Gap Year - Taking a year off before college

Parents Forum
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<p>Our 17 year old daughter, a senior in high school, is in the throes of applying to colleges. At the same time, she's also thinking that taking a year off, a "gap year" before starting college, might be good for her. Part of me agrees with her. I think it would be good for her to live away from home and give her time and talents to those less fortunate. She's very bright and already very mature, but I think a year away from hard core academics and contemplating her own navel would open new horizons for her.</p>

<p>Ideally, she would like to go off and teach/volunteer/do research in Cambodia or Ghana or India. Realistically, we can't afford to spend $10K for her to go off on such an adventure when we know we'll have to pay for college the following year. </p>

<p>I've read about Americorps, where people participate in a program that provides housing, food, uniforms, and the opportunity to apply for $ to be used for college after completing the program. Are there other programs that don't cost and arm and a leg that allow young people to perform volunteer work, provide housing in the community where they're working, and perhaps meals or a stipend to cover food costs? </p>

<p>I'd like to hear from other parents whose children are considering or have taken a gap year before college. In what programs did they participate? What are the costs? Where did they work/volunteer? For what period of time? Do you feel the gap year was worthwhile? Are there any programs you would recommend or not recommend?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>I've heard nothing but good things about Americorps, but I can also think doing something overseas is broadening in other ways. I was lucky that my parents were able to send me to a program in France for a year before I started college. I lived with a French family and went to a program for learning French. I was fluent by the end of the year and audited courses at the local university. I was able to take advanced French courses in college. Even though I'd actually grown up in a lot of foreign countries, living in a culture as a opposed to being part of the diplomatic community is very different. I thought it was well worth it, and I went to college with new interests and some different thoughts about academics. </p>

<p>I don't know if this would fit your bill, but my nephew was going to do this, but had to get a knee operation instead: [url=<a href="http://www.wwoof.org/%5DWWOOF"&gt;http://www.wwoof.org/]WWOOF&lt;/a> Independents - home page<a href="Willing%20Workers%20on%20Organic%20Farms">/url</a></p>

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<p>what about 2 gap years? Is it too long? I'm taking the second gap year, and so worried about how much it may affect my chance of being admitted :( even though I have my own reasons for doing so :( have you ever heard or met anyone taking 2 years off but still got in?</p>

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<p>I think gap years are wonderful. My son deferred admission for a year and came with us to Switzerland where we were on an academic sabbatical. He used our apartment as a base for his own travels, worked (without pay) in a research lab in Germany, and really enjoyed a break from a very intense high school experience. He is now a freshman in college. Be sure to consider health insurance coverage; most companies drop kids who are not full-time students and COBRA coverage is very expensive (it was for us).</p>

<p>I didn't take a break and went to college right after high school. I shouldn't have, however. After a year and a half in college, where my priorities were socializing and not academic, I withdrew. I spent the following 5 years working and traveling and returned to college when I was ready to be there for the right reasons.</p>

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<p>S, 19, took a gap year last year, volunteering for Americorps and living at home. It was an excellent experience for him, a person who always loved to volunteer. He learned a great deal about himself and his talents, learned much more about what he wanted out of college, and also developed and honed some skills like time management, grant writing, making presentations and organizing events that will serve him well for a lifetime.</p>

<p>He's a college freshman now, and is handling things very well. He is already demonstrating leadership in some clubs in areas that interest him, takes good advantage of campus offerings like guest lecturers, etc. and is doing very well in his classes. I'm visiting him at parents weekend now, and was very interested to meet a friend of his who described him as the guy "who's always studying in the library". Considering he's a very smart young man who almost didn't graduate from h.s. due to severe senioritis, seems like his gap year has paid off for him in many ways.</p>

<p>About js's question about 2 gap years: Having 2 years off won't hurt you as long as you were making productive use of your time meaning doing more than sitting home and being a couch potato. Two productive years off could strengthen your application. </p>

<p>OP, if your D wants to go abroad during her gap year, she could work fulltime for a while during her gap year to raise the money to go abroad. Both experiences would be broadening. Personally, I think that students learn a great deal about the world by funding their own gap year adventures.</p>

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<p>I took a gap year. I mainly travelled/volunteered independently, but used some shorter term (about 1 month) programs - Global Crossroad, Living Routes, Volunteers for Peace, Habitat for Humanity...</p>

<p>Volunteers for Peace is a great resource, really the only one of the bunch that I would recommend. It partners up with hundreds of programs all over the world. Most are short-term "work camps", (which cost about $200), but there are long-term volunteer opportunities that cost the same amount (it varies by program, but they usually always include full room and board, and often some form of insurance and other perks). I've had amazing experiences with their partner organizations, and it's much more affordable than most other programs. I suggest you browse their "2007 all camps archives" to get an idea of what they offer: <a href="http://vfp.vtweb.com/all_camps/vfpsearch.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://vfp.vtweb.com/all_camps/vfpsearch.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Anyways, I think gap years tend to be great things. There are also some colleges which offer Spring admission, for people who want just 6 gap months.</p>

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<p>Be aware that if you have 2 or more in school, and need financial aid, your EFC will increase with only one in college. I'd also recommend applying now for college and deferring for a year. In our experience this was only available at LAC, but is far easier to assemble an application while still in HS than from overseas. If you're not sure about deferrals, ask admissions offices, as they don't always post that info on their websites.</p>

<p>Our experience? Rotary exchanges. Cheaper than some, but not a work program. You'd have to apply now, if the deadline in your district hasn't already passed.</p>

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<p>I agree 100% with Great lakes mom. Going abroad is not going to help your D find the right college and is going to make the applications so much more complicated. Moreover,a seventeen year old girl is............. seventeen. Is she mature enough to cope with humanitarian work far away and for a long period of time? how protected has she been at home? Learning a language is great if she has the right infrastructure behind her such as a decent family willing to integrate her. There are great Erasmus programs here in Europe, namely in Spain, but most of the kids are older, and there is a lot of drink and drugs (and sex). Most colleges now offer a junior year abroad: are you willing to pay twice for basically the same thing?</p>

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<p>I think the only way to manage an overseas gap year is to file the applications during senior year to those colleges that will tolerate "deferred admission" -- and go off knowing you've got that to come home to. It's nearly impossible to be writing essays from a third-world country, and the parent would end up coordinating too much from home-base administratively.</p>

<p>Check on each school for their policy re: deferred admission, and do not assume. If their website is silent on it, phone the admissions dept. </p>

<p>Have you considered volunteer work on a kibbutz in Israel? Some people say it's not their cup of tea, while for others it's just right because you're sending someone to a community, so the kibbutz families will watch out for her in some ways. The work is very everyday and plain (agriculture, working in the kibbutz laundry...) but it's interesting to live among other families who choose to live in a cooperative setting. Teens in Israel have a lot of freedom of movement, go to clubs and so on. They go to army before college, so other Israeli kids her age won't all be talking about college, which is perhaps a refreshing change. They have as their next step the army, so that's where they go off to mature rather than at college. Army wouldn't concern her
at all, so she could really forget about college talk for the year she's in Israel if she'd already been accepted during her senior year for a Deferred Admission somewhere back in the USA.</p>

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<p>Given the maturity and adjustments that living abroad requires, I would be very leery of sending most students for a full year gap year abroad. Most students and adults in general would have a lot of trouble adjusting to even a few weeks abroad doing volunteering, etc. I speak from the perspective of someone who has done that.</p>

<p>Consequently, I do think it would be more reasonable for her to work first to raise the money and to increase her independence and maturity. Then, she could use her savings to spend a month or more abroad. </p>

<p>My experience with S's gap year was that he learned a great deal about himself, his strengths and interests, and for that reason it's good that he hadn't committed beforehand to a college. He's now happily at a college that he applied to in Feb. of his gap year By then, he knew what he wanted in a college, and the college he selected was very different than were most of the colleges that he had considered as a h.s. senior.</p>

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<p>Thanks to all of you who wrote. After reading your posts and talking to friends and colleagues, we're encouraging D to plan on starting college next year and taking time during spring/winter/summer breaks and junior year abroad to broaden her horizons. D and her dad are off on a college visit right now, and she just called home filled with enthusiasm about the schools she's visited and the people she's met. Back to worrying about how to pay for school next year....</p>

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<p>Vic, I think it's possible to pursue two paths simultaneously: apply to colleges and explore gap year options. Most colleges and universities -- even and especially the most selective ones -- actually encourage acceptees to defer admission for a year, see the world, do some good, pick up language skills, mature a bit.</p>

<p>Your daughter can make her final decision when her acceptances come in. If she doesn't like her options she can always do the gap year and reapply with the experience on her resume.</p>

<p>The Gap Year is really more like 15 months so it's best to split it into 3 or 4 segments devoted to different themes, like volunteering, language study, adventure, pure travel and a few months at menial labor paying for the rest. If she does plan to apply or re-apply during her gap year it's best to put the most challenging and interesting experiences on the front end.</p>

<p>If you're only dealing with 3-4 month periods you can follow different routes e.g., a few months of independent travel, a few months with an organized group, a few months with a volunteer organization.</p>

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<p>Just be sure to check that any colleges she's applying to this year are positive towards "deferred admisssions" (gap year) and you can pursue both simultaneously.</p>

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<p>Also, if finances are an issue, make sure any merit money she may be eligible for will still be available if she takes a gap year. My D has a merit award that required her to start college the fall after graduating HS.</p>

<p>I think a gap year can be a great idea - many students in England do it. Of course they do not have to worry about being dropped from their parents medical insurance like we do here.</p>

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<p>Vic1960-- for what its worth, here's a thread I started a while back containing links to a bunch of articles on gap years:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/391814-gap-year-more-taking-them-recent-articles-subject.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/391814-gap-year-more-taking-them-recent-articles-subject.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>I'm copying and pasting this (my own post) from a previous thread about gap years:</p>

<p>Generally, it is easier if you apply to colleges before taking your gap year, so that you don't have to worry about that during your year abroad. Most colleges are very open to students taking gap years, and will allow you to defer your enrollment until the following year. You will probably be asked to give them an outline of what you are going to do so that they can approve it. </p>

<p>If you decide not to apply to colleges this year, however, you must be very organized when you actually do get around to it. Give all your teachers the recommendation forms and everything very early in the fall; since you will no longer be a student at the high school, you will be asking a very big favor of them. Try to complete as much of the application(s) as possible BEFORE you leave on your great adventure, especially if you don't plan on returning for an extended period of time in December. </p>

<p>There are many great options for volunteer work abroad. If you have the money, and feel that you need someone to help you plan out and make the most of your gap year, and there are advisors who can be hired for a fee. Generally, directors of these consulting services are very experienced and have a lot of knowledge about the kinds of programs that are out there. They also know many of the people that run the programs personally, and have other contacts, such as other students who have previously taken part whatever program you're interested in, who can share personal experiences. </p>

<p>You can also find programs without the help of a gap year advisor; you just have to do a little more work to sift through the many, many programs that are out there. You mentioned that you wondered if the programs would "take care" of you. That is absolutely something you need to look into when researching a program, especially if this will be your first time abroad on your own. Most programs are group programs, meaning that you will be part of a small group working in whatever country and whichever field you choose. Programs with a strong group dynamic are especially good for the first half of your gap year, because you have a good support system as you ease yourself into this year abroad, far away from your family (and often without easy access to internet or telephone). Try to contact people who have participated in the program before, because they will be your best sources of information on how well-organized the program is, and what day-to-day life is like. A poorly-organized program with little support from the program staff would be an absolute nightmare, especially in a foreign country where you are not well-versed in the language. </p>

<p>I am currently the in the middle of a gap year abroad, and am having the time of my life. I was in Costa Rica for three months this past fall, will spend two months in Argentina (I leave in February), and then will head off to Spain in April for five weeks before backpacking my way to Paris at the end of May. I have absolutely no regrets about my gap year; in fact, I consider it the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am one of those people who applied to college during my year abroad, but so far so good. PM me if you would like to know about the program I participated in or have yet to take part in, or if you have any other questions.</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

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<p>My son applied to colleges in his senior year of high school, knowing that he wanted to take a gap year before starting college. I agree with those who've mentioned that it is easier to stay on track with the application process with the support of high school college counselor and immediate access to h.s. teachers for recommendations. S did not want to live outside of the US or travel to various locations. Many gap year counselors suggest three experiences/locations over the course of an academic year, but this did not appeal to son. He did the Dynamy Internship Year in Worcester, MA which turned out to be a wonderful experience for him. Kids live in groups in Dynamy-owned apartments and are helped to identify and apply for three unpaid internships over the course of the Sept-May year. Independent living skills, figuring out how to live with others, resume building, work experience, community service, group bonding experiences -- all contributed to a tremendous maturing year. The staff was caring and supportive. Different kids need different things, but I have nothing but praise for the Dynamy program.</p>

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<p>Is there an easy place to find info on which schools support, encourage or discourage one year deferrals (if that is what they call it)? Just for the heck of it, I tried to find it the policy for one school in particular with little luck.</p>

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<p>It was my understanding in talking to admissions people at the schools to which my son applied that they didn't have universal "policies" on this, but were generally amenable to the notion of gap years, provided the student has a plan for the year. My son had to write a letter, but at the time wasn't sure exactly what he'd be doing. He named three programs he was looking into, and they asked him to write again the following March saying he was still interested in coming and telling what he'd been doing. An admissions person had told him on the phone that they LIKE having more mature students who are making personal decisions about their lives. I've been told that some schools even have "coming this fall" or "coming following fall" boxes to check on their paperwork for making the commitment. I would talk to admissions people before reaching that stage though.</p>

<p>S is happily ensconced at Vassar after his Dynamy Internship gap year, and has built quite a resume with internships during his college years on top of the Dynamy internships.</p>