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Should You Consider Taking a Gap Year Before College?

If you’re a high school student now, it’s probably hard for you to remember a time when you weren’t in school. A repeating cycle of homework, tests, summer break, and repeat is all too familiar. Then by your last year in high school, you’re expected to be able to articulate your 4-step plan on how you will change the world in a 650-word personal statement (or at least that’s what it feels like). Yet, that’s hardly covered in Geometry class. Still, you’ve taken your APs, your ACTs, your SATs, and all the acronyms. That means you’re ready for college, right?  For more and more students, taking a gap year before college is an appealing option.

Over 80 accepted Harvard students in any given year decide they want to go to college, but not yet. They are doing the unexpected and taking a gap year before college to go study marine biology in Thailand or intern at an architecture firm. I bet a good number of students would find that appealing.

On the other hand, try looking past the initial attractiveness of these unusual pursuits. Remember that the college application is a very personal process, and the decision to take a year off is no exception. Successful sabbatical year stories will vary in motivation, location, and activities. However, there are a few general questions to ask yourself to determine if taking a gap year before college is the option for you. Check them out!

What are the benefits of a gap year?

Some of the potential gains from a gap year are abstract but significant. In other words, no one will be quizzing you or assigning a grade at the end of the year (probably) but you could come out of the experience with a sense personal growth and confidence that is rare in a college freshman.

• Experiential knowledge: A big drive for taking a year off for many students is the desire to learn “outside of the classroom,” and explore the world around them, whether that’s their neighborhood or a whole different country.
• Avoiding burnout: Harvard has a whole article related to this idea on their admissions website. In the hypercompetitive atmosphere of college admissions, admissions officers want to let you know that needing a “time out” is okay, and even beneficial for some students.
• Enhanced worldview: Ideally your time off will expose you to different people and lifestyles, and you’ll be better informed about the world.
• Maturity and Confidence: For many students, this will be the first time they’ll gain real independence. The obstacles and the choices you’ll make will teach you valuable lessons about yourself.
• Career and Academic direction: As you learn about yourself, you’ll be better equipped to answer, to yourself and others, what you want to get out of college and your career.

What should you do during a gap year?

So you want all those awesome results from the previous section? If you’re considering taking a gap year before college, read the following examples of activities students pursue in their time off.

• Volunteer: There are a plethora of opportunities for volunteering both in the US and abroad. Consider how thrilled organizations are when students can help in a greater capacity, and also how much deeper you can learn about the organization and its cause. If you’re cost-savvy you can consider organizations like Americorps and City Year, which cover living expenses and even give you money towards your college expenses at the end of your service!
• Internship: Get a sneak peek into the “working world”! This valuable experience could help for networking, future opportunities, or even just to refine your career interests.
• Deeply explore an interest: Have you ever wanted to learn to tap dance but never found the time between classes and tests? Or maybe take ceramics lessons? Learn Arabic? Pick an interest and really take the time to explore it so you have something to show for it at the end of the year.
• Work: Either because it’s in your area of interest or because you need to finance your trip to Asia, admissions officers see work as a valuable experience.
• Combination: One year is a long time and in most cases, students who have taken a gap year will have a combination of the previous activities.

When is a gap year NOT a good idea?

The obvious reason to not take a year off before college will sound a lot like your parents: “You’ll just watch TV and play video games.” But there are other reasons why a gap year might not be for you.

• You don’t have a clear intention. While your sabbatical year doesn’t need to be scheduled to the hour, you should have an idea as to what you’ll be doing. In fact, this “break” actually takes plenty of planning ahead.
• To try to get into a “better” school next cycle. This is a risky strategy because the college admissions process is molded for high school graduates. The academic part of the college admissions process is based on your high school record and you can’t predict how your gap year experience would influence the rest of your application.
• You don’t have any plans that excite you. What you do in your gap year should be genuinely and all-over what YOU want to do. Not what your friends or your parents tell you to do. Think of it as a pilgrimage to a wiser you.

What do schools think of gap years?

So, many schools actually love ‘em. I’ve already mentioned Harvard, but other big names like Princeton and UNC offer scholarships for students taking a year off. Tufts University 1+4 Bridge Program is one of the more structured options out there and it offers need based financial aid during your gap year. Some like NYU and Middlebury have formal guidelines for deferring. It’s not standard across the board, though, so you’ll need to look into schools individually.

How do you prepare for a gap year?

• Do your research. As I stressed earlier, a gap year is not something that just comes together. It takes a lot of time and effort to find the opportunities that will make your year off really valuable. If you think you might be interested in taking a gap year before college, start exploring your options early. You can attend one of Gap Year USA’s fairs or read through the American Gap Association’s list of major schools and their gap year policies.
• Apply to college as you normally would. That way, you’ll have something waiting for you when you come back. As I mentioned above, many schools are supportive of gap years and have set protocols.
• Defer your admission early. Many schools have May 1 deadlines to declare your intention to take a gap year. This means anything from filling out a form to writing to a letter of intent. Check with your school.
• Find funding. Formal gap year programs are costly, up to $30,000 according to this TIME article. Consider getting a part-time job, fundraising, or looking for scholarships. Many times, this will become an adventure in itself!

To sum up, taking a gap year before college can be an irreplaceable opportunity in which you come back more mature and sure of your path. If you decide that decision is right for you, then make it your own and good luck!