Gap Year 101
Virtual learning. Canceled football games. Social distance, everything. These are just a few reasons why many students around the world were not too keen on heading to college this school year. In fact, according to a recent survey by Simpson Scarborough, forty percent of incoming freshmen said that they were likely or highly likely to not attend any four-year college during fall 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Instead, many incoming college freshmen students have opted to turn their first year out of high school into a “gap year.” The Gap Year Association defines this nearly 60-year tradition as “a semester or year of experiential learning … in order to deepen one’s practical, professional, and personal awareness.” Therefore, rather than spending a year making most of all your Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, and Prime video subscriptions, you’d navigate your gap year through a specific mission that usually involves volunteering, working or traveling.
How do you know whether taking a gap year is right for you? Here are three pointers to think about before you make that decision:
1) Some colleges support gap years; some don’t.
Weigh out your priorities to determine whether taking a gap year is more important than if the college of your choice offers that option or not. If you’re OK with the responsibilities that come with your decision, then you know you’ve made the right choice.Yes, you can take a gap year regardless if a college offers this option or not. Just note that there are colleges out there who support students taking a gap year and therefore will “hold” your spot in admissions. This means that after you get into the college of your choice (that offers a gap year option), you’d then request for a “deferral” for your first year. When you’re done with your gap year, because you’ve already arranged for your spot to be saved, you can return to that school as planned without interruptions. Those who take a gap year and then decide to apply for their first year of college (without requesting for the gap year option) just need to be extra organized in gathering their information together (i.e. — request high school transcripts, research where to take your ACT or SAT, etc.).
2) A gap year means time on, not time off.
Explore the Gap Year Association's list of pre-approved gap year programs, which commits to providing the best gap year experience and support for students such as yourself.As mentioned prior, a gap year is not a vacation. Yes, it’s tempting to take a long break after 13 years of mandatory schooling but the difference is that you get to choose what you want to do for your gap year. It’s a time to discover, get creative, and explore your strengths and passions. It’s one of the reasons why many colleges encourage students to take a gap year. Some students take this time to volunteer or work to save money for college. It’s up to you as long as you find some purpose or mission that will help you open your horizons outside of a normal academic setting.
3) Your gap year is what you make of it, but beware of limitations.
The ideal gap year that you had in mind (perhaps backpacking through Europe or volunteering in a underprivileged community) cannot and will not look the same as previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that there have been changes in gap year programs that have adjusted to today’s new normal. Global Citizen Year redid their entire international travel-based gap year program and turned it into a virtual leadership course. If you’re looking to volunteer for COVID-19 relief efforts, AmeriCorps is constantly recruiting. And if you feel more comfortable conducting your gap year virtually, but want to still help in a cause, Volunteer Match is also a great resource for virtual volunteer opportunities.
Whatever your decision, getting educated about gap year options is a great step in the right direction. You are the steward and captain of your own ship. Congratulations on taking this time to research and educate yourself on your future endeavors!