Is a 'Gap Year' Before College a Good Idea?

Taking a year off before heading to college is a common occurrence overseas -- a 2008 study shows 11% of college-bound students took a year off in the United Kingdom-- it's now increasingly being done by American students.

The idea of a hiatus might make some parents and guidance counselors cringe, but many top universities are actually urging students to take a break and use the time to gain life experiences.

School burnout is one of the main reasons kids decide to take a year off; too many tests, papers and time spent working on college applications can bring some kids to a breaking point.

“They might just need an honest break from that structured environment,” says Terry Hansen, author of Genius by Choice for College Students. “In terms of psychology, their own identity gets so wrapped up in their marks.”

And there may be another advantage. According to Holly Bull, president of The Center for Interim Programs, gap-year students are more focused. 

“They’ve been out in the world, they can handle themselves, and they have a level of self confidence that they bring with them into that first year.”

Experts differ about whether the year off is good for a student’s future, but they agree that students mulling a break should still apply to college.

“If you get in somewhere where you want to go, then you’re all set and you don’t have to think about it during your gap year,” says Bull. “If you don’t get in where you want to go, you have a second shot if you apply halfway through your gap year.”

Although students may be able to defer their enrollment status, they may need to reapply for financial aid or scholarship money when returning to school. 

Once You Decide to Take Off, Make the Best of It

Once the decision to take off has been made, make a plan of what you want to accomplish. This not only helps prioritize goals, but could also lessen fears from nervous parents and universities.

“Typically if you ask for a deferral, the college wants to see some concept for a plan,” says Karl Haigler, co-author of The Gap-Year Advantage: Helping Your Child Benefit from Time Off Before or During College. “Writing it down is a way of formalizing it -- it doesn’t necessarily have to be a contract, but it’s a basis for understanding what the plan is.”

Experts recommend staying flexible with your plan and open to new opportunities throughout the year.

“I think the idea behind why to take that year is to really be clear on the reason -- what does that person hope to accomplish by taking that year off?” says Hansen. “Nothing will come out of that year of real, substantial value if they don’t know why they’re taking that year off.”

Try to experience as much as you can during your year off -- talk to different professionals to see what life is like for them.

 “We did a survey of 280 kids from gap year programs and we found that 60% said their gap year either confirmed their choice of career or major,” says Rae Nelson, co-author of The Gap Year Advantage: Helping Your Child Benefit from Time Off Before or During College. “The majority of gap year [experiences] have a way of gaining that focus of what you want to do.”

The experts also claim the year off gives students a better glimpse of the real world.  

“On a practical level, you have students getting experience and building a resume before they hit college,” says Bull.

Avoid These Pitfalls

Remember, you aren’t taking a year off to catch up on sleep and the latest box-office hits.
Hansen says if your activities during your gap year are not academically stimulating, you may set yourself back.

“[Students] will lose data at an alarming rate because the left hemisphere is not being used very much,” she says.

A common misconception, according to Haigler, is students must be wealthy in order to take gap time.

“You’ll find that there are an awful lot of opportunities for low-cost programs or programs where you can actually make money. For instance, there are some programs where you get a monthly stipend and at the end of your experience, you get an educational grant that a lot of colleges will match.”

Don’t Worry Mom and Dad, They Will Go Back

“The number one concern is that once kids get off the academic track, they’ll never go back,” says Haigler. “That certainly wasn’t the case in the survey we conducted:  90% of the kids that we surveyed went back to school within a year, and 85% went back within six months of taking a gap year.”

And a gap year can be a great learning experience for kids who really need to break out of their shells and see the world.

“What we’ve found in our research is that kids come back and they’re much more socially aware of other things going on in the world, where the world is not just a college campus,” says Haigler.“You get this understanding of things outside of suburbia that the typical freshman at a selective college may not have.”