both BMOS and BMOS CAM at Western, and honestly it’s been pretty hard to accept.
Right now I’m thinking about taking a gap year and reapplying for Fall 2027 because Western is where I really wanted to go. The thing that’s holding me back is that I feel like the experience won’t be the same anymore.

I was looking forward to starting university with everyone else my age, living the first-year experience, making friends, joining clubs, going to parties, and just starting that chapter of life together. If I take a gap year, I’ll be watching everyone move on while I’m still waiting, and by the time I start they’ll already be in second year.

For anyone who took a gap year and then started university, did you still feel like you got the full experience? Did being a year older make any difference socially, or did nobody really care?

Also, if anyone has successfully reapplied to Western after taking a gap year, I’d love to hear what you did to strengthen your application.