Gap year programs

Q. What about "gap year" programs? Are some better than others? Will colleges think negatively about my taking a year off after I graduate from high school?

A. The concept of the "gap year" – a transition year between secondary school and university studies – was originally popularized in Britain in the 1960s. It generally involved travel, usually overseas, adventure, and often volunteer or work experiences. Young people returned from their year refreshed, enthusiastic, and ready to tackle the challenges of higher education with a renewed sense of purpose. The gap year was also for the relatively wealthy, as they could afford a year without income. Over the last two decades the gap year concept has become popular in the United States, and lots of people have made lots of money running all sorts of programs (sometimes the cost of "volunteering" can be thousands of dollars!).

But taking a gap year can indeed be a fantastic experience, even life-changing experience. In my last column, I discussed some of the reasons students might want to consider taking a year off after high school. As students noted in "A Cure for the College-Bound Blues," a recent New York Times article, a gap year can help students feel rejuvenated after stressful high school years and gain a sense of independence before starting college.

To make the most of your year off, you have to do your research. Start by taking a look at some of these books: The Gap Year Advantage by Haigler and Nelson; Lonely Planet's The Gap Year Book; and Taking a Gap Year by Susan Griffith. Look at program websites and ask questions. See if anyone from your high school has tried a program and ask for feedback. Ask the program for local references; get testimonials beyond what is available on the program's website. Ask about costs and whether scholarships are available. Find out who is running the program, how long it has been going, and about its safety record. A program does not have to be in an exotic locale or cost a lot of money to be worthy. You could have an internship with a bank, build a well in another country, or teach children in a New York homeless shelter. You can even earn money for college by participating in programs such as Year Up, which provides a year of business training to young adults, or City Year, which organizes a year of service for high school graduates in city schools and community groups. The point is for you to take a period away from regular studies in order to enhance your skills and experience and heighten your awareness of the world.

The preferred procedure is that you apply to colleges first; when you have your acceptances and decide where you wish to enroll, write and ask for a yea's deferment so you can do your gap year program. As long as you will be doing something structured, with a focus that will enable you to begin your freshman year an even stronger student, the college will be impressed.

March 11, 2008