Is It a Good Time to Consider a Gap Year?
Last Updated on February 25, 2021 by Jill Schwitzgebel
The class of 2020 had a difficult and disappointing end to their senior year. And so far, the class of 2021 has not fared any better. The disappointing senior years have left families wondering whether maybe their students should consider a gap year? Last year, the idea was so prevalent that juniors were concerned that getting into college would become even more competitive this year, due to the number of students that had delayed their entrance.
Before going into that, let’s talk about what a traditional gap year is: it’s a year off between graduating from high school and the first year of college. While it has been increasing in popularity recently, it’s still not something many American students choose to do – about 3% according to the Student Conservation Association, which sponsors gap year programs. The gap year has been more consistently popular in European countries for decades. During a gap year, a student might choose to participate in a long-term volunteer program, here or abroad, travel, or maybe they choose to complete an internship in an area that interests them. Or maybe, they take the time to work for a year.
Applying for a Gap Year
Often, gap years are misunderstood. A formal gap year request takes place after the student applied to college during their high school senior year, and they already have their college acceptance. By asking for the gap year, they are asking the college to reserve a spot for them in the following year’s class, rather than in the upcoming fall. And in order to defer that acceptance, to take a gap year, there are steps that students need to take:
- Submit their enrollment deposit
- Submit their request for a gap year to their admissions counselor via email. Some colleges also allow students to select a gap year option in their admissions portal. There is typically a deadline to do this – sometimes as early as May 1st.
- Students need to submit a plan of what they will do with their gap year.
- Wait for approval from the college. Not every request will be accepted. Due to so much uncertainty about enrollment, there was speculation that colleges would be less inclined to grant the gap year for the 2020-21 school year. However, that does not appear to have been the case.
Students applying for a gap year will also want to make certain that any scholarships and aid packages will still be offered.
Considerations
- If a student is considering a gap year due to uncertainty about what the fall semester will look like, keep in mind that gap year opportunities may still be limited.
- Colleges are not likely to approve a gap year plan that appears unlikely to happen. Keep in mind, for instance, that finding a job while Covid-19 remains a threat is likely to be difficult for most students. If they already have a job or volunteer option that will be able to be ongoing, the college might see that differently.
- If a student is using a deferment, generally any classes taken at another institution during that time will not count for any credit.
- If a student applies for a gap year they need to consider it binding – colleges generally will not allow students to change their minds once they have been granted the deferral.
My Thoughts
My message to you continues to be, “Don’t panic!” about the situation next fall and use that as a reason to take a gap year. There are many unknowns right now, but fewer than last year. For those of you that have watched closely, things in the admissions world are changing every day right now. Colleges are worried about their yield rates and last year, even some selective colleges went to their waitlists to admit students. However, if your student would be considering deferring for a year even without COVID-19 in the picture, then it is still certainly worthwhile to have the discussion about taking a gap year. There are situations where they are very valuable for students.
And as always, contact me if you have admissions concerns that you’d like to discuss.
