Hello,
Well I’ll start off with a little introduction. I will be a homeschooled junior in fall 2015, and I have been homeschooled since 7th grade. My path has always been college, and to apply to colleges such as Tufts, Northeastern, Brown etc etc. I do rigorous coursework and I am planning to take the SAT and self study AP exams. I got into Brown’s PreCollege summer program and the Girls Who Code program. But lately I feel that I might want to take a gap year. I’m not necessarily sure that I am ready for college. A part of me wants to go but a part of me doesn’t. I don’t really know what to do, I mean when people talk about college I get excited but also there’s a little part of me that feels like I’m not ready. I’m considering taking a year off and instead of being a freshman at college in fall 2017, I would be a freshman in fall of 2018. It’s kinda complicated because in a way I want to take a gap year but in a way I don’t. Has anyone taken a gap year and then gone to college? How were your experiences with it?
Thank you so much!
My “homeschooled from day one” son just graduated from high school. He applied to colleges this past fall. He will be taking a gap year and then will attend Univ. of Pennsylvania in Aug, 2016. He wasn’t sure about the gap year when he began applications, but by this spring, he was really realizing he was not ready to go away to college and was hoping to be able to have the choice to take a gap year.
He applied mostly to state schools, but did apply to about 7 private schools including U Penn, Northeastern, and U Rochester, all of which he got into (and 4 privates that he did not get into). We were so, so thankful that he got into Penn and that they granted him a gap year. He plans to play a lot of music, work part time, take a class or two (Penn allows non-matricuated classes), and just mature.
I’m sorry I don’t have any experience with an already completed gap year. I can say that most private schools are ok with gap years if you have a general plan, but as far as I know, state schools don’t allow gap years, at least the ones here in California.
The University of Maine allowed my son to take a gap year. He ended up not going there, though! He’s thinking about going to the American University in Beirut as a result of his experiences during his gap year. The kid who gave me gray hair will probably end up being a missionary or pastor. God has a sense of humor!
Well of course a little part of you doesn’t feel ready- you aren’t ready, and hardly anybody is at your age & stage! You will do a lot of growing and changing over the next 15 months- deciding now to take a gap year doesn’t make sense.
Consider instead proceeding as if you are going to college- knowing that you have nearly 2 years before you have to make a final decision.People often overlook the value of the application process in itself: you learn a lot about yourself as well as about the colleges.
So do the college investigating- over the next year, visit a few very very different places, to see what they feel like. Consider doing a short summer course at one. Then- in a year- apply to at least a few colleges that you think you might enjoy when you are ready.
In spring 2017 look at your acceptances and review your options. If you decide you want to do a gap year, apply for it then- and ideally, you will have a plan for something proactive that you want to do. A gap year should have a focus, even if the underlying purpose is to get more maturity under your belt.
And…even when you are ready, parts of you may very well still feel anxious and unready: that is the way of big transitions and great adventures 
@sbjdorlo @MaineLonghorn @collegemom3717 thank you all so much for your replies! @collegemom3717 that advice sounds very good, you’re right, now is not the time to make the decision