What exactly is a gap year?

[Quiver0f10]

Do you just do one more year of highschool work? Take a year off? Or...?

[Chris in CA]

I've always thought of it as a year off between hs and college for either travel, work or another life enriching activity

[Laura Corin]

In the UK (where it is common) a gap year is a year taken after high school and before university. Normally the student applies and gets accepted for a course, then defers for a year. Some people travel, some work, some volunteer - usually the university wants to know a little about what s/he will be doing.

Best wishes

Laura

[readwithem]

When SWB spoke at our hs conference a few years ago, she discussed this - she said she can quickly tell the difference in her classes between an 18 and a 19 yo. Her suggestions for that year included traveling, reading more good books, and working in an office so they can figure out that's NOT what they want to do for the rest of their lives :)

[Anne/Ankara]

Yes, I think the student applies to university, and after being accepted, applies for a gap year, enrolling on campus the following fall or whatever. When applying for a gap year, they would describe how they intend to spend the time-- usually something interesting, positive, or unusual...

[Quiver0f10]

Thanks for the replies. We are considering something like this for my upcoming 12th grader. He will be 17 when he graduates, so I think this might be a really good idea for him.

[Peek a Boo]

what are the pros and cons to just taking a year off *before* applying vs being accepted and taking a gap year?

[Laura Corin]

what are the pros and cons to just taking a year off *before* applying vs being accepted and taking a gap year?

Being accepted first is usually easier, because you then have the freedom to travel during the gap year without worrying about writing essays, getting people to recommend you, etc.. It also tends to focus the mind on it only being a gap year and not a gap rest-of-my-life......

Laura

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Laura

[Hilary in MI]

You may wish to check your health insurance policy, as many cover dependent children up to age 18 OR as long as they are full-time students up to an older age.

So, you may want to structure the year as part of high school (a senior project year) and formally graduate the child at the end, the spring before college matriculation, rather than ending high school before a gap year. In other words, continue full-time education without a break.

[Denise in NE]

I think Hiliary is right on target. We have several families in our home school group who are planning a gap year so their kids can take one year to focus on Speech and Debate. The college admissions officer who came to speak to our group told us that it is wisest to graduate your kids AFTER the gap and not before.

[Peek a Boo]

ooohh--a "Senior Project Year" --i like the sound of that. hmm. So would that make your Senior Year actually TWO years? a 5-year High School? how would that look on a transcript? will the colleges really care?

[Laura Corin]

Another option is to take out specialist insurance for that year. Google 'Gap Year Insurance' and you should come up with a lot of options.

Laura