I took eight months (the summer and the fall semester) off before starting my graduate program. Needed to make $ to pay for what the graduate assistantship wouldn't cover. I ended up taking a heavy load of classes for three semesters, plus doing extra coursework and practicums during two summers, in order to finish in 18 months. I was exhausted at the end. In hindsight, I wish I'd gone straight from undergrad to graduate school and paced my program over two full years.
Now it's generally not possible to start mid-year in my major. Most, if not all the programs I'm aware of, are lock-step. You start in the Fall, and follow a prescribed set of courses and practicums/internships/externships.
In your shoes, I think that what I would be asking myself is " Is this going to affect any future opportunities?"
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