@GoatMama I definitely think you should do the honors of creating that class of 2020 thread. I’ll be happy to be one of the first to post on it.
GoatKid is a child after my own heart! While AppleKid has been living on the sofa over break (but for ongoing athletic training), I went ahead and read the Gatekeepers book AND created a spreadsheet with, wait for it… 68 colleges and universities! Bet that will send you back to ostrich mode! Reading about the early admission success stories of our CC colleagues (congrats and yay to all!!!) has me thinking that early admission/decision is the way to go, which means that this coming summer we should start visiting some of these campuses. DH very nicely but firmly asked that I please not stress out AppleKid with this just yet, but agreed that a little advanced investigation might be worthwhile so as to avoid the craziness of our last-minute BS search.
DD who was accepted ED just let me know that she would like to defer her enrollment and take a gap year. I believe she wants a break from classes, homework and school in general. I let her know she definitely needs to have a plan in place - employment, travel, etc. Also, we will not pay the equivalent of a semester’s tuition for a structured program!
Does anyone here have experience with their kid choosing to take a gap year and opportunities they pursued? Is it commonly done everywhere or just prep/BS schools? It seems to be popular at DD’s school as she gave me several examples of classmates that have done/are doing a gap year.
We are hoping our kid takes a gap year, and they have voiced real interest in it. Burn out from school is a real thing… I would hope my child would pursue college feeling very present, and learning from a place of happiness. I don’t know much about what’s out there so hoping to learn from your inquiry as well. I think that travel is an important part of self reflection and would be a great way to round out kid before resuming education.
My co-worker’s son is currently taking a gap year (LPS student). He did international travel with a group for about 3 months and now is home working. Another friend’s daughter worked at Starbucks for her gap year before going to college. Also from a LPS. Both had an acceptance and deferred from a specific school. I have heard of some kids taking a gap year and (re)applying to college.
@TheStig2 our oldest took a gap year after graduating BS. While it was under different circumstances (he had horrible admissions results, attended college for 2 weeks at a awful match school and came home for a gap year as a result). Here are some of my learnings.
Always secure and defer admissions at a school that will be a good fit for your child if possible prior to taking a gap year. Our son spent a portion of his gap year having to reapply to colleges. This was much more difficult as a former student- his BS was amazingly helpful. He focused on filling in the gaps in his application (taking additional subject tests, completing an online physics course, etc… )The good news is that all 3 schools he applied to- he was accepted at)
Travel: our son was already a seasoned traveler, so have zero interest in this his gap year. He had already spent a summer in the Phillipines shooting a documentary, semester abroad in the Bahamas and traveled across Europe as a graduation gift with friends from BS.
Family and routine: turns out one of the things our son was looking for was to be part of family life. For most of his BS experience we lived 2500 miles away and he felt like he missed out on daily family life with his 3 younger siblings and pets. He really wanted to be a part of our crazy daily family routine. He pitched in running siblings to activities, plowing the driveway after snowstorms and running errands for us. He enjoyed sleeping every night in his own bed and snuggling with his cat.
Work: this is what our son focused on as the main benefit of the gap year. He had argued that no one should ever attend college without having held a proper job. Since he spent so much time at BS, when he was home, we had encouraged him to relax and spend time with family when he was on break. For his gap year, he found a job roasting coffee for a local coffee importer and packing up internet orders. He quickly moved up to running their farmers markets around New England. We watched him thrive in a really unique role. He learned so much during this time. In addition, he met the most interesting people, other vendors and customers. He often came home with delicious food and stories of the craftspeople who made and sold them. His college essays focused on this experience.
Friends: he kept in contact with friends who attended college in a nearby city. He would spend time on their campus and they would take the train up and hang out occasionally on the weekends. He also keep in touch with kids a year younger at his BS and hung out with them as well.
Academics: one of the unexpected challenges after a gap year was getting acclimated to school life again. Our son went on to attend a rigorous engineering school and was not prepared to recall information that he had learned two years prior. Particularly calculus. He also wasn’t in the routine of studying etc… Combine this with large lecture type format classes that were a totally different academic setting and you get a recipe for disaster. He also had unexpected health issues that didn’t help. His first year grades were unimpressive. Fast forward to second year and he is on the Deans honor roll - so once again it all had worked out.
Overall it was such an important experience in our sons journey to adulthood. I always say, follow your child’s lead- so happy we did on a gap year. Our youngest has already expressed as a sophmore she will be taking a gap year. She wants to start college at a normal age (as she was grade skipped) and we fully support it. Good luck with your child’s decision.
We are encouraging our kids to take gap year, with the stipulation that they work for the first half in order to fund the second half, and that they are accepted to a college already so the gap year isn’t spent on applications. I think that as @vegas1 said, some real 9-5 work is a great thing to have under your belt before going off to college. Here is a website that lists a wide range of travel options as a start, she could narrow it down from there: https://www.gooverseas.com/gap-year/adventure-travel
We were very impressed with the format and travel opportunities. We asked if they had a gap year program for adults? They do! Due to an injury last spring, DS’s dream school was in jeopardy and thus we encouraged him to consider a gap-year. As one gap-year alumni presenter noted, “I didn’t know how tired I was until I took a year off working in Africa and Ireland.” This girl had already been accepted to Georgetown before she committed to a gap year. She worked in an orphanage in Africa for two trimesters and then ran a small retain store in Dublin for the last trimester. After her gap year, she returned to GTown for her freshman and sophomore years. Then she took another gap year during what would have been her junior year. We felt the experience would have been life changing and given him a chance to recharge his batteries.
Fast forward to today. DS recovered (somehow) from two knee surgeries and his laser focus has been to simply serve as an officer in the military. A gap year is frowned upon by the service academies and as he says, “you can sleep when you die.” In January he received his appointment to West Point and is still waiting to hear from USNA. Fortunately he received a four-year NROTC scholarship good at Rice U or Vanderbilt. So if he is accepted at one of these schools, Navy is an option. We think he will choose WP and if he does, he will continue to be tired. But make no mistake, it will be life-changing (for all of us).
Thanks @ChoatieMom and @payn4ward! Congrats to ChoatieCadet for his selection to Beast cadre. His selection to the cadre is a high honor, a future leader for sure! Fingers crossed ChoatieCadet is one of the “Cadets in the Red Sash.”
Also, happy to share that DS received a call on Valentine’s Day from our Senator announcing that he had been appointed to the United States Naval Academy. Senator’s office tried to reach DS on his cell at EHS, but he was in class. When I picked up the home phone, I knew why they were calling. It was an unforgettable moment. After I hung up, I was so thrilled for DS I was trembling. This is the call he had been waiting for - for years. Fortunately I did not have to tell him. When he saw the Senator’s missed call, he called them back and received the news.
Despite receiving an appointment to his dream school, he is undecided. West Point, and discussions with some Army Pentagon leaders have really impressed him of recent, so much that USNA isn’t the clear favorite (like it once was). He recognizes his commitment is not the next four years, but possibly the next 10-30. So attending WP or USNA is as important as where he will serve. While there are numerous opportunities in both branches, your first or second choice is not guaranteed and thus you need to understand your downline options. It’s not as simple as land vs. sea, tanks vs. boats, etc. He will start the decision process in earnest tomorrow when he stays overnight at West Point. He’ll attend classes, sleep in the Cadet barracks, and absorb the culture/atmosphere. DW and I will attend an admissions briefing and tour. May 1st is the deadline to decide. Hopefully he doesn’t need until then to make a commitment.
Super big congrats to i70sKid. Exciting times ahead - and so awesome he has a choice! @ChoatieMom’s son loves USMA (by all accounts) but IMHO there is nothing like a guy in a Navy uniform.
Maybe I saw An Officer and a Gentleman too many times?
Wow, that is very impressive, @i70sband – quite an accomplishment! I hope your future officer is very proud of himself! Congrats and best wishes as he decides. I have to second @london203 on the uniform, though.
Marines have the best uniforms, hands down. I told ChoatieKid if he must go to a SA, choose wisely – pick the best uniform. Obviously, he didn’t listen, but I was surprised that his spring/summer uniform is India Whites, so he looks like An Officer and a Gentleman part of the year anyway.
@i70sband: He won’t be “The Cadet in the Red Sash.” Those are firsties (seniors). Enjoy your time at WP.
Decision made. The past few weeks have been ulcer-inducing for DS. USNA or USMA? Helos or fighter jets? Tanks or boats. No subs for sure. Seals or Rangers? Marines? And the comparison went on and on. In the end it came down to gut feel.
DW and I are proud to share that DS has chosen the United States Military Academy at West Point. it’s been a long two year application/appointment/decision process. We are thrilled that this decision is behind him and he can enjoy the final months of school. He graduates 6/3 and reports to Reception (“R”) Day on 7/3. No rest for the weary. Cheers to all who have made a decision!
