Should You Consider Taking a Gap Year Before College?

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.

Every year, some admitted students at highly selective colleges decide they want to go to college, but not yet. Harvard even encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, work, or pursue a special project. [1] 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!

Benefits of a Gap Year Before College

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’s admissions office has written about this idea, noting that taking time off helps some students avoid burnout and arrive at college ready to make the most of it. 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. You can also consider national service programs such as AmeriCorps and City Year.
• 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, perhaps as a passion project, so you have something to show for it at the end of the year.
• Work: Whether the job connects to your interests or simply helps you support yourself, 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 year. 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. Princeton runs the Novogratz Bridge Year Program, a nine-month program in which incoming first-year students live with host families and study the local language at one of several international sites. [2] Many other colleges have formal guidelines for deferring. It’s not standard across the board, though, so you’ll need to look into schools individually.

How to Request a Deferral

Most gap year students apply to college during senior year, commit to a school, and then ask that school to defer their enrollment for a year. Policies vary, so read your college’s deferral rules as soon as you are admitted. Common requirements include:

• A written request: Many schools ask for a short form or letter explaining what you plan to do during the year.
• An enrollment commitment: Schools usually expect you to accept your offer and confirm enrollment before your deferral is approved.
• Limits on coursework: Some colleges restrict full-time study elsewhere during your year off. Harvard, for example, does not allow deferred students to enroll as degree or diploma candidates at another university or secondary school during their interval year. [1]
• A promise not to apply elsewhere: Many colleges ask deferred students not to apply to other schools during the gap year.

If your plans change after you defer, contact the admissions office right away. Keep copies of every approval so your spot is secure when you return.

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. Start with the gap year and deferral pages on each college’s admissions website, and talk to your school counselor about programs students from your school have used.
• 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 ask you to request a deferral around the time you commit to enroll, often by early May. This means anything from filling out a form to writing to a letter of intent. Check with your school.
• Plan your logistics. Map out where you will live, how you will support yourself, and how you will stay in touch with your college. Many times, this planning 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!

Make the Most of Your Gap Year

A year off before college is most meaningful when it is planned with purpose. With guidance from InGenius Prep’s admissions experts, you’ll learn how to frame your experiences and present a compelling narrative to top schools.

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