Gap Year Before College Should Be the Norm

The overwhelming majority of college-bound high school seniors heads off to college just a couple of months after graduating. It is, of course, the normal path. A small but growing percentage of graduating seniors defer college enrollment to take what is commonly referred to as a gap year. This is the alternative path.

Though there is no single right answer for all students, I do believe we’ve mistakenly reversed the norm and the alternative. The norm should be taking a gap year. Going directly to college for four more years of school (right on the heels of 13 consecutive years of school) should be the alternative choice. Rather than needing a compelling reason to pursue a gap year, students should only go directly off to college for compelling reasons.

A gap year (from high school graduation in May or June to the start of college the following year in August or September) is typically a solid 13 to 15 months. And a well-crafted gap year generally consists of two or three (or more) of the following five types of experiences.

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