With the world turning upside down and questions of how universities will safely open for the fall semester growing by the day, a lot of families are considering taking a gap year. Many students considering whether or not they should take a gap year or defer are wondering what the colleges are saying. To be frank, no one has concrete answers on what the future holds for incoming college freshmen (at least not in the immediate future.) But we can offer some advice as to what we think the next year should (or shouldn’t) look like for your student:
What the Colleges Are Saying
First and foremost, there is no hard-and-fast rule. In fact, universities are just starting to release policies on gap years for prospective and incoming freshmen. Even still, the information is sure to flow more abundantly as time goes on. But what we are seeing is that many schools are being flexible, but stopping short of offering carte blanche. Dartmouth says it will consider extending gap year application deadlines beyond the standard June 1st deadline. But schools like Wesleyan will limit the number of gap year requests as they have to be conscious of keeping spots open for the class below (current high school juniors). Williams, for example, is also offering a gap year option but stopping short of allowing a gap semester. Most notably, Princeton says it cannot guarantee immediate return for students after they take a gap year, citing constraints on housing enrollment.
We expect to see more press releases and policy changes going forward. Colleges have never had to deal with gap-year requests in these quantities and there is no unified response. If you are wondering what your college is thinking, we encourage you to call their admissions office.
Should My Student Take a Gap Year?
Before COVID, we might have provided more structured advice about how to navigate a gap year. But unfortunately, the pandemic has put a kibosh on many opportunities for students. While some students are deterred by the prospect of taking an online semester when they could defer or take a gap year and have all four years once distancing eases, traditional gap years are just as untenable at the moment.
Pomona’s website still talks about gap years being an opportunity to travel, volunteer, or work. While a semester of online classes is not ideal, the reality is, your kid is unlikely to be able to enjoy the activities of a normal gap year. Sure, it’s possible that your kid is a real self-starter and there are plenty of opportunities to contribute to the world during this time, but for the vast majority of kids, developing any kind of meaningful gap year structure will require a lot of effort and ingenuity. Since most of them are already burdened by a very uncertain and anxiety-provoking situation, finding a way to develop a gap year may actually prove more difficult when the reality is they will likely just be sitting at home for the semester. If it is financially feasible for your student to do so, we recommend staying the course and starting school in the fall as planned, even if classes are remote for a semester. College is four years long. Not six months. This too shall pass.
Need some help developing a plan for freshman year? Call us. We are great at helping students stay organized, even during a pandemic.