Hi everyone! I’m not really sure if I put this discussion under the right forum category but I just had to ask this question. What are the pros and cons of doing a gap year after graduating from high school? Currently I’m a high school senior who doesn’t exactly know what to do in life. I’m currently in the top 5-10% of my graduating class and I’ve taken a plethora of honors and APs classes. Even though I may be smart, I have no clue what I want to major in college. I feel as though I haven’t had the time to take a deep breath and really THINK about what my plans are for the rest of my life. High school has just flown by and now I feel stuck. Before I was considering applying to many top universities like Boston University, McGill University, and New York University but now I just want to find my passion before doing so.
For the past couple of days I’ve been reading blogs and other posts regarding other student’s gap year experiences. I love the idea of traveling around the world, seeing breathtaking sites, meeting new people, and perhaps doing volunteer work or getting a temporary job to fund my travels. I’ve told my dad about my plans and he’s just really concerned about the cost and the benefits of spending all this money to do a gap year. As such I would love some input from the community regarding the pros and cons of doing an entire gap year of traveling. Thank you so much!
I told my kids they were welcome to take a gap year if THEY financed it. Why should your parents pay for this?
My oldest took a gap year and decided to not go to college. He got a good job, relatively speaking, and saved some money and moved to Nashville.
IMHO gap years are a great idea for a small percentage of students. Some young adults do need time to figure out who they are and what they want. Nothing wrong with that - it’s a good thing actually. That being said, how do you finance it? I did not finance my son’s, other than letting him live at home. Also, be sure that you’re aware of the danger of losing your “first time in college” status (i.e., can cost you scholarships and other college financing) if you take any college classes during your gap year.
Do your research, talk with your parents and other adult advisers, and trust yourself to make the best decision for you. You sound like a very smart young person!
ETA: Also consider applying and deferring for a year. Some schools allow this (I think). Be sure to check into it at least.
Thank you so much for the quick responses. In terms of funding I do plan on getting a job during my senior year (I’ve applied to many businesses and have an interview coming up) in order to fund some of the cost of a gap year. Naturally this would not cover all fees and I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind funding part of my travels as long as the gap year is meaningful and has benefits. Obviously if all I wanted to do was travel, party, and get nothing accomplished my parents would absolutely not fund or even want me to do a gap year. I’m not trying to sound cocky or stuck up by saying that my parents would help me fund my travels, it’s just the realities of our financial situation.
Also, if I plan to pursue taking a gap year I’ll definitely do research regarding the policies the universities I plan on applying to have in place. I still want to go to college after my gap year but I just have this incessant yearning to travel and to explore the world around me. As an only child, I’ve been sheltered for a large part of my life and I think this would be the perfect opportunity to become ¨street smart¨ and gain some real world experience rather than being solely book smart and good at following set directions. I’m not trying to run from my responsibilities as an adult rather I’m trying to expand my possibilities (damn that sounds awesome!).
Personally I think the smartest way to use a gap year is to do something like the CBYX or NSLI program. Both are competitive government scholarships to spend a year abroad (CBYX is Germany; NSLI has multiple country/language options-mostly less common languages like Arabic). They’re structured and paid for (other than spending money), but you’re not babysat during your year so you really grow up. Many colleges look favorably on these programs (I attended BU having done CBYX as a high school junior). Otherwise, gap years with travel tend to be the domain of the well off/rich and I think can look more like a vacation than anything else. I don’t think a summer job would give you the funds you’d need (at best you’d cover your plane tickets), and most travel visas restrict working abroad so you can’t bank on that. It’s certainly not worth your family blowing money they could/should/will need to spend on college (you’re applying to some pretty expensive schools) on this travel year.
Remember that you are probably asking your parents to fund a good portion of your college experience as well. It sounds like your dad has some qualms about paying for a “5th year”. You know you can study abroad during college, right? Have you spent any time with the College Board Book of Majors? It might help you get some clarity to flag things that look interesting.
You could fund your own time abroad – look into providing child care in a foreign country. Or work six months and make money to travel for a few months on your own dime. If you want some responsibilities as an adult, funding your own gap experience would be a great place to start.
My son ended up taking a gap year and a half, but I’m glad he did. He did NOT see the point of college after graduating from high school. So he did some volunteer work overseas (in Jordan and Lebanon), and now he has a passion to get a degree in teaching so he can teach English as a second language in the middle east. He raised most of the money for his trips himself - we just made a small contribution. Now he’s living at home, but paying us rent every week. He’s working full-time as a bank teller now. He’ll switch to part-time in the spring, when he will take a few college classes. He hopes to study in Lebanon starting next fall. He knows he’ll have to contribute some himself.
There’s nothing wrong with a gap year but you may also “find your passion” while at college. If there’s really something you want to do that’s one thing. But there are limited options for an 18 yo HS grad in terms of work. You may have Better opportunities to explore careers as a college student. It is also usually easy to take a leave of absence from college and do your gap then if you need more time. Gap years can be life changing but you might get exactly the same benefit from a year more of living and a change from your HS environment
The colleges that I’m applying to have stressed the importance of having a clear idea of what you want to major in. My parents and I are not willing to pay extra tuition in order to take required classes for an intended major because I decide to change my major half way through my college career. I’d much rather take a gap year to clear my head and just think about my future. As a stressed out high school senior I have absolutely no breathing time, I’m constantly busy doing homework, studying for standardized tests, and writing college essays. Yes, some people can decide their intended major in this small window of time, others, like myself, cannot. The reason why I want to take a gap year to travel and backpack around the world isn’t to take a ¨vacation¨ in luxury hotels while relaxing by the pool. No, it’s to meet new people, it’s to experience something new, it’s to be placed in new situations where I have to think on my feet and along the way do something meaningful. I know it may sound crazy but I just have this yearning to travel and I don’t think abroad programs in college will suffice.
@alex114323, my son would definitely agree with you! And I have to say, he grew up SO much during his “time off.” He takes care of all his own stuff now. Many days, he has to be at work by 7:30 am, and I never have to wake him up. In high school, it was hard to get him up before noon, seriously. I’m really happy he didn’t go straight to college. I’m not saying that’s the right approach for everyone, but it was for him.
At most schools, you take gen eds your first two years, so you’re actually not wasting money on classes for a specific major. You’re completing general requirements you have to do regardless of major.
Anyway. I’m sure you have a genuine interest in a gap year! No one is saying you don’t. But the issue of cost is a very big one. Someone has to pay for it (unless you apply for those scholarships I recommended!), so you have to be realistic. I would also highly recommend that after college you look into teaching abroad programs–you sound like a good candidate. The main one I’m familiar with is the JET Programme to Japan, but I’ve had friends who did teaching in Korea and China, as well.
And seriously: look into NSLI and CBYX. Not as many students apply for them as you’d think (all things being relative), and they’re always looking for mature, motivated students to go. NSLI’s deadline is super close–October 29 (so you’d have exactly 17 days to get everything you’d need from your school if you decided to go for it), but CBYX isn’t until January. They’re great opportunities for fully funded study abroad adventures–those don’t grow on trees, and usually once you go to college, those opportunities dry up.
What colleges are those? Most colleges (and majors) support at least a year of exploring general courses. You rarely have to declare a major before the end of sophomore year.
There are a few majors with a lot of requirements that you need to start early (engineering comes to mind). And at some colleges you need to apply to a school within the college (for example, they might have a specific school for majors like engineering, music, etc).
My D is currently taking a Gap Year. She did go through the college admissions process last year, chose her school and then deferred admission. She retains all her merit $.
This fall she is doing an internship through the Student Conservation Association. They have internships in a variety of National Parks, which while not outside the US can certainly be exotic (Hawaii and Alaska, the Olympic Penninsula, Joshua Tree for example). They provide housing, a stipend and travel $. So our outlay will be very little and she is having a tremendous experience. It is also an approved Americorps program so she gets a small scholarship. Americorps offers lots of internships, including NCCC.
Her plans for the spring are unsettled at this point. She may do another SCA internship or do some traveling. She worked through June-September and saved a bunch of $ plus she is hoping to save money while she is doing her internship because there is so little to spend money on!
There are foreign travel options that might be relatively affordable. We know kids who have done WWOOFing and Work Away. We also know kids who thought they would travel during their gap years but then didn’t have the $$ to follow through. So planning and budgeting are important. There are many great programs but they are very expensive. Your parents may feel like we did, that we didn’t want to spend the equivalent of college tuition giving our D an adventure, no matter how great. But we were/are completely supportive of her taking a gap year and using her talents, skills and hard work to leverage some amazing experiences.
I am currently taking a gap year and volunteered, met Americorps cadets (oh god, soooo many quit and it was really hard, was volunteering on my own though). I ONLY took the gap year because I was not able to apply to colleges last year. If you have the scores and are able to apply to the colleges now I recommend NOT taking a gap year. You will find yourself lonely, bored, and drifting through life. I have also worked for 2 months. I will probably backpack Europe around January but if you do not have to then do not take a gap year.
I’m a big fan of gap years, but I think students should go through the college application process during their senior year of HS, and then defer for a year.
It can be done cheaply. My kids are proof of that. As others have suggested, look into NSLI-Y and CBYX for exchange programs. Also, you can do an inexpensive exchange program through Rotary International.
To minimize travel expenses, workaway, helpx, and WWOOF are some of the programs where you can find hosts exchanging free room and board for several hours of work per day. It could be farming, working in a hostel, or many other types of jobs. Combine that with a 3-4 months working over the summer ahead of time and it is doable.
I think it depends on how you do it…
If you’re going to take one, I would say do one without a ludicrously expensive organization. An example from my own experience (I’m taking a gap year in Spain right now).
Cost to go with an American company for a year (9 months): 23,000 dollars
Cost for me to come on my own and take classes at the same language school and live with a similar host family: ~7,000 dollars
Obviously, the dough from your summer job isn’t going to cover the American program. But if you get a little creative with it, it can be done very cheaply. A good option, if you don’t have a lot of money saved up right now, is to take half the year to work and take the other half to travel. If I had done that, my total costs would have been about 4K. If you’re willing to be an au pair, you can get (usually quite good) lodging for free, usually with the catch that you have to babysit and do some chores, which isn’t terribly much to ask when you’re getting a roof and three meals a day in someone’s home.
WOOFing is another good suggestion.
I think you’ll find that if you don’t ask your parents to foot a tremendous bill, they’ll be a lot more open to the idea of your going away 
Luckily, my parents were very open to the idea of my taking a gap year…the rest of my community, not so much (and, additionally, quite a few people on CC were very negative towards my idea). However, now that I’m here, I am so, so glad I made the decision I did. I will quite literally never have the same opportunity again in my life. College will always be there. The opportunity to live in another country or several countries (outside of a JYA setting)…not so much.
You will grow up a lot more with one of the options above. A friend of mine paid for her kid to travel with a tour for several months in a gap year. The kid dropped out of college less than a year after returning and is working retail at the moment. Use your gap year not just to see the sights, but to work and meet people wherever you go.
I think it also has a lot to do with the kind of person you were before the gap year, too. If you’re lazy and uninterested completely in school, a gap year isn’t going to change that. Likewise, if you are hardworking and value your education, a gap year isn’t going to ruin that.
I would like to second @doschicos 's suggestion of looking into Rotary International. I’ve known many students who’ve spent a year abroad with Rotary, at minimal personal expense. They live with host families and attend the local high school, usually with some prior intensive language study, depending on the country. Of the kids I’ve known, all have returned and attended college, in most cases having applied senior year and getting permission to defer their enrollment. All have gone on to successful careers in a variety of fields - including international business, the hospitality industry, teaching, and translation/interpreting.
For gap year ideas and info, including how to finance the year, take a look at The Gap Year Advantage by Karl Haigler. and Rae Nelson They make clear that you don’t have to be rich to consider doing a gap year. In fact, it can be self-funded for the most part if you are willing to work.
I think a gap year is a great idea and wish more young adults would take advantage of the opportunity. It’s very common in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. We meet Gappers all over the world wherever we travel. They are often more attractive applicants for selective schools (assuming they have the grades and test scores.) because of their additional maturity, focus, and willingness to push boundaries in pursuit of new knowledge and experiences.
Harvard’s web site actively encourages gap years: https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college/should-i-take-time
The following is a quote from Harvard’s web site:
“While no one should take a year off simply to gain admission to a particular college, time away almost never makes one a less desirable candidate or less well prepared for college.”
Not that Harvard is the final word on this topic, but I think their attitude towards Gap Years is typical of most selective schools. Go to it!