What is a Gap Year and Should Students Take One?

Many colleges give admitted students an interesting option: a gap year. A gap year is typically utilized following high school graduation and postpones entering college by a year or semester. This may sound appealing to many high school students, but the motivations behind taking a gap year must be considered in each case. Gap years are for students who feel they could benefit from new experiences that time off would allow for. This could include traveling or making an impact through volunteering. Maybe students want to start a business. There are many great ways to spend a gap year. However, gap years are not for those who want to do nothing and think of it purely as a vacation. This would be a waste of time that could have been spent learning and growing in college. Colleges that allow deferral often ask admitted students to request it and explain how they plan to spend the year, and some approve requests only for plans that show a real opportunity to grow.

Not all colleges allow students to defer admission, and policies differ on timing, deposits, whether students may take classes elsewhere, and how scholarships and financial aid are handled, so individual college policies must be researched. Some require gap year applicants to apply to the college before the gap year is taken, which would mean applying during the general application cycle. After being accepted, students can indicate if they are going to defer their admission and take a gap year. Students can also choose to apply during or after a gap year instead. Overall, it is much better to apply to college before the gap year because students will have security about the future and will know where they will be going to college.

Gap years are meant for the select people who have something significant they feel they must do before college. If this is you, and you have carefully considered it, then take a gap year. However, the majority of students should not take gap years, and may regret it if the time is not well spent.