<p>I am considering taking a gap year between high school and college.
Do you have any experience with this?
Do you have any advice?</p>
<p>(I have many more questions, but I don't want to write too long of an initial post)</p>
<p>Have a plan in place before you decide for sure. “I want to travel” or “I’ll get a job” are too vague. Think about WHY you want the gap year. Do you have specific goals for your year (e.g., to earn money, to visit a particular part of the world, to explore a specific career field or pursue a current interest in depth)? If so, figure out what you can do to meet these goals during your time off. </p>
<p>If your gap-year objective is more along the lines of “I need a break from the classroom and assignments,” that’s fine, too, but you should still map out what you will do with your time before you commit to the year off. Otherwise, you may find yourself lonely and frustrated when your friends have headed off to college and you’re still floundering.</p>
<p>If you have a serious reason to take the time off (mission trips, travelling, working full time), go for it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t. Chances are your classmates will all be going off to college next year and its easiest to transition at this point. I find it hard to explain at the moment, but its reassuring to know your classmates are going through the same challenges and changes that college brings.</p>
<p>To add, I did the opposite of a gap year. I went to college a year early and felt as if I didn’t belong with all the other incoming freshman that year, since I was still a year younger. I imagine you’d feel somewhat out of place, too. Most incoming freshman will have just graduated and still be caught up in leaving high school. You’ll be past that. </p>
<p>I have no idea if this makes any sense to someone who hasn’t experienced it, but I hope it helps.</p>
<p>I took a gap year and lived with a French family while studying French at a language institute. Even though it was still school it had a very different feel and rhythm and by the end of the year I was fluent. It made all the subsequent languages I studied (except Chinese) much easier to learn, it was a great break and it allowed me to take more interesting French lit courses in college. I was a young graduate so I ended up the “right” age when I got there, but with an extra year of experiences. I don’t know that I felt out of place, but I did have a lot of upperclassmen as friends.</p>
<p>S#1 talked about taking a gap year. Though he was an excellent student, he was young for his class and thought he was “too immature” for college. I didn’t think a gap year was a good idea in his case, since he didn’t really have any other goals or plans for the year–I thought he was just afraid of the unknown, afraid of the work. So off he went. (His parting words were, “I don’t wanna go to college. . .”) When he got there, he was amazed/relieved to find that all of the freshman guys were “even MORE immature” than he was–so he fit in just fine. He graduated in 4 years with no problems.</p>
<p>No advice since I don’t know your situation. I think many/most hs seniors feel a bit uneasy, a little afraid, want to rest, want to procrastinate. If that’s how you feel, those probably aren’t the best reasons for a gap year.</p>
<p>Thanks all.</p>
<p>I am not considering a gap year to procrastinate entering college. On the contrary, I am very excited for college and feel I am ready.</p>
<p>A gap year for me would be an opportunity to learn a language and experience a different part of the world.
I realize that this probably would not be the best idea for me, though, because I fear my education would stagnate. I want to eventually become either a doctor or an engineer, and a year off after high school would only put me behind on these plans, I would think. It seems to me that the brain learns best when it is young, and I don’t want to “waste” a year in which I could be learning well what is important to me, causing myself to eventually reach less than my full potential.
If I did a gap year, I would hope to be either studying someplace where I would continue to learn science and math or volunteering where I would get a better understanding of what I want to do in life.
(Another worry is that in LIFE, one can only take so much time off. I have heard that some premed students take a year off after undergrad so that they can apply to med school with senior year MCAT scores. If I take the medical path, would that not be a better time to study abroad?)</p>
<p>I have always thought a year abroad would be wonderful, but I figured it may not be my best plan. Now that I have a better understanding of the importance of SAT scores, though, I feel like I have a better excuse. Hardly studying, I scored in the 700s. If I put effort into it, I believe I could probably get a 2350+. This might make the difference for me in large scholarships that are awarded to seemly arbitrary groups such as “the top 1% of admitted students.” So my excuse for studying abroad now would be that it would hopefully save my family money in the long run. Is this at all logical?</p>
<p>Also, I’m thinking about this all rather late. Are there even still good (and not ridiculously expensive) programs to apply to?</p>
<p>One of the counselors at the Shanghai American School has a blog with some great info on gap years including these 3 conditions and a long list of gap year ideas:</p>
<p>Three Conditions for taking a year off
- Apply and get accepted to a college during your senior year
- Have a definite plan that you have discussed with your parents and counsellor
- Request a deferral from your college </p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://internationalcounselor.org/College%20program/Interim%20year.htm]New”>http://internationalcounselor.org/College%20program/Interim%20year.htm]New</a> Page 1<a href=“link%20to%20site”>/url</a></p>
<p>maybe23, do a lot of research! </p>
<p>Also, think about things like your medical insurance! </p>
<p>If your insurance is through your mother’s or father’s work place, can you be thrown off it if you should turn 19 & not be a full-time student? With all the changes in health care laws now, this might not be an issue, but I know it used to be! </p>
<p>How much merit aid do you think you can possibly get if you get those scores up?
With the privates that are well over 50K now, I would not think that very many of those schools are going to give you between 30k-40k per year in merit! </p>
<p>Are you looking for “full rides” at public or private schools?</p>
<p>maybe23, study abroad semesters and summers are so common to the undergrad experience now that if all you’re really trying to say is, “I sure would like to have this experience,” then no worries, you will have that opportunity at any college (either through your college’s own programs or by accessing other college’s programs–most are open to any college student). By doing this within your existing college set-up, you will derive several benefits you won’t get if you do a gap study abroad–you’ll be able to access funding for the study abroad through your merit/FA monies as well as any program-based scholarships, your college credits for the off-campus studies will be pre-approved and you’ll have a comfortable safety net of a program structured through your college and involving classmates, perhaps even friends. </p>
<p>Are you really wishing for a “do over” thinking you’d get better merit and financial aid packages if could present a 2350+ SAT score? Then just take the March test so in April, when you line up all of your acceptances and awards, you can go to the schools to ask if they will better your monies on account of the SAT point increase. Honestly, I don’t think they will–as you know, your SAT is just one piece of a big puzzle–but it never hurts to ask! Looking at some of your other CC posts, aren’t you already a NMSF? Whatever, please think long and hard before sitting out a year just to improve your presentation to colleges. You know what the college app process requires in terms of time, logistics and money (and if you got fee waivers this year, can you get them a second time around?). Depending on where you are located and the resources available to you, it would be a challenge to effectively handle college apps while engaged in study abroad (not to mention the time drain from your study abroad activities). </p>
<p>I’m a mom of a kid who successfully gapped, so I know the pluses and minuses. All in all, I don’t see a compelling reason or plan for you to gap now. I agree with your thinking that you may need to “save” your gap for later if you do, in fact, proceed on a path to med or other grad school.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.
Part of me feels like now is the one time to truly attain fluency in another language. I believe I can do that in the future in Romance languages, but I will always have an incredibly heavy accent. I love languages and want the chance to keep learning them.
Also, I feel (please correct me if I’m wrong - I probably am) that a gap year exchange would probably be a more true immersion than a college exchange program, not just in language but also in culture.</p>
<p>One more thing: It seems to me that most college study abroad programs I have looked closely at don’t really help much for science majors. It looks like you often cannot study the advanced science you are learning at home whilst abroad. If this is the case and my studies will be somewhat paused during a year abroad, why not do it now?</p>
<p>I don’t think this is the one time you’ll be able to do this. Doing a year abroad in college (if you go for the whole year) can be really immersive, you just have to choose the right program. Choose one where you live with a family instead of living in a dorm with a bunch of other students (where you’ll be more inclined to not speak the local language). Also, see if the college you’re interested in offers study abroad programs where you can work or intern as well as study, that can help you have more native interaction. Whether you can study abroad or not as a science major also really depends on the college or the program, it’s a great thing to research ahead of time when deciding where to apply. </p>
<p>I’m not trying to discourage you, but it doesn’t sound like you’ve even really narrowed in on a particular program or plan for your gap year. It does sound like you have a lot of assumptions and also a general idea of what you want. So start with more research to see if it really does make sense for you to do this now.</p>
<p>My daughter is gapping now. It’s performance-related and domestic, not foreign immersion, but we’re both delighted with the opportunities, experience, and growth she’s experienced. Absolutely no regrets.</p>
<p>Will she feel strange as a 19 year old first-time freshman? Yeah, maybe at first, but I’m looking on the bright side and assuming her experience and confidence will help guide her toward mature friend choices, including some older students. (And most college freshmen quickly stop thinking/talking about graduation and high school.)</p>
<p>While the advice to defer is great, it only works if every college you’re interested in allows it. Because a couple of my daughter’s colleges didn’t defer, she waited to apply. When you defer, you’re making an agreement with the school to enroll. It’s non-binding, but it’s still an agreement.</p>
<p>That said, I’d STRONGLY urge getting as much application stuff as you can done before you leave. I’ve included a link to a CC thread where I wrote a loooong list of tips for applying when you’re thousands of miles away and very busy</p>
<p>By the way, my daughter improved her grades in both semesters of senior year, which I assume helped with the merit aid she got at her first-choice school. </p>
<p>On the minus side, many many outside scholarships specify that the applicant be a high school senior. If you write and explain the gap year, they SOMETIMES let you slide. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1071977-american-israeli-dual-citizenship-serving-idf.html?highlight=idf[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1071977-american-israeli-dual-citizenship-serving-idf.html?highlight=idf</a></p>
<p>^By “write” and explain to scholarship committees, I meant EMAIL first and ask if you can apply as a gapper. I didn’t mean just include the info in your application. Don’t waste your time unless you know they’ll broaden their view of eligibility.</p>
<p>Also, maybe23, keep in mind that there are lots of programs like WorldTeach that would allow you to study and work abroad immersed in a new culture after graduation at NO or little cost to yourself (the World Teach programs are funded by the US Dept. of Education, so they pay you and they pay to fly you to your location site). </p>
<p>As a good place for resources, I strongly recommend this column by Nicolas Kristof of the NY Times: <a href=“Opinion | Now Grandma Can ‘Win a Trip’ Too - The New York Times”>Opinion | Now Grandma Can ‘Win a Trip’ Too - The New York Times; </p>
<p>He of course sponsors the “Win a Trip with Nick Kristof” contest where he takes a student with him on one of his trips overseas to write for the NY Times (usually to a devleoping nation). But since he can only pick one contest winner, in this column he lists a bunch of great, trustworthy programs for Gap Years and post-undergrad experiences for everybody else, as a way of encouraging people to stay involved in exploring the world. It even gave me a lot of great ideas!</p>
<p>Our DD is now on a gap year, in Israel with Nativ, the USY program. We felt this was a great opportunity for learning and community service, that she did need a break after k-12, and that the additional maturity would help her. So far she does seem to be growing in maturity in leaps and bounds, and we think it is worth it. Of course we informed her college and they gave her the deferment.</p>
<p>maybe23, don’t worry about how old you’re going to be when you go to college, but if your plan is to just put off college as long as possible, then perhaps a re-evaluation is in order. </p>
<p>I am currently a gap year student. I just got back from India after working for a human rights ngo as a writer, translator, and spokesperson. I loved it and am still doing it while I’m back in the U.S. for business. </p>
<p>Keep in mind, there are also a good deal of people who come out of a gap year really hating it because they didn’t enjoy the foreign community as much as they expected. I think it’s important to have a plan but to not set extremely high standards (and then become extremely disappointed). A gap year isn’t for everyone, but if you plan it right, keep an open-mind and a bit of courage and of course, immense amounts of dedication and passion you’ll love whatever you do. </p>
<p>I also had a physics teacher who put off college for 5 years. Yes, 5 years! Took one year off, and then ended up starting a bad. Travelled through Europe & South America, then later went to college, and ended up working as an engineer for NASA. He’s now retired, (in a sense), and teaching and trying to learn every kind of string instrument that is possible (because music is still his passion). </p>
<p>So do a gap year because you really want to. Have an overall plan, stay safe, but spontaneity and a love for adventure is always appreciated. </p>
<p>Perhaps you’ll meet other gappers as you pass through other countries or what not. That’s how I met my boyfriend (who by the way was taking a year off after his 2nd year in uni. He has only 3 years of uni.) So you can really do it anytime. </p>
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<p>P.S. A friend of mine is wwoofing in Ireland. Perhaps it’s your cup of tea.</p>
<p>Is it a disadvantage or advantage if I tell colleges when I am applying that I am planning to take a gap year?</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>We did not tell them during the app process - mostly cause the gap year wasnt firm, but DW feared it would be a negative. I am not sure of that. I think some colleges like gap years to increase maturity, OTOH they also like to know how many students are enrolling in the fall. Since they didn’t ask, we didn’t tell. Of course you must tell them what you are doing after acceptance, when you ask for the deferment.</p>
<p>Thanks, Brooklynborndad. Do you think it would be a bad idea to mention my gap year plans in one of my essays. (assuming it is relevant to the essay)</p>