The seemingly logical next step for many newly graduated high school students would be entering higher education in time for their freshman fall semester. However, not every student is prepared to take that immediate jump into heavier study commitments—or mature enough to appreciate the investment a college education entails.
Enter “gap years:” an extended break between the end of high school schooling and entry into college. Such breaks are becoming more popular in the United States. In fact, even Malia Obama, eldest daughter of President Obama, is taking a year to discover her professional passions before attending Harvard University.
Time away from the classroom could have a profound impact on students’ academic careers—good or bad. Let’s take a look at some of the positive and negative points of gap years.
Benefits of a Gap Year
- Studies have shown that students who take a gap year tend to earn higher GPAs on average than students who go straight into college. One study at Middlebury College found that even when previous academic credits earned in high school had been accounted for, former “gappers” performed better in the classroom (on average) than students of similar ability.
- Students with motivation problems in high school who chose to take a gap year between grade school and college gain greater focus and motivation in college than their peers who proceeded straight into higher education, indicated by two studies by academic researcher Andrew Martin.
- A gap year may actually save tuition dollars, considering that young people tend to return to college with their priorities sorted out. Holly Bull, the president of the New Jersey-based Center for Interim Programs, told Education Week that “taking gap time can really save a lot of the floundering around that students do. Changing majors, changing schools… It gets very pricey to be confused in college.”
Disadvantages to a Gap Year
- Not all gap year programs are created equal. Experts agree that gap years that include international travel, volunteering, and other opportunities that remove students from their “normal” communities tend to be more beneficial than years that keep students at home. Jason Sarouhan, vice president of the Center for Interim Programs, says that the gap year needs to be “an intentional period of time you're taking away to learn more about yourself and more about the world” and not a 12-month vacation.
- Gap years can be staggeringly expensive. Depending on the program—through an organization or independently planned—Andrew Belasco of College Transitions admission consulting company told USA Today, “We [College Transitions] have seen programs run about $20,000,” adding that the company has also “seen situations where students take an internship and are paid $20,000. It’s a huge range.”
- Unsupervised travel can be dangerous. Students old enough to head off to college should have enough common sense not to get into trouble while finding themselves in “exotic” locales. But sometimes, trouble finds young people despite everyone’s best efforts.
Additional ISM resources:
The Source for Business Managers Vol. 14 No. 7 Helping Students Find Summer Work
The Source for Admission Directors Vol. 13 No. 10 Summer Enrollment: Motivation Matters Most
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 40 No. 7 Summer Program: The Third Semester—Three Administrative Considerations
