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[quote=Anonymous]OP, my kid is planning to take a gap year, and did as others suggested — applied as if she were going off in the fall. Now she’s working on a deferral plan (it will need to be approved, but basically all schools have said this is not likely to be an issue).

I know what you mean about “why not get an admissions advantage,” but I’ve come around to appreciating that there won’t be an advantage. The very idea of “advantage” is off the table, and it’s so refreshing.

So much of these kids’ high school lives has been done with back-of-the-mind (and sometimes top-of-mind) awareness of looming college applications. This can really muddy the mental waters. Are they doing what they’re doing bc it’s what they love? Are they doing it bc it will look good to college admission officers? If both, then to what extent is each a factor? Until college acceptance is fully removed as a variable I think it can be hard to know.

I have appreciated that DD’s gap year  conversations and reflections have taken place without that muddying influence. The only question on the table is personal growth. The conversations have felt unusually honest and thoughtful.

The most difficult part has been trying to predict who she’ll be after another year of growth. Will today’s best fit college still feel that way after another year of growth? The college selection itself feels a bit like a wing and a prayer. Maybe it always does.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck to your kid and to your family! [/quote]

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