Class of 2021 - is a Gap year the way to go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My super smart 24 year old was going to apply to grad school for fall 2021 entry but realized in early April that applications would be down and he should shoot for starting this fall. He finished his application in two days and got into a top ten program with a ton of merit aid. Schools are begging kids to enroll right now. May be a missed opportunity to wait a year.

Good for him!

I just can't see waiting to apply. If it means doing on-line classes to hold my kid's place at the university when it opens, I will pay for that. My kid is aiming at University of Chicago, Yale, Cornell and Penn. If he gets accepted to one of those, I will pay for on-line classes to make sure he has a place when campus re-opens. It's not ideal, but nothing is ideal right now.

[Anonymous]

Gap year could make sense if there is something to do. But, not all colleges will allow you to defer. You can withdraw, but then would have to reapply (along with next year's applications).

My guess is it will be much more selective next year (20-30% deferring, plus the 2021 grads).

[Anonymous]

Many expensive 2nd tier schools are going to go out of business. I’d be questioning if my school is going to make it through this. Covid will have dramatic long term impacts to college education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My super smart 24 year old was going to apply to grad school for fall 2021 entry but realized in early April that applications would be down and he should shoot for starting this fall. He finished his application in two days and got into a top ten program with a ton of merit aid. Schools are begging kids to enroll right now. May be a missed opportunity to wait a year.

Good for him!

I just can't see waiting to apply. If it means doing on-line classes to hold my kid's place at the university when it opens, I will pay for that. My kid is aiming at University of Chicago, Yale, Cornell and Penn. If he gets accepted to one of those, I will pay for on-line classes to make sure he has a place when campus re-opens. It's not ideal, but nothing is ideal right now.

If a student is accepted for a gap year, they do not reapply...they simply join the following class and matriculate a year later.

How prevalent are these requests for gap years ? Most recent HS class of 2020 that I know are matriculating as planned in spite of the remote learning. I am only aware of a very few taking gap year and for some of those, they had always planned for it, even before the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My super smart 24 year old was going to apply to grad school for fall 2021 entry but realized in early April that applications would be down and he should shoot for starting this fall. He finished his application in two days and got into a top ten program with a ton of merit aid. Schools are begging kids to enroll right now. May be a missed opportunity to wait a year.

Good for him!

I just can't see waiting to apply. If it means doing on-line classes to hold my kid's place at the university when it opens, I will pay for that. My kid is aiming at University of Chicago, Yale, Cornell and Penn. If he gets accepted to one of those, I will pay for on-line classes to make sure he has a place when campus re-opens. It's not ideal, but nothing is ideal right now.

If a student is accepted for a gap year, they do not reapply...they simply join the following class and matriculate a year later.

How prevalent are these requests for gap years ? Most recent HS class of 2020 that I know are matriculating as planned in spite of the remote learning. I am only aware of a very few taking gap year and for some of those, they had always planned for it, even before the pandemic.

My kid who enrolled at a top 20 just got a gap year approved. She has a paid internship this summer, her boss jokingly said she wished they could keep her for a year bc she is cheap labor, the U released 90% online in the fall, DD asked her boss if she is serious, they wrote a letter to the school and she was just approved yesterday.

The majority of her friend's going to "elite" schools have asked to defer (unless they got in for sports or have lots of financial aid which some college counselors are saying might be more at risk as the average salary decreases). About 50% have been approved.

[Anonymous]

It could be a wise move for a self motivated student with a plan. I don't know a lot of kids deferring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gap year doing what? Can’t travel. Can’t get any job except homeschooling little kids.

I mean there are a lot of jobs available but they are mostly high risk of exposure—perhaps better for an 18 year old to do that job. For example I know a college student who picked up shifts at an amazon warehouse this summer. Or working at a grocery store. Or Uber eats/instacart. Or nannying/babysitting. At least they might be able to save some money for school next year.

[Anonymous]

I think schools will be harder on 2021 kids who apply with the class of 2022. They will have to do something exceptional in their gap year to prove that they weren't trying to game the system by avoiding the slots taken by the class of 2020 who deferred. For 2020 kids, when they applied to colleges, and (most often) accepted at a school, they had no idea what would happen. That isn't true with the class of 2021. Top colleges will definitely consider this since applications will be even more "holistic" for the next two years -- at least.

[Anonymous]

My daughter who is admitted to an Ivy requested a gap year after they announced their plans for the year. She just found out last week that it was approved. Two of her friends at Ivys are doing gap years too. She has other friends who want to do it but can't because they got in off the wait list and the schools won't let those kids defer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think schools will be harder on 2021 kids who apply with the class of 2022. They will have to do something exceptional in their gap year to prove that they weren't trying to game the system by avoiding the slots taken by the class of 2020 who deferred. For 2020 kids, when they applied to colleges, and (most often) accepted at a school, they had no idea what would happen. That isn't true with the class of 2021. Top colleges will definitely consider this since applications will be even more "holistic" for the next two years -- at least.

You are not understanding that gap years are granted after admittance. The student applies during senior year with all the others and then after admittance...request to matriculate the following year. They do not then have to reapply.

Of course some students may delay application to college until after HS graduation but that would be different then a traditional gap year.

Class of 2021 will apply to college this year like every other year. Then some will choose to wait a year (or may be asked to wait a year due to these unusual circumstances but that is another story)

[Anonymous]

Are there any Stats available about the percentage of rising college freshman requesting gap years this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do GAP year. Next year the class of 2020 Gap year kids will be starting, taking spots from the 2021 kids. Ergo 2021-2022 is a great year to take a gap year.

Except there are going to be 2022 grads, too.

Which is why college as we know it is over. Online learning will be a feature of college education for years to come. It's how schools will survive financially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any Stats available about the percentage of rising college freshman requesting gap years this year?

A couple months ago, there were some news articles or blogs talking about surveys, but that was more along the lines of "considering" rather than actually taking gap years. As college plans are still in flux, I doubt there's reliable stats available on this just yet, if anyone even releases it. Maybe we'll hear more in Sept.

[Anonymous]

FAFSA points out that working during a gap year may impact your financial aid. https://twitter.com/FAFSA/status/1278724118427447298/photo/1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FAFSA points out that working during a gap year may impact your financial aid. https://twitter.com/FAFSA/status/1278724118427447298/photo/1

I don’t think the people on this site considering gap years are on FA. They have no concern over lost income by waiting either.-Mom of kid on FA