Anonymous wrote:What’s wrong with applying ED and then deferring a year?

Well first, many colleges won’t let you. None my kid applied to. The point is they know who will show up next fall. Not next fall or the next fall. If the college allows it, then nothing.

My high school senior really wants to take a gap year in 2021-2022 and take classes somewhere in Europe. Crazy or not crazy?

Do you think large numbers of HS 2021 grads will take gap years next year?

Anonymous wrote:I know several kids doing gap years this year and here are some


There are several gap years operating in Israel

Americorp is operating and taking applications

Calleva has a gap year thing but it's local and you have to live at home I think.

I wouldn't bank on other international travel given restrictions on US citizens that we can't control.

+1

Me, too.

Anonymous wrote:Best guesses as to whether/to what extent colleges will be virtual in 2021/2022?

I work for a well known and "desirable" college, and I can tell you that schools are pushing to be open in fall, because they are all hurting right now. Bad. But, no matter what their boards say, and no matter how far they push, they won't be able to defeat all the different strains (already at 2) of COVID seeping through. COVID doesn't GAF about the numbers, or the bottom line.

I know several kids doing gap years this year and here are some


There are several gap years operating in Israel

Americorp is operating and taking applications

Calleva has a gap year thing but it's local and you have to live at home I think.

I wouldn't bank on other international travel given restrictions on US citizens that we can't control.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Awful to take an ED spot and then defer for a Gap year. This year, in particular, that's not ok. If I were the school, I would revoke your ED.

So many deserving kids who applied ED were ready to make a commitment to the school in the fall. If your kid wasn't, then he/she shouldn't have applied ED.

Uh I don't think you understand how this works. Universities decide if deferring/gapping is approved or not. Applying ED has nothing to do with it. If anything it allows them to have a better sense of RD admissions numbers so I think the ED who request gap years right away are actually doing everyone a favor.

While I can understand the frustration of those who didn't nab the coveted ED spot, I don't think it is fair to take that out on someone who is looking to take a gap year after being admitted during ED. The kid is still on the hook to enroll, just delaying it for a year given the circumstances. Also a gap year isn't for everyone. You need to be disciplined and focused to be able to return to academics after being out of school for an entire year. So don't be so quick to judge, it is not helpful nor helpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best guesses as to whether/to what extent colleges will be virtual in 2021/2022?

Guessing yes, virtual. We are taking a gap year now, rather than later. Letting the school know right after New Years. DC is getting certified in useful interests such as EMT, expecting normalcy in 2022. Wish us luck. We are excited and optimistic.

Please don't try to take one of the spots at places like BCC, where they really need to people being trained to put in the hours after they are certified. Otherwise, it is a waste of resources and they will be short handed until the next class of trainees.

Bump. Any thoughts as to whether a gap year program in Europe might be possible in 2021-2022?

A lot (most?) colleges are actually open and met on campus this past fall and will do so in the spring.

Anonymous wrote:"gap year program"

how about your kid volunteer in a soup kitchen or helping tutor kids who have been falling behind because their schools are closed?


The idea of contemplating sending a kid traveling the world or country right now makes me sick to my stomach.

kind of agree here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best guesses as to whether/to what extent colleges will be virtual in 2021/2022?

Maybe I"m naive, but I'm not expecting 21-22 to be virtual. Assuming vaccine uptake is adequate things should look very different 8 months from now. My guess is that the fall will still have some restrictions in place, maybe in even masks for the first couple of months, but that we will be moving toward a post-covid normal by late fall. Schools got hammered this year, they can't continue the virtual thing for very long. THey can (and I believe should) require the vaccine for anyone on campus.

I doubt they can require an experimental vaccine when the military cannot require it. Once it goes through the longer approval process, then yes I agree.

It's not an experimental vaccine, anymore.

Anonymous wrote:What’s wrong with applying ED and then deferring a year?

Colleges don't have to defer you if they don't want to. Deferral isn't a given.

Anonymous wrote:Best guesses as to whether/to what extent colleges will be virtual in 2021/2022?

Almost zero. Things will be pretty much back to normal.

I know several kids doing gap years. One is on a hiking trip (self organized with friends also on gap year) and the others are all employed as pod leaders or tutors for elementary kids doing virtual school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"gap year program"

how about your kid volunteer in a soup kitchen or helping tutor kids who have been falling behind because their schools are closed?

The idea of contemplating sending a kid traveling the world or country right now makes me sick to my stomach.

Well, my kid is one of those who has been tutoring kids with special needs and volunteering in soup kitchens and animal shelters so can he go on his gap year, pretty please? So freakin' judgmental.

+1