Hi —-
At the very beginning of exploring gap year for child who is bright — but issues with anxiety and motivation are a concern for how well she would do if she started college next year or how she would get through the application process in one piece this year.
Any advice on how to proceed to 1) sell the idea and 2) come up with a plan that would be fun, educational, restorative.
She likes science, baking, music/voice.
There are endless gap year programs and possibilities. The Gap Year Association, www.gapyearassociation.org, is a good starting place. Google Gap Year and baking etc. and tons of potential ideas will pop up.
My daughter graduated in 2021 and is presently on a gap year, committing to a school and deferring until fall of 2022. My advice is to go through the application process and as you identify schools that your daughter may wish to attend - look at their deferral policy. Most schools allow a one-year deferral if you have a general outline of what you intend to do over the course of your gap year.
Some schools, like Florida State and University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (though UNC’s deadline is in two days I believe) have programs that will grant you money to use towards your gap year.
Having your school choice locked in would certainly allow your daughter to concentrate more on her gap year journey, particularly the restorative part. It will be more difficult to apply to school while on a gap year, interacting with her former high school, obtaining transcripts and recommendations etc., than just handling it now. Trying to do it during a gap year is not going to be restorative or help with any anxiety.
Check out the Gap Year Radio podcast - it interviews various gap year service professionals and students who have take gap years. Interesting to listen to.
The general advice I’ve heard over and over is to divide the gap year up into different phases, and move gradually towards more independence in each phase.
How to sell the idea? It is not a difficult sell. The current high school kids have had a disruptive educational experience. A year exploring your interests without the pressure of academics and grades is an attractive possibility after graduation. You explore the possibilities of a gap year as you go through the college application process. Here is one more possibility for you to consider.