With the prospect of college on the horizon, and your friends excitedly chattering about their hopes for campus life, it can be disorienting not to share in their excitement and instead wonder whether you are ready to go to college. Perhaps you are weighing other options available to you. You may feel as though you would benefit emotionally or academically from a break from formal schooling. Whatever the reason may be, a gap year may be an excellent option for you. The gap year has become an increasingly popular option for high school seniors who aren’t ready to dive into the world of higher academics immediately following their high school graduation.
A gap year is a year-long break from formal schooling, often taken between high school and college, during college, or right after college. During this year, people typically travel, volunteer, work, learn skills such as coding or a foreign language, or pursue passion projects—in other words, they engage in activities that are interesting and meaningful to them. You can also think of a gap year as an opportunity to experience personal, professional, and educational growth outside of a formal classroom setting.
A gap year is not a year-long vacation; students who take gap years often have at least one specific goal in mind, whether it be to gain professional skills, learn about new cultures, or figure out what their next step in life should be. Traditionally, gap years have been more common for students outside of the U.S., but interest in gap years has significantly grown in the U.S. in recent years.
If you are considering taking a gap year, it is important to first weigh the benefits and drawbacks of pursuing this option before deciding whether it’s right for you.
The Benefits of the Gap Year
You can develop your interests and skills.
If you have a penchant for languages and cultures, then backpacking through Europe or hiking in the Andes may be the perfect way to explore that passion. If traveling for the entire extent of your gap year is cost prohibitive, you could intern remotely for an international organization, start a small business, write a novel or screenplay, or take online classes in subjects you won’t have time to learn about in school, and plan a shorter trip as the culmination of your learning. When you have all the time in the world, you can really discover what you love outside of the parameters of a traditional school environment. Diving into one of your passions is not only personally fulfilling, but also professionally beneficial, as it can help you determine how to chart your course in college and the professional world.
Advice from a Senior Mentor:
“While there are many great reasons to take a gap year—perhaps you want to explore the world, mature more before college, gain hands-on experience in your field of interest—you should never take a gap year because you aren’t happy with the schools you got into. If your consideration of a gap year boils down to being rejected at your dream school, it is better to go to a match or safety school and transfer during your sophomore or junior year.”
You can save money.
Many students choose to take a gap year in order to build up savings for college. As the cost of both public and private institutions has steadily increased, even students with a “full ride” can struggle to afford textbooks, plane tickets, clothes for the particular climate, and the other expenses students need to cover. The financial burden of missing out on three or four years of full-time work can be significant. You can take this time to work remotely and save money so that you don’t have to stress about your finances during your first few years of college. If you plan to take multiple gap years and have not yet committed to a college, we recommend applying to colleges each year. The financial aid packages you will be offered will vary year to year and from college to college, so never make definitive assumptions about your ability to afford college.
You can gain maturity and confidence.
For students who don’t feel academically qualified or mature enough to attend college directly after high school, a gap year presents the perfect opportunity for personal growth. No matter what you choose to do during your gap year, you will probably encounter new people and ideas that will help you feel more prepared to take the next step in your education and your life. Simply planning a gap year requires a significant amount of reflection and organizational skills. After you have planned and undertaken a gap year, you will most likely have matured and developed a more solid sense of your personal identity.
It can help prepare you for college.
One of the greatest fears students (and parents) have when considering a gap year is whether academic repercussions will result from their break. Will you lose academic momentum and find the transition back to the classroom difficult? Will you choose not to attend college altogether? Research has shown that many of these fears are not rooted in data. Time reports that Robert Clagett, who has worked in admissions offices at Harvard University and Middlebury College, conducted independent research and found that students who took a gap year had GPAs between 0.15 and 0.20 higher than expected. Additionally, a report from the National Gap Association found that 73% of students claimed that the gap year helped prepare them for college.
The Potential Drawbacks of the Gap Year
It can be expensive.
Some formal gap year programs can cost upwards of $30,000. There are more affordable programs, such as those offered by AmeriCorps and the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. However, after figuring out how you want to spend your time off and doing a cost-benefit analysis of your gap year options, you may decide that the experience is not worth it. That being said, there is a growing movement dedicated to making gap years accessible to students from diverse backgrounds, so be sure to do your research on the range of options and price points. Remember that you don’t have to participate in an expensive program to have a fulfilling year.
It involves a lot of additional planning.
Compared to the well-trodden path of going directly to college after high school, organizing and taking a gap year requires a lot of independent planning and effort, from searching for opportunities to filling out lengthy applications. Keep in mind that you will have to do so while balancing school, extracurricular activities, and college applications. All of this additional work could add an overwhelming amount of stress to your final year of high school. This does not mean that planning a gap year is impossible—you just have to make sure you manage your time well. In addition, the hands-on planning process can instill valuable life skills and ultimately make the experience more meaningful to you, as it is the product of your hard work and unique vision.
It can be difficult to transition back to an academic environment.
While studies show that students who take a gap year do well academically upon their return to school, it’s possible that you could find it difficult to adapt to an academic environment after a year away from school. One way to combat this is to fit an online course or two into your gap year schedule—while many colleges, including Harvard University, will not count courses taken during a gap year toward your degree, online courses are a great way to continue learning and maintain all of the good study habits you’ve developed throughout high school.
You may feel like you’re falling behind your peers.
Life is not a race. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to not compare your timeline to that of others. Unless you make a plan to graduate from college in three years, taking a gap year means you will be graduating a year after your peers. This is not a bad thing! Everyone moves at their own pace, and after your studies are complete, you and your peers will move through completely different professional careers at different paces, so graduating “on time” won’t mean much. That being said, if you find yourself wanting to graduate college four years after you graduate high school, then your slightly delayed timeline could be a factor to consider when deciding if a gap year is right for you.
Parent Sidebar: “My student wants to take a gap year and I’m freaking out. How do I know this is the best option for them?”
Advice from a Senior Mentor:
It can be challenging to help your student when they are considering a nontraditional path—you may have concerns about finances, planning, or even safety if your student is considering using their gap year to travel. First and foremost, it is important to lead with curiosity. Ask your student about what specific goals they have for their gap year, why they believe they would benefit from time off before college, and what programs or activities they would be interested in. Asking questions will not only help you assess what your student wants out of their gap year, but it will provoke your student to think critically about what a gap year would entail for them—the more specific questions you pose, the more your student will be encouraged to do research and take ownership of their gap year planning.
In addition, think critically about your own concerns—if you feel hesitant about the idea, try to parse where that feeling is coming from. It is important to remember that going to college is not only an important milestone for students, but also for parents. When your child chooses a nontraditional path, it can be challenging to recognize that you may not be able to discuss your concerns and experiences with other parents the way you would otherwise if your child was entering their freshman year of college alongside their peers.
However, you can use these feelings to spark conversation with your student—once you have thought about your own hesitations, turn your concerns into connection points between you and your student. If you are worried about not having other parents to talk to about your experience, find a way to turn this into a question that invites your student to consider and express their own feelings about the gap year. For instance, “I am feeling a little nervous about what it might be like to hear other parents moving their students in and experiencing traditional college milestones while we are having a very different experience. Have you thought about whether you might feel sad or regretful when the rest of your friends are having a shared experience while you are doing your own unique thing?”
Approaching your student with honesty and inquisitiveness can help you to connect with them and help them to consider aspects of their decision that they may not have yet considered.
Applying to College & The Gap Year
If you feel fairly certain that you want to take a gap year, you may be wondering whether it is worthwhile to apply to college before doing so. Whether you are confident that you will attend college immediately after high school or not, you should plan to apply to college during your senior year of high school. Applying to college before your gap year will ensure that you have concrete options after your time off. Additionally, it’s often logistically easier to apply to college while you’re still in high school and have easy access to your school’s guidance department. If you are accepted to a school that interests you, you may be able to defer your acceptance, and save yourself the hassle of having to go through the process on your own during your gap year.
It’s also important to keep in mind that you can apply to college before your gap year and then reapply during your gap year if you didn’t get the college acceptances you had hoped for during the first round of applications. Applying while you’re still in high school will give you experience in the college admissions process, which will hopefully lead to a seamless second application cycle. If you decide to reapply to college during your gap year, you should make sure to carve out time during your gap year to retake standardized tests (if necessary), rewrite your personal statement, and apply to a range of schools that would be a good fit for you.
If you’re interested in a formal gap year program offered by a college you have applied to or been admitted to, you should complete required application materials by the published deadlines. If your college does not have a formal program, or if you would like to pursue different gap year programs and activities, you should call the school’s office of admissions and inquire about the best way to request a deferral. You may have to complete an online form by a certain deadline, or send a letter outlining your gap year plans to your school’s director of admissions. You should aim to send this letter as soon as possible—ideally before May 1. Your college’s admissions committee will then grant or deny your deferral request. Be sure to double-check any rules your college has regarding gap years and financial aid, and keep in mind that you will likely have to complete the FAFSA after your gap year.
Planning Your Gap Year
There are many ways to design a gap year, and people with different values and backgrounds will map out their gap years in different ways. If you set specific goals for your gap year and keep an open mind when looking for opportunities, you’ll be able to create a gap year plan that you’re excited about.
If you’re not sure how to find gap year opportunities, here are some resources to help you get started:
Idealist.org
If you’re looking for a job, internship, or volunteer opportunity at an organization that focuses on social issues, such as AmeriCorps and City Year, then Idealist is a great place to start your search. The site allows you to research specific organizations, find paid and unpaid positions, and even filter your search to opportunities that don’t require anything beyond a high school diploma.
Gap Year Association
The Gap Year Association is a nonprofit that works to increase access to, and participation in, gap year opportunities. The organization offers gap year advice and resources for students, parents, and educators, including a list of Gap Year Association-accredited programs and information on gap year financial aid.
Go Overseas
Go Overseas lists a myriad of international programs for those looking to spend a gap year abroad. The site showcases both full-year programs and shorter international opportunities. If you don’t feel ready to move to another country or can’t move due to the pandemic, Go Overseas also provides virtual international opportunities.
edX and edX For Business
edX and edX For Business offer courses on a range of topics. In the context of gap year plans, these are great sites to look for courses that will help you build beneficial skills for the professional world, including business, programming, communication, and management-related skills.
Points of Light Engage and Catchafire
These are two of many sites that you can use to find both remote and in-person volunteer opportunities. Keep in mind that, in addition to using sites like these, you can also look to your local communities for volunteer opportunities—for example, you could get in touch with local elderly care facilities, religious institutions, and your local government to see how you can serve your community during your gap year.
If you are having trouble deciding what to do during a gap year, peruse the above websites and write down 10 to 15 activities—not necessarily programs or organizations—that pique your interest. This will help you define your goals and understand the full range of gap year activities that are available. This is also a useful exercise to help you discover extracurriculars and internships you may want to get involved in during your college years and beyond.
Keep in mind that you can choose to blend a 3-6 month structured gap year, immersive learning, or service program with a period of time dedicated to independent projects oriented towards your goal. This path could help to reduce costs and either kickstart your gap year with some structure or conclude your gap year with a culminating experience. If you choose to devote time to your own projects, research, or independent travel, you should think about some measurable goals that can connect your independent time with the structured program you intend to pursue.
In addition to the resources listed above, you should also research whether the college you plan to attend offers a formal gap year program. Princeton University, for instance, offers an international service-oriented gap year program known as the Novogratz Bridge Year Program, Tufts University offers the Civic Semester, and American University offers the AU Gap Program. If you have not yet decided on a college or are in the process of applying to colleges, talking to admissions offices about gap year opportunities and how their universities support students who participate in gap years would be a great way to get the ball rolling on your gap year plans.
What are the best gap year programs?
The best gap year program for a student depends on their skills, interests, and goals for their year away from formal schooling. While students should self-reflect and conduct thorough research to align their gap year plans to their interests, below are reputable gap-year programs suitable for a variety of student interests to kick off your research.
AmeriCorps NCCC
Best for: Students who want to engage in community service, environmental stewardship & leadership
What you’ll do: Work on team-based projects across the U.S., tackling disaster relief, affordable housing, environmental conservation, and public health initiatives.
CIEE Gap Year Abroad
Best for: Students who want to engage in language & cultural immersion
What you’ll do: Study a new language, intern, or volunteer in one of over 15 countries while immersing yourself in the culture.
Tilting Futures
Best for: Students who want to engage in global studies & human rights issues
What you’ll do: Live with other students in Africa, Latin America, or Asia while working on humanitarian projects in education, health, gender equality, or sustainability.
Outward Bound
Best for: Students who want to engage in outdoor adventure & leadership training
What you’ll do: Participate in intensive wilderness expeditions that build resilience, teamwork, and leadership through backpacking, rock climbing, and survival training.
National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
Best for: Students who want to engage in environmental science & outdoor adventure
What you’ll do: Learn wilderness survival, environmental ethics, and leadership skills through hands-on expeditions in remote locations worldwide.
Workaway
Best for: Students who want to engage in hospitality & cultural exchange
What you’ll do: Self-directed travel and work with hosts worldwide, gaining experience in hospitality, farming, teaching, or marketing in exchange for free room and board.
WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)
Best for: Students who want to engage in sustainability & agriculture
What you’ll do: Live and work on organic farms worldwide, learning about sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and eco-friendly living.
IYRS School of Technology & Trades
Best for: Students who want to engage in engineering & craftsmanship
What you’ll do: Receive hands-on training in boatbuilding, composites technology, and marine systems in Providence, Rhode Island.
InternHQ
Best for: Students who want to engage in business & entrepreneurship
What you’ll do: Gain hands-on experience in business, marketing, or finance through international internships in cities like London, Cape Town, and Tokyo or remotely.
Whether or not you decide to take a gap year or semester after high school, the next chapter in your educational journey will be whatever you make of it! Perhaps online or hybrid college will be the perfect transition into college-level work and set you up for three more years of success. Or maybe you’ll take a gap year and complete a passion project that you would have never been able to endeavor while balancing school and creative pursuits. Regardless, if you enter the next year with zeal and determination, you will be destined for success!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a gap year?
A gap year is a break from formal education between graduating from high school and enrolling in college. Students may use this time for travel, internships, volunteering, or personal development to gain real-world experience and clarity on their future goals.
Will taking a gap year help me get into college?
While a gap year does not necessarily help you get into college, a well-structured gap year can enhance your college application by demonstrating maturity, independence, and a commitment to personal and academic growth. Students should keep in mind that a gap year is what you make of it—while planning ahead and approaching the gap year with intentionality and strategy can benefit your application profile, failing to do so can have the opposite effect, causing students to stagnate and stall on pursuing their professional and academic goals.
Are gap years expensive?
Gap years can range from budget-friendly to expensive, depending on the program or activities one chooses to participate in. Students and families should develop a budget and do ample research to ensure that their gap year plans are financially feasible.
Do gap years look bad on your resume?
No! A well-planned gap year can make your resume stand out. Employers and colleges value gap years that involve meaningful work, skill-building, or international experience, as they show initiative, adaptability, and a global perspective.
Should I take a gap year?
Gap years are not the right choice for every student. If you feel that you aren’t ready for the rigors of college and you have a specific goal you’d like to pursue before you begin higher education, a gap year might be right for you. Alternatively, the prospect of taking a full year off from school might be daunting. If you’re hesitant about taking a gap year because you don’t want to take a prolonged period of time off, keep in mind that many colleges allow students to take gap semesters. Some students decide that the potential drawbacks outweigh the benefits, and others don’t realize they’re not ready for college until they’ve already started their first year. So what do you do then?
First, make use of on-campus counseling services and support networks! Your college likely offers more resources than did your high school, and they’re there for you to use. Talk to someone about how you’re feeling. Don’t put pressure on yourself to have everything figured out immediately. There’s a learning curve in college, and all you can do is take things one day at a time and keep an open mind.
Are gap year programs worth it?
A gap year program can be worth the financial investment if you choose a program that aligns with your goals and your financial capabilities. Gap year programs can help you develop life skills, build connections, and enhance your college or job applications. Just be sure to research reputable programs and consider cost-effective options.
Are gap year students more successful?
A gap year can be a vital opportunity for students to mature, develop their goals, deepen their learning, and gain real-world experience that will benefit them in their professional futures. Given this, a strategic gap year can correlate to a student’s overall success in college and beyond. Some studies suggest that students who take gap years often perform better in college, have clearer career goals, and develop valuable life skills.
How can I take a gap year abroad?
When should I take a gap year?
The most common time to take a gap year is after high school and before college. However, some students take a gap year during college (a “gap semester”) or before starting a career. The best time to take a gap year depends on your personal, academic, and professional goals.
