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Gap Year
Gap Year
A Gap Year is a great opportunity to do something unique between high school and college and is a time for a person to grow both as an individual and as a student. Benefits include travel, exposure to new cultures, and a chance to gain experience for your college admissions application or professional resume. It is also a chance to do some serious good in the world. Visit a Gap Year fair to investigate different organizations. USA Gap Year Fairs visits New Trier High School in January annually.
For general ideas about Gap Year possibilities, see the following websites:
Gap Year on nacacnet.org - This website offers many great resources, including websites and books, for students who are considering a "gap year" between high school and college.
Gap Year on nacacnet.org - This website offers many great resources, including websites and books, for students who are considering a "gap year" between high school and college.
Guide to Gap Year Programs - An online guide, compiled by TeenLife, offers information on a variety of gap year programs, along with information on why students choose a gap year.
Guide to Gap Year Programs - An online guide, compiled by TeenLife, offers information on a variety of gap year programs, along with information on why students choose a gap year.
The best way to arrange a gap year is to gain admission to college and then request that admittance be deferred for a year, if the college supports this option. This step will usually require that a plan for the deferred year be submitted and approved. There are some colleges, however, that do have specific college sponsored gap year programs for admitted students, e.g. see Tufts and Princeton. If admission to college is not secured prior to the gap year, then the student must be sure to maintain contacts with high school counselors in order to complete the admission process the subsequent year.
How to Ask for (and Get!) a Gap Year Deferral
How to Ask for (and Get!) a Gap Year Deferral
Courtesy of Gap Year Solutions
Every year at this time, students looking to delay the start of college need to notify their school that they would like to request a Gap Year deferral. While this process is relatively straightforward and has similarities across colleges, every institution seems to have slightly different policies, processes, forms and deadlines. Here are some steps to ensure you successfully receive a “yes” for their deferral request.
Step 1: Make sure the school permits Gap Year requests.This is pretty easy, since nearly every school now allows Gap Years. (Note: the University of California schools do not accept Gap Years - students will need to reapply if they want to defer admission.)
Step 2: Understand the school’s deferral process. Typically the school’s website will outline the process, but some websites have very little information so a call to the admissions office is a good idea. Schools will require a free-form letter or specific application that usually asks for:
Reason for Gap Year deferral and objectives for taking the time
Length of time
Outline of the Gap Year plan
Step 3: Understand the school’s deferral deadline. This year the traditional deadline to submit requests by May 1st seems to be back in place. Even if schools have a slightly later deadline, we recommend that the deferral application / letter should be prepared by the same May 1st deadline as the enrollment deposit. (Which if you're keeping track of time is essentially RIGHT NOW!)
Step 4: Write the deferral letter. Our advice is for students to prepare a draft of their Gap Year request, and then have the student’s parents, a friend, school counselor, college counselor or Gap Year advisor proof the request and offer some edits to tighten it up. Here are three sample letters from Gap Year Solutions students to provide some guidance:
Step 5: Submit the deferral request. And that’s it! As long as students follow the school’s instructions, submit by the deadline and have a rough plan, we have never heard of a Gap Year request being turned down.
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