A Gap Year? Maybe?

A Novel Idea

It’s high season for college applications. Students are polishing off college essays, waiting on final test scores, and pushing for that last GPA point. Meanwhile, parents are biting their nails and wrestling with financial aid forms.

So, let’s talk about postponing college.

What? Isn’t that insane?! Not at all. This is the perfect moment to take a deep breath and consider taking a break from school before plunging into the next pressurized step. Now is the time to think about a gap year or semester that allows time and opportunity to refocus, polish skills, explore an interest, or simply, to re-energize.

Gap years are more common in places like the United Kingdom where up to 25 percent of students pursuing higher education take a year off before college. In the United States, that number is closer to 1 percent, according to the nonprofit Higher Education Research Institute. The statistics don’t tell us why students take a year off, but the American Gap Association (AGA) reports an increase in interest and attendance at the gap year fairs held around the country to familiarize students with gap programs.

Why even consider a gap? For starters, researchers in Australia found that taking time out from school helped with motivation once students got back to college. Gap benefits even outweighed benefits from other variables for college success, such as gender and socio-economic status. More than 90 percent of 600 gap students responding to a 2015 AGA survey said their time off from school increased confidence, maturity, communication skills, or the ability to get along with people with backgrounds different from their own.

A gap gives teenagers that important chance to be independent outside of the structure of school and athletics, and away from the watchful eyes of the usual mentors – parents, teachers, and coaches. It can help develop the grit that students need to be independent and resilient once they get to college.

Gaps have become so acceptable that some colleges, such as Princeton, have set up their own fully-funded programs to encourage students to explore themselves and the world before entering college.

Don’t be swayed by some of the myths about “gap years”.

Myth: A gap lasts a year.

Fact: A gap can be of any length that works with your plan. It could be just a semester or a quarter of working and traveling, interning, or participating in a political campaign or community service program. Many colleges offer January start dates as well.

Myth: A gap is exotic.

Fact: Of the students surveyed by AGA, the largest percentage spent their gaps in the United States. A teenager could work, for example, tutoring language skills in a local immigrant center.

Myth: A gap is out of reach financially.

Fact: A student might work part of a year or semester, and then use that money to travel or pay for a structured gap program. Some programs or schools offer financial aid or fellowships. Students can also raise money through crowdfunding to support time off from school.

Myth: A gap is just for kids who are unmotivated or unsure about college.

Fact: All students can benefit from a break to learn more about problem-solving, dealing with conflict, understanding their own limits, managing time, and being responsible for themselves in ways that are so very, very important for freshman year.

If you’re considering taking a “pause” from your studies, go through the college application process and gather information about deferral policies for both academics and financial aid. Complete information will better help you decide if a gap is a practical option. In the meantime, start exploring gap programs and options. Do you want something structured or freewheeling? Do you want to climb a mountain or work with children? Is this a time to work in a lab or volunteer at an animal hospital? Would you like to become fluent in a language, understand the inner workings of health care, or meet decision-makers in Washington, D.C.? You can do all those and more on a gap.

College application season is a stressful time but it’s also the moment to expand your world and think about what you want out of life. Isn’t it worth some time to explore?

– Guest Blog by Marie Schwartz, CEO and founder of TeenLife. Visit the page to learn more about gap year opportunities.