<p>You’re kidding about the Jacksons, right? 
They are definitely not the same people.</p>
<p>**SWHarborfan wrote:</p>
<p>Has anyone ever seen you and JHS in the same room, simultaneously, much like La Toya and Michael (who, too, I suspect of being one and the same).**</p>
<p>Momwonders – Americorps will accept age 17 and up. [AmeriCorps.gov</a> > Eligibility Requirements](<a href=“http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/ready/eligibility.asp]AmeriCorps.gov”>http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/ready/eligibility.asp)</p>
<p>maybe it depends on what you want to do but I just do not see the point in for me.</p>
<p>Yes, kidding!</p>
<p><<<You’re kidding about the Jacksons, right? They are definitely not the same people.</p>
<p>SWHarborfan wrote:</p>
<p>Has anyone ever seen you and JHS in the same room, simultaneously, much like La Toya and Michael (who, too, I suspect of being one and the same)>>></p>
<p><<<i guess=“” if=“” you=“” can=“” afford=“” it=“” and=“” don’t=“” mind=“” not=“” going=“” to=“” college=“” when=“” all=“” your=“” peers=“” are=“” go=“” ahead.=“” i=“” never=“” would=“” throw=“” away=“” a=“” year=“” (just=“” my=“” opinion)=“” but=“” that’s=“” just=“” me.=“”>>></i></p><i guess=“” if=“” you=“” can=“” afford=“” it=“” and=“” don’t=“” mind=“” not=“” going=“” to=“” college=“” when=“” all=“” your=“” peers=“” are=“” go=“” ahead.=“” i=“” never=“” would=“” throw=“” away=“” a=“” year=“” (just=“” my=“” opinion)=“” but=“” that’s=“” just=“” me.=“”>
<p>That is great that you have enough self-knowledge and prescience to know that a Gap year would be a waste for you.</p>
<p>momwonders: have you considered a kibbutz experience (in Israel) for your daughter? Volunteering is free, provides an amazing range of experiences and new friends, and you can google kibbutzim (plural of kibbutz), on-line, which will give you the kibbutz’s geography, industry, size, etc. Your daughter does not have to be Jewish, and the volunteers tend to be an international crowd, as young as 17 or older than 17. Masaisrael ([Program</a> Lobby](<a href=“http://www.masaisrael.org/Masa/English/Programs/]Program”>http://www.masaisrael.org/Masa/English/Programs/)) is an umbrella organization for many programs in Israel (and even gives grants) from university stays to archological digs.</p>
<p>I also wanted to mention that my child’s Gap year is not only providing foreign language fluency but also developing a sense of mutability and flexibility in her–she can be rigid at home, and her group leaders report that she is “amazingly flexible, a real team player, and always has a smile on her face” which is not always the case at home. Such qualities have to stand here in good stead in the real world, especially in dealing with unanticipated events or a difficult co-worker or dorm-mate.</p>
<p>As well, travel, be it in the form of a Gap year or a stint with friends in Europe, makes for greater self-sufficiency. My daughter in Europe, unchaperoned with friends, this past summer, fell and contused her tooth. She suspected that she had done real damage and got a referral from a general dentist to see an endodontist, all of which was transacted in Spanish. The endodontist x-rayed her and told her that she could wait to address the tooth until she returned to the states. Out of our protective reach (and she did not tell us about her tooth, until she returned home), my child competently dealt with a challenge. </p>
<p>A Gap year is dense with such teachable moments, which is hardly the throwing away of a year.</p>
</i>
<p>Some of us are on the Parent Cafe musing about Parent Gap Year.</p>
<p>My S is currently taking a gap year between his H.S. and freshman year of college. He is a volunteer in a orphanage in Cape Town, South Africa. He teaches English, has set up a library at the school there, and supervises the kids at the hostel where these kids live. Most of these kids are unwanted, and victims of both AIDS and the last vestiges of the apartheid system. Most are physically or mentally impaired, and all simply have no where else to go. They range in age from preschool to eighteen years of age. It is certainly no waste of time. The work is hard and at times gut wrenching. Just last week, he lost one of “his” kids. This young boy was 15, and was confined to a wheel chair for his entire life. He never knew the freedom of a simple walk anywhere. He contracted a sudden infection and passed away. My S was devastated. Yet he spoke at the boy’s funeral, and gave comfort to his family. At times like these, he feels that he is making no difference, but I know that he is. He simply does not yet see it. He will someday, and that in and of itself will be an education that no school can replicate. He will return home next August a changed person ready to begin his formal education. “His” kids will also changed forever.</p>
<p>I have enjoyed reading about some great success stories with a gap year, but I was wondering from those that have done it…</p>
<p>1) Did you son or daughter apply, get accepted and defer admission? </p>
<p>2) If deferred, how accomodating were the schools in question? What is typical, schools willing to defer admission or schools that make you re-apply?</p>
<p>3) What about SATs/ACTs, i.e. how long are the scores “good for”?</p>
<p>4) If not deferred admission, any pitfalls to applying after the gap year? Obviously, some may have many new experiences to write about in essays and to note in accomplishments, but is there a downside?</p>
<p>In any event, congratulations to those that are making the gap year process work for them.</p>
<p><<<my s=“” is=“” currently=“” taking=“” a=“” gap=“” year=“” between=“” his=“” h.s.=“” and=“” freshman=“” of=“” college.=“” he=“” volunteer=“” in=“” orphanage=“” cape=“” town,=“” south=“” africa.=“” teaches=“” english,=“” has=“” set=“” up=“” library=“” at=“” the=“” school=“” there,=“” supervises=“” kids=“” hostel=“” where=“” these=“” live.=“” most=“” are=“” unwanted,=“” victims=“” both=“” aids=“” last=“” vestiges=“” apartheid=“” system.=“” physically=“” or=“” mentally=“” impaired,=“” all=“” simply=“” have=“” no=“” else=“” to=“” go.=“” they=“” range=“” age=“” from=“” preschool=“” eighteen=“” years=“” age.=“” it=“” certainly=“” waste=“” time.=“” work=“” hard=“” times=“” gut=“” wrenching.=“” just=“” week,=“” lost=“” one=“” “his”=“” kids.=“” this=“” young=“” boy=“” was=“” 15,=“” confined=“” wheel=“” chair=“” for=“” entire=“” life.=“” never=“” knew=“” freedom=“” simple=“” walk=“” anywhere.=“” contracted=“” sudden=“” infection=“” passed=“” away.=“” my=“” devastated.=“” yet=“” spoke=“” boy’s=“” funeral,=“” gave=“” comfort=“” family.=“” like=“” these,=“” feels=“” that=“” making=“” difference,=“” but=“” i=“” know=“” is.=“” does=“” not=“” see=“” it.=“” will=“” someday,=“” itself=“” be=“” an=“” education=“” can=“” replicate.=“” return=“” home=“” next=“” august=“” changed=“” person=“” ready=“” begin=“” formal=“” education.=“” also=“” forever.=“”>>></my></p>
<p>WOW!!</p>
<p>Raschu - My S was accepted, was granted “gap year status” after a payment of a deposit to hold his position in the Class of 2015. The school was more than willing to do this because their yield was greater than anticipated. You can certainly apply to schools during your gap year, and you are correct - you will have great essay material.</p>
<p>Your test scores are valid for some time after you sit for the exams, but I don’t know for how long. You can check their websites for that information.</p>
<p>Gap year sounds like a great idea. For those of you who have done this, when did you start planning for it? Did you tell your college counselor about the plan and any impact on how they handled your college applications? (I know it’s a “weird” question, but it’s something that occurs to me and want to know if you see any connections)</p>
<p>My children did not take gap years (though I did encourage the younger one to consider it).</p>
<p>However I can address some of the questions from post #47</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Generally it’s easier to apply to colleges senior year and then ask the colleges about deferring admission for a year. That way you have easy access to the high school process of dealing with college admissions (teacher recommendations, transcripts etc.) Not only do most colleges let you defer admissions some (Harvard notably) encourages it. The acceptance letter from Harvard suggests considering a gap year and says that they have noticed that students who take gap years feel they get more out of Harvard than those who don’t.</p></li>
<li><p>The only difficulty that I’ve heard of from reading posts on these boards for several years is that some scholarship committees aren’t as accommodating as the colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>SAT scores are good pretty much forever, but some colleges may ask to see ones that are within the last three years.</p></li>
<li><p>The problem with writing essays during the gap year - is that if you start the major gap activity in September, you may not have that much additional to write about especially if you are applying EA or ED. The other difficulty I’ve heard of is chasing after retired teachers. Finally (less of an issue these days with the internet) is if you are in a foreign location it may be harder/pricier to send materials.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>to #50. When you plan the gap year really depends on what you want to do, but most people I know start thinking about it in the fall of the senior year. Different programs have different deadlines.</p>
<p>One of mine red-shirted but was so academically out of place that it was reversed a year later. OTOH, we found out about some other issues in that redshirt year that had previously been identified as “being young,” so it was not a waste.</p>
<p>Suspect same S will take a gap year or two working before going to grad school. No grad school will care that he starts when he’s 22 or 23 instead of 21 (in fact, a couple of years to mature before taking on a PhD could be viewed as a good thing for a younger student).</p>
<p>Quick question. For these students taking gap years, what were they going on to study in college?</p>
<p>Math major and considering a second major of Art History and a Studio Art minor. We’ll see how two majors and a minor work out, given that she wants to have a social and athletic life, too.</p>
<p><<<gap year=“” sounds=“” like=“” a=“” great=“” idea.=“” for=“” those=“” of=“” you=“” who=“” have=“” done=“” this,=“” when=“” did=“” start=“” planning=“” it?=“” tell=“” your=“” college=“” counselor=“” about=“” the=“” plan=“” and=“” any=“” impact=“” on=“” how=“” they=“” handled=“” applications?=“” (i=“” know=“” it’s=“” “weird”=“” question,=“” but=“” something=“” that=“” occurs=“” to=“” me=“” want=“” if=“” see=“” connections)=“”>></gap></p>
<p>My daughter’s high school college counselor knew and thought my daughter’s plan of action was great. And, I believe, that my daughter even spoke to the folks at Tufts (her first choice) about it who, too, thought it was a great idea. This was not an original concept to the Tufts folks, a large number of their pre-frosh take a Gap year.</p>
<p>If you are asking about applying to college during the Gap year, we had been told by college reps who came to visit my child’s school, as well as the college counselor, not to do it, that applying to college undercuts the whole gestalt of a Gap year, and many Gap years take students to far-off reaches were there may not be Internet or sporadic Internet, at best, thus obstructing the application process, altogether. And the agony of checking and re-checking that schools have received everything is a downer.</p>
<p>My daughter wanted no part of applying to college during Gap year–she wanted all of that agitation and work behind her, didn’t want her precious year “tainted” she said.</p>
<p>Finally, we started planning for our daughter’s Gap year, in her 9th grade year, when we saw how monumentally demanding her high school was. She was resistant, at first, saying that she had a long road ahead of her, educationally. By 10th grade, she turned to us and said, as if we had never mentioned it (?!), “I think I’d like to do a Gap year.” By 11th grade, she had selected programs that would allow her to do two different programs, successively, on two different continents, and in the second half of 12th grade she had applied and been accepted to her Fall '10 program, and, in August, of this year, completed her initial application to her Spring '11 program in Israel. (I am still filling out endless paperwork for the Israel program, unfortunately.)</p>
<p>I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me with any more questions.</p>
<p>Thank you, SWHarborfan. Someone earlier mentioned the possible impact of the gap year arrangement on scholarships. It sounds like it’s affecting the scholarships you are getting from outside sources (e.g. Coco Cola Scholarship). Does it also affect the National Merit Scholarship? Does it affect the need-based financial aid you are getting from the college? Say, if granted a gap year, would the college “renew” what they have offered for next year when you enroll, or would you need to reapply?</p>
<p><<<thank you,=“” swharborfan.=“” someone=“” earlier=“” mentioned=“” the=“” possible=“” impact=“” of=“” gap=“” year=“” arrangement=“” on=“” scholarships.=“” it=“” sounds=“” like=“” it’s=“” affecting=“” scholarships=“” you=“” are=“” getting=“” from=“” outside=“” sources=“” (e.g.=“” coco=“” cola=“” scholarship).=“” does=“” also=“” affect=“” national=“” merit=“” scholarship?=“” need-based=“” financial=“” aid=“” college?=“” say,=“” if=“” granted=“” a=“” year,=“” would=“” college=“” “renew”=“” what=“” they=“” have=“” offered=“” for=“” next=“” when=“” enroll,=“” or=“” need=“” to=“” reapply?=“”>>></thank></p>
<p>Benley, I am afraid that I don’t know how the scholarship stuff works–wouldn’t it make sense that you would apply for FA/Scholarships, if your child were to advance to the next year’s class, with the student’s “new” class. Ex: my daughter was accepted to the class of 2014; with the advent of the Gap year, wouldn’t it make sense that she would be applying for all subsidy along with the class of 2015. It is probably worthwhile to make a call to the schools’ FA offices to which your son/daughter is applying, no?</p>
<p>When you ask about reapplying, are you asking about reapplying for financial aid/scholarships or reapplying for admission? One doesn’t need to reapply for readmission at most schools, and I know a fair number of kids who deferred admission and are doing Gap years; no one had to reapply, and there is even a way to do a gap year at the UCs–some permutation of enrolling and then withdrawing (gosh, I hope that there are no UC registrars "eavesdropping.)</p>
<p>Every school we have asked permits accepted students to defer a year.</p>
<p>Schools differed as to their policies on merit aid. One school awards it for four years starting with your acceptance, so if you defer a year, you wind up with no merit aid for your fourth year. Some defer the whole shebang, and cover you for four years starting with the year you enroll.</p>
<p>I believe the National Merit Scholarship is only available to students who are going to be entering freshmen, and I’ve seen at least one other merit-based scholarship competition that seemed to be limited to graduating seniors who were entering freshman year.</p>
<p>I say take a “gap” year post-college not pre-college. That’s the way to do it. You’re a bit older and more mature, fully legal age, and you already have the sheepskin under your arm. It’s behind you instead of ahead of you. That kind of gap year will also help you better understand if you want to work versus go to grad school and what you want to study in grad or professional school. </p>
<p>I don’t think Barack Obama would be President of the United States today if he hadn’t gone off after Columbia for three or four years BEFORE going to Law School. By then he’d figured out what he wanted to do with his life. The same can work well for young people today.</p>
<p>Soon America will be full of the gap year bores that currently infest UK unis.</p>
<p>(‘gap year bore’= a freshman usually, who goes on and on about their gap year. usually begins sentences with ‘when I was in Nepal on my gap year…’)</p>
<p>Interesting cultural difference between the US and the UK, that. In the UK, people with ‘international experience’ like that who drone on about it are widely mocked. But in the US there doesn’t seem to be an equivalent term for the legions of study abroad bores in every junior and senior class.</p>
<p>‘I lived in Paris for awhile …’ <smack></smack></p>