<p>I think I've read every post on here about gap years and the thought of doing that is somewhat appealing to us for a couple of reasons. One question we have, though, is if a school is really interested in a student --- I mean, realllllllly interested (they have shown a huge amount of interest so far and been extraordinarily accommodating and helpful and supportive and.... a lot of other adjectives) anyway, if they are hugely interested and ultimately the student decides to do a gap year, will they lose interest? Will they view it as ungrateful or a rejection of them, esp the professor?
Our thinking right now is based on finances as well as the fact that S really has his heart set on Berklee. This other school is a very very very strong second. But if he could take a gap year, he would try for both again (as well as some other schools) and all would basically be "equally in the running"..... We just don't want to mess up how he is viewed at this particular already-interested school. He would also take that time to study intensely, which is a minor factor in the gap year idea for him: he doesn't feel completely ready for jazz and this is a jazz program. He has a natural talent for it, but not a lot of experience (except on his own --- no jazz people around here to play/practice with)</p>
<p>I always figured that gap years should be taken to experience the world in some way, like volunteering to teach kids in Africa, doing road trips across America and Europe, visiting Japan and China, taking a full-time job and getting internships, and everything else that’s supposed to make you a more global, mature, and culturally educated person, not studying.</p>
<p>Maybe he could take a trip to New Orleans and live there for a while, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t just be a summer vacation, not a gap year.</p>