You have just finished high school, gained acceptance into college, and the next four years of your life are starting to take form, but you cannot help but wonder if it is time for a break. Gap years have long been an option for the affluent, a chance to travel and vacation before heading off to some private college in the Northeast. Recently, they have evolved into yearlong sabbaticals that help students from any background grow, gain perspective, and prepare for the years ahead. Still, only three percent of students take gap years in the United States (Eagan et al). With the widespread impacts of the global pandemic and general uncertainty, a gap year might be exactly what students need. Although some fear a year would throw students off track or drain the resources of low-income families, gap years, if planned properly, are extremely beneficial; they improve college performance, allow students to reflect and gain perspective, and may even make students more marketable to future universities and employers.

Many opponents of the gap year lack the updated definition and current context of what these bridge years are and why students take them. When compared to past perceptions, it is apparent they have developed into more meaningful and accessible excursions. Gap years are no longer lavish trips around Europe viewed as a celebration or reward for previous accomplishments, only to be enjoyed by wealthy students. Instead, they often involve volunteer work, travel, and internships that inspire personal growth. When thought about in the academic and experiential context that they are now taken, it is easy to see how their benefits outweigh the drawbacks. While the additional year may set students’ graduation date back a year from their peers, the experiences, lessons, and sense of self a gap year can provide will set them ahead as they are more prepared for life. A study performed by the American Gap Association in 2015 yielded almost all positive results, with 98% of students reporting their year helped them develop as people, and 96% reporting an increase of self-confidence (“Gap Years: What Does the Research Say?”). Kyle DeNuccio, a student from the University of San Diego, shared his specific testimony explaining that “A gap year presented itself as a chance to claim the independence that formalized education had not encouraged. It was an opportunity to discover a sense of purpose outside of school,”. This is one of many stories that demonstrate the long-lasting benefits of taking a gap year.

Another concern opponents of gap years might have is the possible financial burden they can impose, especially on students from low-income families. However, there are a multitude of programs that can help plan and fund this year off; some universities including Duke, University of North Carolina, and Florida State have started offering aid for enrolled students that plan to take a gap year (Korn). Gap years also often include opportunities, such as internships, that relate to students’ intended majors, allowing them to test the waters before pouring time and thousands of dollars into the education of a profession they may decide is not suited for them. This extended time to think about and explore interests helps students find their passions and discover fields that truly interest them. This idea is also supported by DeNuccio’s testimony as he explained his gap year helped him find a more fulfilling career path as an editor and only pushed his graduation back a single semester.

Lastly, many parents and mentors fear that students will experience more difficulty during the admission process or decide not to continue their education after taking a sabbatical year. While the latter is an understandable concern, it is rarely a reality. While conducting research for his guidebook on the topic, Karl Haigler found that 90% of gap-year students return to college within a year (Shellenbarger). As for difficulty in gaining acceptance into a university, I am a strong believer that students should have a re-entry plan for their education before they take a year off and that their gap year should be well planned and structured. This is especially important for students in lower socioeconomic situations, where guidance and support is only available through their high school. Students who sort out which university they will be attending during senior year with their peers will have access to all of the same assistance and then can defer their enrollment after being accepted. This also allows them to take full advantage of the fall portion of their gap year, rather than worry about college admissions. Not only should students have their post-gap year plans laid out, but they should also have a detailed agenda for their time off. This will allow them to make the most of their opportunities and keep from falling stagnant at home. As Mandy Savitz-Romer, director of the Harvard Graduate School of Education Master’s Program in Prevention Science and Practice, states, “To work well for less-advantaged students, gap year programs have to be structured, with the expectation of postsecondary planning baked in” (Walsh). This idea is corroborated in O’Shea’s article, from Quartz Magazine, where he states it is important that the gap-year experiences be properly designed in order to “challenge students with new roles and perspectives that accelerate their growth as thinkers and citizens.” Gap years are not a time to relax and risk being drawn into the monotony of life at home, but rather a time to explore oneself and the world in a new light that allows a break from the strict academic cycle while keeping higher education in mind.

Those who do decide to take gap years have seen a myriad of positive effects with a strong example being improved college performance. According to a study of Grade Point Average results by Robert Clagett, the former Dean of Admissions at Middlebury College, gap-year students tended to outperform in college by 0.1 to 0.4 on a 4.0 GPA scale, with the positive effects lasting over the entire four years (“Gap Years: What Does the Research Say?”). Not only were their GPAs increased, but many gap year participants also report being refreshed by their time off and experienced an increased drive and a greater appreciation for higher education upon return (Hoe). This academic success can be linked to the increased mental stability in collegians who deferred their studies (O’Shea), as a gap year provides a break from the course based curriculum of grade school and allows students to have a better sense of who they are and what they want: an additional stress of young adulthood.

Another positive aspect of a sabbatical year is the opportunity for reflection, perspective, and growth. Many students are caught up in the quickening pace of school as they pile on accelerated course after course in an attempt to better themselves. While this shows colleges that students have challenged themselves and are prepared for an advanced curriculum, it leaves little time to think about their futures and passions. It may also limit their understanding of life after school and the lessons not taught in a classroom. Gap years provide the chance to reflect on what has been accomplished and students’ future goals and aspirations. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Duke Undergraduate Admissions Dean Christoph Guttentag states “The gap year allows hard-charging, academically focused students “to reflect, to grow, to mature, to develop”(Korn). Taking a year off also gives students real world experience and broadens the scope of their understanding beyond the academic setting especially those taking time to volunteer, intern, and travel.

Finally, gap years provide the opportunity to better oneself as an applicant, whether that be to college, graduate school, or a future employer. Along with the positive attributes previously discussed, gap years give students time to focus on a project individual to them. An impressive internship, far reaching volunteer work, or a unique passion project can set applicants apart and show early ambition and potential. Many universities and businesses seek out the qualities that are imparted by productive gap years and feel their school or company benefits from students with these attributes. Christoph Guttentag also supported this point, affirming that Duke benefitted from students who seized this opportunity as they brought creative problem-solving skills and resilience built from real-world challenges that provide perspective inside and outside the classroom (Korn).

Gap years often receive a bad rap, whether it is due to the connotations of being a leisurely option only for the rich or the threat they would corrupt hard working students. However, they can be one of the most beneficial actions a student can take. With proper planning and resource management, gap years can be affordable and influential, allowing any student to gain much needed experience and perspective.

Works Cited

DeNuccio, Kyle. “Independence Days: My Perfect Imperfect Gap Year.” New York Times (Online), 06 Apr 2017. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2264152278?accountid=53030.

Eagan, K., Stolzenberg, E. B., Bates, A. K., Aragon, M. C., Suchard, M. R., & Rios-Aguilar, C. (2015). “The American Freshman: National Norms Fall” 2015. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA

“Gap Years: What Does the Research Say?” The Student Conservation Association, 20 Apr. 2018, www.thesca.org/connect/blog/gap-years-what-does-research-say.

Hoe, Nina. 2015, Gap Year Association National Alumni Survey, www.gapyearassociation.org/assets/2015%20NAS%20Report.pdf.

Korn, Melissa. “Welcome to College. Now Take a Year Off.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 25 Dec. 2018, www.wsj.com/articles/welcome-to-college-now-take-a-year-off-11545742801?mod=searchresults.

O’Shea, Joe. “A Gap Year Could Be the Answer to the Student Mental Health Crisis.” Quartz, Quartz, 14 Sept. 2016, qz.com/704435/a-gap-year-could-be-the-answer-to-the-student-mental-health-crisis/.

Shellenbarger, Sue. “Delaying College to Fill in the Gaps.” The Wall Street Journal , Dec. 2010, www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203513204576047723922275698.

Walsh, Bari. “Closing the Gap Year Gap.” Harvard Graduate School of Education, May 2016, www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/16/05/closing-gap-year-gap.Page Break