Gap year ideas

[Anonymous]

I know a bunch of kids who have taken a gap year, or even two years. All had applied to and gotten into terrific colleges (including several T10s), then deferred. All worked real, not-very-glamorous jobs. A few (wealthier) also did some travel with gap-year programs for part of the time.

I think it's smart. College is a tremendous opportunity, but only if a kid is mature enough, or has self-knowledge enough, to take advantage of it. Simply working can be a big part of how they get themselves more ready to hit the ground running.

One thing to be aware of, though, is that a gap year can be lonely. I don't think loneliness is inherently a bad thing (it's part of how we learn about ourselves and come to value connection), but it's a good idea to talk about this possibility in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m from the UK where gap years are very common. I appreciate it is very different here but it is common in the UK for kids to either get a job for say 6 months to save money and then use the money to travel for the remainder, or to go work and travel somewhere else (e.g. in Australia or Thailand or somewhere with a lot of travelers). Some kids also do gap year programs which usually involve a combination of volunteering, working or studying. Some of these are expensive but others are not.

What is the purpose of doing any of that, what does that do for these kids? They could easily do mall of that stuff either during summer between college semesters, or after they graduate.

The overwhelming majority of people I know who went to college, did not take a gap year and they all turned out just fine. I don’t see the point, seems to just delay getting college over and done with.

A cultural difference I guess! It isn’t just wealthy kids who do it. It’s a way to broaden minds and experience different cultures and try new things. It was absolutely worth it for me and I don’t know anyone who regrets it. I had a place at Oxford and it didn’t stop me from turning out just fine either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of kids who have taken a gap year, or even two years. All had applied to and gotten into terrific colleges (including several T10s), then deferred. All worked real, not-very-glamorous jobs. A few (wealthier) also did some travel with gap-year programs for part of the time.

I think it's smart. College is a tremendous opportunity, but only if a kid is mature enough, or has self-knowledge enough, to take advantage of it. Simply working can be a big part of how they get themselves more ready to hit the ground running.

One thing to be aware of, though, is that a gap year can be lonely. I don't think loneliness is inherently a bad thing (it's part of how we learn about ourselves and come to value connection), but it's a good idea to talk about this possibility in advance.

This is key. Unless there's a social structure around your kid which they can rely on, it gets very tough, especially over 12 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of kids who have taken a gap year, or even two years. All had applied to and gotten into terrific colleges (including several T10s), then deferred. All worked real, not-very-glamorous jobs. A few (wealthier) also did some travel with gap-year programs for part of the time.

I think it's smart. College is a tremendous opportunity, but only if a kid is mature enough, or has self-knowledge enough, to take advantage of it. Simply working can be a big part of how they get themselves more ready to hit the ground running.

One thing to be aware of, though, is that a gap year can be lonely. I don't think loneliness is inherently a bad thing (it's part of how we learn about ourselves and come to value connection), but it's a good idea to talk about this possibility in advance.

This is key. Unless there's a social structure around your kid which they can rely on, it gets very tough, especially over 12 months.

The loneliness factor is real. I would think a program (like Verto education) with other students would decrease that factor. There are also ones for kids with ADHD, like SOAR would be a positive experience. https://soarnc.org/gap-year/

FCPS offers a gap year fair each late winter/early spring so that could be useful for you.

[Anonymous]

Not a formal program but he could look into a backpackers work visa for young people in Australia. You can work on and off and travel in between. I don't know any of the specifics and whether he would qualify but a lot of people do it and it's pretty normal to just work a couple months here and there.

[Anonymous]

What about a JOB???

[Anonymous]

Our son took a gap year -- ready for college but needed a break after HS for various reasons. It made a world of difference for him, his outlook, his maturity and he started school refreshed. We had him come up with a plan -- it wasn't going to be "Camp Sofa". Get a job -- you need to work. Do something larger than yourself -- volunteered through our church at the border for 4 weeks. they liked it as he was there for more than a weekend or as part of a group on a one week service trip. Catholic Charties helped with a host family; he also kept his spanish fresh. Have a little fun - he did some camping, and a long amtrak cross-country trip. He is a first year in college and doing well. Gap years do not have to be expensive programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americorp is a great program.

New poster here
I have an (adult) kid in an Americorp position right now. He receives free housing (shares an apartment, but has his own bedroom, with other Americorps participants) and a small stipend (I think he says it's about $700 every two weeks.) He'll also get an education award of about $6k at the completion of the program.

[Anonymous]

DS is currently a freshman at University of Miami, and he took a gap year after graduating from HS in '22 because he was not ready for college. DS traveled with my BIL, who is a professional musician, to many places in the US and South America where they performed. He also got to experience the booze, women and drugs (DS didn't do drugs or so he claimed). He got those things out of his system after the gap year and is currently enrolling at the U.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is currently a freshman at University of Miami, and he took a gap year after graduating from HS in '22 because he was not ready for college. DS traveled with my BIL, who is a professional musician, to many places in the US and South America where they performed. He also got to experience the booze, women and drugs (DS didn't do drugs or so he claimed). He got those things out of his system after the gap year and is currently enrolling at the U.

This sounds fun but terrifies me as a parent

[Anonymous]

I'm an AmeriCorps alum who did a year of AmeriCorps after college in the '90s...absolutely I would have gotten so much more out of college by having that experience first. Hoping both of my kids do gap years of whatever type.

[Anonymous]

Realize he may never end up going to college after the gap year. It is hard to go from making money, as you said he wants to do, to being a full time student. I think gap years work for kids who are purposeful and have a concrete plan for what happens next. Honestly, I’d encourage him to at least go to community college to keep his head in the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Realize he may never end up going to college after the gap year. It is hard to go from making money, as you said he wants to do, to being a full time student. I think gap years work for kids who are purposeful and have a concrete plan for what happens next. Honestly, I’d encourage him to at least go to community college to keep his head in the game.

If you defer your acceptance, I don’t think you can attend college at all during the gap year (even community college). You lose your spot at your university. Someone correct me if this has changed in recent years!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m from the UK where gap years are very common. I appreciate it is very different here but it is common in the UK for kids to either get a job for say 6 months to save money and then use the money to travel for the remainder, or to go work and travel somewhere else (e.g. in Australia or Thailand or somewhere with a lot of travelers). Some kids also do gap year programs which usually involve a combination of volunteering, working or studying. Some of these are expensive but others are not.

What this sounds like to me is gap year is for rich kids from wealthy families who have money to blow (waste on non-productive adults), and these kids travel for 6-12 months to basically party, smoke weed and sleep with people in other countries. That is my takeaway.

No thank you, my kid is not interested.

This seems like a very American perspective. While kids from affluent backgrounds certainly partake, I know many middle class European and British kids who are entirely self-funded. These kids grow up much more independent than Americans, and interailing and hostelling can be extremely affordable for kids who plan ahead. Travel within Europe is much more affordable than Americans might be used to, and trips to SE Asia and even Australia can also be done on a budget. American kids are much more likely to do a structured program like Where There Be Dragons or NOLS and nobody bats an eye, but maybe just accept that kids the same age as yours can plan affordable gap year adventures. Have a nice day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m from the UK where gap years are very common. I appreciate it is very different here but it is common in the UK for kids to either get a job for say 6 months to save money and then use the money to travel for the remainder, or to go work and travel somewhere else (e.g. in Australia or Thailand or somewhere with a lot of travelers). Some kids also do gap year programs which usually involve a combination of volunteering, working or studying. Some of these are expensive but others are not.

What this sounds like to me is gap year is for rich kids from wealthy families who have money to blow (waste on non-productive adults), and these kids travel for 6-12 months to basically party, smoke weed and sleep with people in other countries. That is my takeaway.

No thank you, my kid is not interested.

This seems like a very American perspective. While kids from affluent backgrounds certainly partake, I know many middle class European and British kids who are entirely self-funded. These kids grow up much more independent than Americans, and interailing and hostelling can be extremely affordable for kids who plan ahead. Travel within Europe is much more affordable than Americans might be used to, and trips to SE Asia and even Australia can also be done on a budget. American kids are much more likely to do a structured program like Where There Be Dragons or NOLS and nobody bats an eye, but maybe just accept that kids the same age as yours can plan affordable gap year adventures. Have a nice day!

I agree with you. I am a previous poster whose was basically self funded and did a combination of paid work, volunteering, and inexpensive adventuring (backpacking, etc.), and as I scanned the responses plenty of people are saying some version of this. The truth is my kid would not have taken a gap year if it hadn’t been for Covid. But the things she got out of that year in terms of independence, new skills and interests, etc. have been such a gift and have impacted her college life in a really positive way.