Gap Year?

Parents Forum
1

<p>Has there been much discussion on CC regarding taking a gap year? This is an idea that has come up in our family just recently. It seems pretty common for students to gain admission to the school of their choice, defer for a year, and either work or do some sort of travel in between high school and college. One big question I have in this regard: if a student were to do that, would it mean losing any merit scholarships that are being offered?</p>

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<p>I'm not so sure it's "fairly common." Many schools don't allow deferrals, let alone maintaining a merit scholarship. S was interested and we found that schools varied on their policies. My advice, don't assume anything!</p>

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<p>D#1 wasn't allowed to defer- the public schools didn't want to keep track- it is more common for private schools.
D#2 did defer from a public school
Outside merit aid we just put in a fund- neither received school based merit</p>

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<p>Maybe it's a regional thing, but I've never known anyone who has done this. I've seen some people defer between undergrad and law school though. And there have been examples of kids on CC who were not happy with the results of their college application season and chose to do a gap year.</p>

5

<p>I've only known one person to take a gap year. Where I live most of the students continue on to college right after high school.</p>

<p>Personally I'm not for the gap year - I don't want to lose the knowledge I have gained thus far. Plus, I don't want to put education off.</p>

<p>And yes, I would think you would lose any merit scholarships offered (Maybe not so much at private schools)</p>

6

<p>There have been many threads on this in the last few years, you can search for them (or just keep scrolling backwards through the list)
Many people like it. Many things to consider.
Working for a year will affect any need-based aid.
If a kid isn't in school will he or she be covered by parent's health insurance?
Will school hold a place? Will financial aid or scholarships hold over?</p>

<p>Lots of good info in the old threads...</p>

7

<p>Of my older daughters class- about 1/4 took a gap year.
( or longer) some went into the service- she did Americorps, one friend traveled, another took an internship, another spent several years teaching in a very rural community.</p>

<p>It is pretty popular in our area- kids are burnt out after 5+ AP classes senior year, they want to travel either for relaxation or to do community work.
They seem to want to take a break so that they can deliberately begin their college career, not just fall into it, as the next step.</p>

<p>I don't know any however, who did it because they didn't get into their first choice college.
My older daughter did apply to a school that she hadn't applied to the first time- which was still a reach, and was admitted, but my younger daughter didn't apply to any other schools and knew even before she applied to college that she wanted to take a gap year.</p>

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<p>I took a gap year a zillion years ago to live with a French family and study French. My university (Harvard) had no problem. They don't have merit aid, only need based, which would not be affected. Now they actually recommend gap years to the students as part of their acceptance letter. They find kids who take gap years come back more mature and do better.</p>