Reply to Why are gap years trendy?

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Why are gap years trendy? "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It is the new name for it that is trendy.  Foreign exchanges have been around for 40+ years.  DH did one between HS and college in the 70's.  Taking time off to save up for college has been around longer.  My Dad worked at a Ford plant for a year to save up money to go to college.   [/quote]

gap years aren't exchanges. It is just taking a year off to travel, work or do other things of interest.[/quote]

I know a few kids doing gap years and none of them are traveling, working or doing "things of interest".

Most are doing a structured volunteer program or going to a boarding school to work on their academic profile. [/quote]

Going to boarding school isn't really a gap year....its a post graduate year to, as you point out, upgrade academics.

Structured volunteer programs are a joke and carry little weight with admissions.

I think gap years are a great idea but the student should think about what the goal is.  If it is to mature so that they get the most of college then perhaps working a job would make sense. If they feel they've lived a sheltered life then by all means travel the world. [/quote]

Nobody I know is "trying to impress admissions".

They are all accepted to a college and defer admissions.

Not everything in life has to be full of meaning, goal oriented or "help you get into college".

I also know a bunch of kids that after graduation didn't want yo get on the gerbil wheel chasing money and are working is New Zealand as tour guides. Just because.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics