The traditional path for high school graduates in the United States is to immediately go to college.
This narrative says high school students must work hard to get accepted into a college or university, then immediately head off to chase their dreams as soon as they can. If high school seniors take any time off, they are scared into thinking they may be left in their hometown with all the kids who had no plans to go to college or do anything with their lives. Basically, if they don’t go to college now, they may never go at all.
This story is commonly repeated by parents who don’t want their children to lose momentum in their lives and careers, and for good reason. Gap year research cited by the Wall Street Journal noted that 10% of students who took a gap year before college hadn’t enrolled in college for the following year.
But there are serious upsides that can come with taking a year off between high school and college, and no, this time off won’t necessarily turn your high schooler into a grifter. Experts I spoke to even said some of these benefits could lead to higher lifetime earnings and more career satisfaction down the line.
Benefits Of A Gap Year
According to Dr. Ann Marie Klotz, who serves as vice president for development, enrollment, and student success at Naropa University, students who take a gap year do so for a range of different reasons, many of which come with benefits that can last a lifetime.
Some students spend their time off traveling abroad and strengthening their foreign language skills, whereas others work full time so they can save the money required to pay for college in the first place. Klotz says that clarification of goals and taking time to ensure an investment in higher education is the right next step is another valid reason to take a gap year. This is especially true for students who are unsure of what they want to study and why, as well as those who could benefit from some real life experiences before heading off to university.
A gap year is also the perfect time to pursue specific opportunities that can help in one’s career later on, from internship work on a political campaign to volunteer or mission opportunities or a stint with AmeriCorps.
“This current generation often talks about how they don’t see their professional life mirroring prior generations, and they want to explore their options and have more flexibility,” says Klotz. “A gap year is in line with that philosophy.”
There are also students who just need time to mature, as well as time to properly transition from one major era of their lives to the next. College consultant Jennifer Post Draeger of Bright Outlook Global Prep says she frequently coaches gap year students and finds they can often prepare more thoughtful and compelling university applications if they aren’t also trying to carry a heavy 12th grade course load and school activities at the same time.
Also, teen brains are still developing, and the change in maturity and confidence from age 18 to age 19 can be significant.
“When families are looking at U.S. college costs upward of $50,000 per year, it makes sense to make this investment when a student is better prepared to make good choices and benefit from what the college has to offer,” Draeger says.
Why Students Avoid Gap Years
There are numerous reasons students never consider taking a gap year, even when it’s obvious many could benefit from taking this time. First off, Draeger says gap years are still out of the norm in many social circles. And in our social media-influenced culture where even dorm room decorating has become a trend, attending college can become just another source of “bling” for both students and parents.
Another reason may be that families are unclear on how they could put together a meaningful and successful gap year. So, they aim for college simply because they know how to do that, she said.
Christopher Hamilton of Hamilton Education also points out that some families see college as a practical endeavor only, versus a time for the student to explore and learn about themselves. For these families, college education may mean little more than a pathway to a career in medicine, law, or engineering. So, instead of delaying that journey by a year, they look for ways to speed it up. That may mean taking more courses each year to graduate faster and save money, or pursuing an accelerated program of some kind, like a seven-year BS/MD program. Whatever is decided, a gap year is never part of the equation.
Of course, there are also students who want to avoid any potential downsides that come with taking a gap year. And despite the benefits of taking time off before college, there are some negative consequences that often come into play.
Admissions consultant Mary Banks of Quad Education says that delaying college for a year can leave some students out of sync with friends and people in their age group. These students may find themselves with a totally different viewpoint on life once they head off to college as a result. The re-entry process is often bumpy given the added year of maturity and life experience that can result from taking a gap year.
Hamilton also points out what economists would call “opportunity costs” that come with taking a gap year. There’s a cost involved in what you might be doing (advancing toward a degree) compared to what you are actually doing.
Then again, the opportunity cost of taking a gap year will depend on how students spend their time. If they head overseas to learn about the world and study a new language, that could be an incredible investment on their part. The same is true if students participate in important internships or mature another year so they’re ready to take college seriously.
If a student takes a year off without accomplishing anything or winds up losing all motivation, on the other hand, the price tag for a gap year won’t be worth it in the end.
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