should i take a gap year?

revising2007

i really want to do a solicitor degree apprenticeship but i need to have a strong application. i don’t have any work experience/ skills to cater for that. i don’t know if university is for me as i don’t want to be in debt. my heart is set on doing a degree apprenticeship but it is so hard to get into ( 1 in 300 applicants to put it into perspective) and there’s so much competition. is it worth taking a gap year so i can apply again with much more experience? i don’t know if it’s even worth applying to the 40+ firms if it’s unlikely i will get accepted due to how competitive and how poor my application will be compared to other candidates. i cant even get into a prestigious university as the ones in london have enhanced gcse requirements and i unfortunately have poor gcses. what would you do in my position?