I was accepted SCEA in December and i’m trying to decide whether to take a gap year. I’d love to hear from students (or their parents) on pros and cons. Specifically, my concern is that i might lose some “academic mojo,” that somehow my focus or academic drive might atrophy over the year, leaving me at a disadvantage. I plan on working on the entrpreneurial venture that i suspect helped a great deal in my getting in. Are there any statiistics on academic performance post gap year (versus students who don’t take the year off)? Ps. I don’t feel burned out by school at all.
Five years ago, my daughter wanted to take a gap year, but she didn’t have a plan, other than to stay home, get a job, and NOT do anything academic. My wife and I didn’t think that would be the best use of her time, and suggested that without a gap year plan, she would be better off going to school, which she did.
Ultimately, my daughter took 1.5 years off after her freshman year, as she didn’t know what she wanted to concentrate in. (Harvard requires students to select a concentration towards the end of their 1st semester sophomore year, AND choose every course they are going to take for the next 2.5 years to graduate with that concentration.)
During my daughters time off, she basically did what she wanted to during her gap year, and then returned to school refreshed, with a sense of purpose, as she had decided upon a concentration. She ended up graduating last December PBK, so taking time off didn’t slow down her “academic mojo.”
FWIW: If you have a gap year plan, I would encourage you to take the time off!
I think your concern is counter to most experience, that most are rejuvenated by a year off academics, but I don’t have data for you, just anecdotal.