Minding the ‘Gap’ Why More Graduating Seniors are Differing College Admissions
By Mathilde Williams ‘07
News Staff Reporter
As our school year is coming to an end, the senior class looks forward to embarking upon a new stage of their lives. Most plan on attending college in the fall of 2006; however, some Choate seniors have decided to take what is known as a “gap” year—deferring from enrollment in college.
There are many different opinions on the decision to take a gap year and a variety of reasons for doing so. Deferring has become much more popular in the recent years, as well as looked upon by universities in a different light than in earlier decades. Previously, it was looked upon “as an option for students who needed a year to ‘mature’ or grow as a scholar, or to find focus. But, as College Counselor Linda Shultz says, it is very common for top graduates to take a year between high school and college.”
The gap year can help in the transitioning process. However, according to Jessica Jarvis in an interview with BBC News, “’framing’ the gap year experience can be crucial.” Many people used to regard a deferred year as the time to travel the world, experiencing different cultures and societies. While it is still about that, some of the most enriching experiences are actually spent near students’ homes. According to Tom Griffiths, founder of gapyear.com, “what matters more than what you do is what you got out of it.” Many students who take advantage of this ‘time out’ agree that the time spent away from schooling actually taught them important life skills through their experiences out in the ‘real’ world.
The college counseling office at Choate does not discourage students taking a gap year. College Counselor Mrs. Burditt believes that “a gap year can be a great experience for our graduating seniors and it is a concept that colleges look favorably upon.” The effect of deferring, doing something completely different for a year, is that students “may better understand themselves and what they are hoping to accomplish in college, making the next four years more productive.” We all know that four years at Choate can be some of the most demanding and strenuous of our lifetimes. Gap years are good for students who need some time to ‘recover’ before starting again academic rigor. Ms. Schulz sees that many high school students suffer from simply being “burnt-out.” She asserts that because “our society has placed the bar extremely high for high school age teenagers,” they strive to ‘do it all’ and become mentally exhausted after their senior year of high school.
In addition, Ms. Schulz believes that “a gap year allows students the chance to rejuvenate and regain perspective in their lives. There is real value in the ‘experiential learning’ – or life lessons – that takes place during the interim year.” Although the college counseling office allows for students to choose to take a gap year, they do urge the seniors who decide to do this to go through the college process and then defer their acceptance to the school they like most. College counselor Mr. Proto believes a gap year “is a personal decision that can be very beneficial if used for some type of personal advancement.” Whether it is for athletic reasons, social motives, or simply the need to ‘take a break,’ a gap year can help a student develop as an individual before attending college.
A handful of Choate seniors have decided to defer for a year or two because of different motives. Some of our varsity hockey players are planning on playing Junior Hockey. According to Pat Kenny ‘06, “ [My] goal is to play Division One hockey in college, and while Choate plays in a solid league, ‘Juniors’ is the next step. I have accomplished everything I needed to, academically, at Choate. Now I need to focus on hockey for a year and develop fully in that sense to play at the schools I want to go to.” Justin Mitchell ’06 and Rence Coassin ’06 will join Kenney, spending their year (or two) improving their hockey skills.
In addition to playing hockey, also travel abroad. Maggie Carter ’06 will be attending Middlebury College, but will enter in February—a system unique to Middlebury. She plans on keeping herself busy until her enrollment by taking classes at the University of Salamanca in Spain, as well as surfing in Costa Rica for a month. Maggie is actually very excited about this break. According to Carter, “ I may be a little skeptical about the prospect of deferring a semester now, [she] know[s] that in the long run, it will definitely be a worthwhile experience.”
The varieties of reasons for taking a gap year have made the decision very popular recently. As many as 50,000 students worldwide will choose to do so this year. It has been said that that number will double within the next few years, becoming a highly considered option at the end of a high school career. Colleges actually support students who choose to defer, because oftentimes, schools over enroll. As Shultz notes, in the past few years, colleges have seen that gap year students often come back more invigorated and revived, full of “life experiences and perspectives.”
Also, there are an infinite amount of opportunities involved with ‘creating’ a gap year. There are even interim consultants who help plan interim year programs. Some of the greatest programs are created by the student, but the personal knowledge gained from the gap year is the essential achievement in deferring.
