“Taking that year off can be liberating and the perfect choice for the right student.”

Members of the high school class of 2020 took gap years in record numbers, spurred on by the likelihood of online learning and a greatly altered college experience due to the COVID 19 pandemic. With effective vaccines and colleges announcing on-campus programs for the fall of 2021, should students still consider a gap year, a year off between the end of high school and the start of college?

Taking that year off can be liberating and the perfect choice for the right student. It should not be a path taken because a student is sick of taking tests or is indecisive about their future. Here are some good reasons to consider a gap year:

A chance to get off the treadmill

Some students could truly benefit from time off. Especially for this year’s seniors, high school has been stressful, the college admissions process has been anxiety-producing and some high schoolers may just feel exhausted, spent, and as if they’re running on fumes.

Many students really benefit from doing something different for a year (community service, travel, work, internships, etc.) and then returning to an academic environment with their batteries recharged. A number of colleges are now encouraging their accepted students to delay their freshman year and start renewed and reenergized the following year. Colleges like the University of Richmond and Washington and Lee University read each postponement request and decide whether to grant them on a case-by-case basis. For those who are granted the deferral, any merit aid students received is carried over to the following year. Middlebury College offers a February start for students who want to take advantage of a gap semester. Middlebury notices their ‘Febs’ hold a disproportionately high number of leadership positions on campus after they do start and perform better academically. At Florida State University students who apply for the gap year are automatically considered for a $5,000 scholarship for use during the gap year.

Time to grow and mature

Not everybody is ready for the independence of college. Some parents and students, when pressed, worry about college-readiness. Students may have never lived away from home for an extended time, they may still be a little too dependent on their parents or they may not quite have mastered discipline and solid decision-making skills. Any college student can attest that balancing academics and social life is tricky. A gap year experience that allows students to take baby steps, lets them mature at their own rate, and validates their progress and maturity can be the perfect antidote.

An opportunity to build the resume

A gap year experience can be a great opportunity to focus on a social issue, academic interest, or pet project. Many colleges are happy to defer admission until the following year for students who submit a detailed letter on how they plan to spend their time off. Sometimes, students will use the gap year to dig deeper into something that interests them and then use that experience to gain entrance to a more selective college on the second go-round. Some students have had the good fortune of reapplying and being accepted to a college where they had been previously denied.

The main thing is to create a plan for the year. Students can build their own gap year plan or take part in a formal, multi-month program. The plan may change mid-year, and that’s OK. They just need a good plan going in.