<p>my kids started volunteering when they were 12 & 14. They continued this through high school, which prepared them to find decent jobs when they graduated from high school because they had solid work experience and strong recommendations.
(it also helped both of them be accepted to all of their colleges)</p>
<p>If the kids don’t want to volunteer/work/take a gap year- that is just fine & dandy. 
Those folks are not who this thread is for.</p>
<p>One of my concerns with working (paid) during the Gap Year is the effect it would have on FA. </p>
<p>Merit Aid - For those who had acceptances and requested a deferral from the college, was Merit Aid also able to carry over?</p>
<p>My son only got NM money, and not one of the giant ones (U of OK, etc.). It was able to be deferred.</p>
<p>My D also worked through hs (and has worked during every college break); I suspect that is one reason she had no desire to “take a year off” and continue working. She might have enjoyed a a travel program, but money spen on travel would have cut into money she was saving for school. Likewise, if I paid for her to travel, that would have meant a shortfall elssewhere (or less of an emergency fund that was comfortable). </p>
<p>Nothing wrorg with a gap year, just saying that most of the enrichment programs come with a not insignificant price tag. And “if you can swin it” (including gap year’s affect on finaid or merit awards) is a really big qualifier.</p>
<p>(D2’s friends report that City Year and other AmeriCorps positions for which 17 yr olds are elig have gotten very competitive, with the jobs increasingly going to those candidates with more than hs diploma.)</p>
<p>Oldest did CityYear- doesn’t really count as " work" but she did receive a living stipend( that does not count on FAFSA), however, I expect that gap year was a boost towards being accepted at a reach school & receiving enough aid to meet her FAFSA EFC.</p>
<p>Youngest did earn more, as she had to to finance her own travel, although she was attending a public university & we didn’t expect aid outside of subsidized loans anyway.
She also was accepted to the NCCC program- but decided that was a little longer & a little more intense than she was looking for. </p>
<p>I think if if is a priority, there are ways to make it work- but then you can say that about a lot of things. It just depends on how bad you want it.
[WWOOF</a> - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms](<a href=“http://www.wwoof.org/]WWOOF”>http://www.wwoof.org/)
[Short-Term</a> Jobs Worldwide](<a href=“http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/shortterm/worldwide.shtml]Short-Term”>Short-Term and Summer Jobs Worldwide)</p>
<p>I’m sorry for jumping in. I’ve been accepted to my top two schools, but am feeling burned out. I’m considering doing a gap year with Americorps (assuming I get in) because I’m working at Chuck E Cheese’s and about ready to quit and won’t have money to travel abroad. (I’d be on my own money wise for the majority if not all for the year.)
What I’m wondering is,
A.) Should I do it, throw my path to the wind and just go with it?
b.) Do I have to commit to a college (I love the two colleges equally) or do I have to reapply?
c.) I’m already older than my class, and would like to not be 23 by the time I graduate from a Liberal Arts College, could I take online classes to try to stay as close as possible to my class?
(I really wish my parents hadn’t held me back, as much as some parents have liked that, the past 12years have basically been me transitioning between friends because not many are at maturity level)
c.) How could I fund raise/find scholarships to help pay for everything or find a new program?
d.) Any random advice?</p>
<p>^ Random advice: pick a college, defer your admission, stick at your job until you have a several thousand dollars saved (up till Christmas, maybe), and then go and backpack around Asia for 6 months.</p>
<p>Huge numbers of Brit and Australian high school students do this every year. Tacky but fun.</p>
<p>Random advice: pick a college, defer your admission, do Americorps, and don’t worry about being a year or two “behind” - it’s irrelevant.</p>
<p>More (consistent) random advice: Pick a college, defer your admission*, do not quit your Chuck E Cheese job until you have a replacement job or have landed a spot in Americorps (it is competitive to get in, your placement will likely begin in August), and yup, don’t worry about your age–it will finally be irrelevant in college!</p>
<p>*When you defer, the college will save your spot until Fall 2012 in exchange for (1) payment of the usual deposit, and (2) your agreement to conditions, usually that you will not enroll in any classes at another college, a common exception being foreign language.</p>
<p>(My firstborn did exactly this a couple of years ago–her desired Americorps gig did not materialize because it was the first summer the recession impacted college grads, and so many college grads could not find work, they swamped Peace Corps, Teach for America and Americorps in record numbers. She ended up working menial jobs, split time living at home/living with friends = lots of life lessons learned, worked hard on honing several skills, did a lot of reading and writing, planned and led several domestic road trips and hiking expeditions…doesn’t sound “wowsome,” but it was a great year <em>for her.</em>)</p>
<p>Good luck deciding what to do!</p>
<p>Go for it! After the summer break you will not be burned out, you will be bored!</p>
<p>Go get your life; it will be a blast!</p>
<p>Could anyone point me in the right direction to find a list of gap year programs?</p>
<p>Let me re-phrase this, I found a few sites…how about a list of “reasonably” priced programs, that don’t cost the same for 3 weeks as a year of college!</p>
<p>* re-phrase this, I found a few sites…how about a list of “reasonably” priced programs, that don’t cost the same for 3 weeks as a year of college!*</p>
<p>Domestic
[AmeriCorps.gov</a> > AmeriCorps Programs](<a href=“http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/index.asp]AmeriCorps.gov”>http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/index.asp)</p>
<p>[Earthcorps](<a href=“http://www.earthcorps.org/”>http://www.earthcorps.org/</a>)
International
[WWOOF</a> - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms](<a href=“http://www.wwoof.org/]WWOOF”>http://www.wwoof.org/)
[Projects</a> Abroad](<a href=“http://www.projects-abroad.org/]Projects”>http://www.projects-abroad.org/)</p>
<p>emeraldkity4 Thanks!</p>
<p>My S is a 2012’er and is already planning his gap year. He has been planning on taking a gap year for awhile and we have encouraged it. We feel like these kids are going to be living for a LONG time now… probably well into their 100’s, so what is the rush… especially in this economy. Also, my S plans on going to med school so that is a long haul, will probably do another gap year after undergrad. My S is an avid outdoorsman, and has A LOT of activities planned. He is also similar to emeraldkity’s kids as he has volunteered for most of his life. He is doing an internship with Student Conservation this whole summer. His plans so are to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, do some WWOOFing, and climb as many tall peaks as he can. He will also get his EMT and WFR through NOLS. He is really excited. </p>
<p>I also had the question about merit aid and FA… wondering if he does get it, can he defer it. If anyone knows about this I would be interested.</p>
<p>Sometimes a gap year will produce an amazing outcome. Maggie Doyne, for example. [Life</a> at Kopila Valley Children’s Home - Journal](<a href=“http://blinknow.org/]Life”>http://blinknow.org/) Went on a gap year, founded a school and at age 24 is the head of the 250+ school for Nepalese children. On the cover of the NYTimes magazine <a href=“The D.I.Y. Foreign-Aid Revolution - The New York Times”>The D.I.Y. Foreign-Aid Revolution - The New York Times; and included in Katie Couric’s new book The Best Advice I Ever Got. All these accomplishments and she never did go on to college (yet)</p>
<p>hey parents. as a rising senior considering a one-year college deferral, i’m wondering what gap year programs you’d recommend? i’m looking to achieve fluency in spanish while giving myself the chance to rest and recover physically from a few years of poor health.</p>
<p>ISA (international studies abroad) offers a back-to-back trimester program in salamanca, spain that looks AMAZING, but i have yet to find someone who’s participated…</p>
<p>I am a big fan of the gap year (if you have an admit and can defer) for anyone who needs/wants one AND can formulate a plan and goal for something they genuinely want to do. It does not need to cost money or involve foreign travel. It does need to involve a big measure of personal independence and responsibility for how you use time, resources, and support/manage getting done what you’ve planned to do. </p>
<p>I’d avoid “programs” that charge a lot of money to essentially be “in loco parentis” as that defeats the value of the year. Emeraldkitty’s suggestions are a great place to start. The kids I know who did a gap year went on to make great use of their college time, in part because they had already figured out things about how to more independently manage money, time, sleep, laundry and bureaucracy and went to college with a maturity that mean they avoided a lot of common first-year potholes.</p>
<p>Global Vision International.</p>
<p>Hi there SWHarborfan,
I have just finished reading the entire entry that you kicked off " Gap Year–The Most Wonderful!! Gift, If You Can Swing It, For Your Kid." I really enjoyed everyone’s comments and it seems like you have a good bit of experience with this. My S has been accepted ED to his top school and really wants to do a gap year. DH and I are behind him. In one of your later posts you refer to a wonderful program in So. America that your D did for a semester. My S is looking for a program where he can improve his Spanish. As for me, I’m more concerned that we identify a well run program that delivers (most of) what they advertise. WOuld you mind sharing the name of the program in SA. If there are any others that you know are reliable, responsible, and well run please let me know.</p>
<p>You had mentioned to another poster that you wouldn’t mind sharing the name of your program so I figured this would be alright. Thanks so much. I appreciate anything that will point me in a sound direction. I feel a bit like a deer in the headlights.</p>
<p>Mwlgal</p>