Gap year disadvantages

[Anonymous]

Is it getting little more popular to take a gap year in high school? Can one take after sophomore? What can be the disadvantages other than getting behind your peers by an year?

[Anonymous]

Never heard of people taking a gap year during high school. There are semester programs for high school juniors, like the high Mountain Institute and the Island School — some in the northeast, too (is Chewonki one?)— but it’s still school and they are expensive. Attended more by private school kids who are already on a semester system but I know a couple of public school kids who were able to make it work. They probably have some amount of scholarships.

My kid took a gap year after high school (is in it now), and it’s been a really good reset, has helped moved her from a mindset where everything felt like a “have to” into one where doing valuable things felt more like her choice. She’s also just a lot more mature than she was a year ago.

[Anonymous]

I hear a lot more talk about gap years, not actually doing it.

[Anonymous]

Does Rotary still do high school exchange programs where you spend junior or senior year abroad? Maybe that would serve the purpose

[Anonymous]

I've wondered the same thing about mi-high school gap years. Why can't you just homeschool? If you don't feel prepared, just repeat the year. The school may make you repeat the missing year anyway. Win!

[Anonymous]

The kids friends might move on, and they’ll be sharing classes with kids who used to be a grade below.

[Anonymous]

Truancy laws still apply, so you have to do some sort of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Rotary still do high school exchange programs where you spend junior or senior year abroad? Maybe that would serve the purpose

Yes, contact your local Rotary club. My daughter did a Rotary Exchange Year after graduating high school, but they relaxed some rules as the program restarted after the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

I did senior year in Brazil via Rotary. Kids from all over the world. Other were juniors, some had already graduated and were doing a gap year. It will influence what you do with the rest of your life. I came back to the US in June and started college in January.

Still friends with all those fellow Rotary kids and host families years later.

I did another Rotary year in college -- back to Brazil, but a different region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never heard of people taking a gap year during high school. There are semester programs for high school juniors, like the high Mountain Institute and the Island School — some in the northeast, too (is Chewonki one?)— but it’s still school and they are expensive. Attended more by private school kids who are already on a semester system but I know a couple of public school kids who were able to make it work. They probably have some amount of scholarships.

My kid took a gap year after high school (is in it now), and it’s been a really good reset, has helped moved her from a mindset where everything felt like a “have to” into one where doing valuable things felt more like her choice. She’s also just a lot more mature than she was a year ago.

What kinds of things is she doing? Just wondering because my kid is considering the same.

[Anonymous]

My DH did a Rotary year in France for his HS senior year. We met in French class in college. (We both did a minor in French.) His company sends him to French-speaking countries 3-4 times a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never heard of people taking a gap year during high school. There are semester programs for high school juniors, like the high Mountain Institute and the Island School — some in the northeast, too (is Chewonki one?)— but it’s still school and they are expensive. Attended more by private school kids who are already on a semester system but I know a couple of public school kids who were able to make it work. They probably have some amount of scholarships.

My kid took a gap year after high school (is in it now), and it’s been a really good reset, has helped moved her from a mindset where everything felt like a “have to” into one where doing valuable things felt more like her choice. She’s also just a lot more mature than she was a year ago.

What kinds of things is she doing? Just wondering because my kid is considering the same.

PP. In the fall semester she took a class at a community college, worked an unglamorous service job, and worked toward some reading and fitness goals. Is now doing a formal gap semester with other young people. So some school, a bunch of “real world” work, and some personal goals — followed by the opportunity to be around young people who are in a similar place. She helped earn the money for the gap semester program (they’re not cheap).

The fall was a little lonely — that’s something to be aware of — and she definitely got a bit wistful when the people she knew first went off to college. But she was more relieved for the reset than she was lonely, and simply getting up and going to a job day after day was very maturing. It helped knowing that she had the gap semester to look forward to.

Would definitely do it again. She will 100% be more ready for college, and she’ll appreciate it more, than if she’d gone straight away.

FYI, she had already applied to/chosen a college, and asked for a deferral. I’m glad she wasn’t also applying to colleges during this time.