<p>I'm a high school senior anxiously awaiting news from the colleges that I have applied for admission. After submitting my last applications in December, I have thought a lot about the future and realized that a gap year(deferring admission to the college I will attend by one year) is something I should consider. After college, I see myself entering the corporate world where it would be much more challenging to take a full year off.</p>
<p>What are the pros/cons of taking a gap year before college? Has your son/daughter taken a gap year?</p>
<ul>
<li>I will definately return to school if I take a gap year.</li>
<li>You know how some 18 year olds look like they are older. I'm not one of them. This is one of my major fears. If I'm younger looking, will that make me less capable of living on my own? (Not sure if this makes sense)</li>
<li>Life is a journey, not a race. If the year is well spent, I don't mind spending it.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you are going to do something productive, gap year is a good idea. But you have to know (and let the school you are deferring know in order to get it approved) what are your plans for the gap year.</p>
<p>My son has taken a gap year that has been very worthwhile. I have no doubt that he's going to be so much more prepared when he begins college next fall. </p>
<p>I don't think there's any better or worse way to spend the year, just important to do something that's fulfilling to you. My son did a whole mix of things but basically he pursued his interests of science and music. Some of the activities:</p>
<p>Took science courses as a special student at MIT
Studied piano intensely
Taught piano to children- now has 8 students
Piano accompaniment to choirs at Univ., high school, church
Music volunteer work
Piano accompaniment with a choir going to Armenia this spring
Worked at Starbucks to earn money to go biking in France over the summer </p>
<p>I know that when he goes to college he'll know how fortunate he is to be there! </p>
<p>If a gap year is something that appeals to you I recommend it.
andi</p>
<p>I can heartily endorse a gap year. We had always told my son it was an option and just set the standard that he had to do the admission process in his senior year and then could defer. I have to admit that when he got his ED admission and announced he was planning to defer a year--I had some doubts (mostly because I had fallen in love with his school and was ready to be a first-year parent..). His school offers a year deferral to any admitted freshman and, like many liberal arts colleges, they believe it can be a great enhancement to a students maturity and self-direction in college.</p>
<p>I have now overcome any doubts I had. He has had a wonderful experience (4 months in art school in Greece, then working on a ranch in Argentina and now enroute to Chile.) When he was home over the holidays I could see a kind of confidence and readiness to be out in the world that can only be an advantage when taking on college demands and campus life. He had lived in a group of mostly college students on year-abroad and it had been a valuable, nurturing intro to independent life as a young adult.Maybe most importantly, he looked relaxed--he had emerged from the stress and burn-out of high school--and he says he is now really excited about and has found the joy of learning on his own. And, I think it really helped me do some very useful "letting go" that will make the transition to college life relaxed for me too. ( I know he can do his laundry, drink in moderation, and figure out what to do when there is an airline strike....) It certainly isn't the route for everyone and it does matter what you choose to do. But there are an infinite number of interesting options. If you have any intuition at all that it is a good idea for you, I'd definitely explore the possibilities.</p>
<p>My D is finishing up a gap year. She was not accepted at her top choices a year ago and chose to do a gap year and reapply rather than attend a lesser program. So this is another way to do a gap - you don't HAVE to have an deferment in hand to have a great year. She moved out of the family home, got a job (two part time jobs, actually) and an apartment, and kept on with her training (theater, voice, dance). From my point of view it seems to have been a great experience for her, and I think she would say the same.</p>
<p>I took a gap year. I taught English in China, as well as travelling a little bit. It was a really great experience, although I would agree that it is not for everyone - some people get very homesick, and find it difficult to cope on their own, particularly if they haven't left home before. But then again, we all have to learn to look after ourselves eventually, and personally I think it's a good idea to be able to do so BEFORE you go off to university, so that when you get there you can focus on other things!</p>
<p>That said, do try and organise something worthwhile - I know some people who just sat at home all year, others who joined Army leadership courses, others who travelled, others who saved turtles in the Galapagos Islands... just do something that really interests you.</p>
<p>(BTW, I should say that I am from the UK, and gap years are both very common and very well regarded here. The 'I had a gap year and that makes me better than you' group on Facebook is one of the biggest ones :P)</p>
<p>I actually taught in two different schools - one was a Chinese government school, and the other was a private international school. For the Chinese school, I used an agency (it's called GAP Activity Projects - not sure if it operates in the US, I know it does in Australia though). For the international school, I found the job myself once I was already out there. </p>
<p>It is very very very very easy to find teaching positions in China.</p>