Should High School Students Take a Gap Year?

May 23, 2023 byElizabeth Preston

5 min to read

High school student preparing to take a gap year after high school wearing a grey sweatshirt

While many students attend college directly after graduating from high school, some students choose different paths. Some are jumping into the workplace, some are pursuing additional education outside of college, and some are taking a gap year. But what is a gap year and is it beneficial or detrimental to students?

What is a Gap Year?

A gap year is a period of time (usually one or two semesters) that students take after graduating from high school to engage in experiential learning, which is when students participate in hands-on experiences in order to “learn by doing.” A gap year can also refer to a period of rest after high school graduation to lessen a student’s feelings of academic burnout or to tend to one’s mental or physical health.

Gap years have become increasingly common, but there are some benefits and considerations to think about before you and your student answer the question: “Should I take a gap year?”

Benefits

Exploration

A gap year should increase participants’ self-awareness, allow them to learn about different cultural perspectives, and enable them to explore their passions and possible careers. These explorations may include internships, apprenticeships, jobs, volunteer work, or travelling.

Learning Coaches and parents can help students find such learning opportunities and use resources available to help students get the most benefit out of their gap years. For example,

the Gap Year Association offers accredited gap year programs to provide structure and plans for students’ gap years. Connections Academy also offers students resources to pursue Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses and can help parents and Learning Coaches find options for students to explore their passions as well as prepare students for how to apply to college after a gap year.

Ideally, this exploration should lead to greater clarity and focus for a student regarding what they are interested in and what career they want to pursue. For example, if a student is thinking about a career in working with the elderly, then they can volunteer or get a job at a local retirement home to see if they enjoy the work and if they are passionate about it enough to pursue a college degree in gerontology, medicine, or community health science.

Finances

It is no secret that college can be pricey, with the average annual tuition for four-year public institutions being $9,375 and $32,825 for four-year private institutions in 2021. Students who may not have the funds to pay tuition costs, but do not want to accumulate debt, may use their gap year to get a job and save money for college.

Skill Building

A gap year is a great opportunity to build skills that will help students in their desired careers. For example, if a student wants to be a veterinarian, then they may want to work at a veterinarian’s office to learn skills for helping animals.

Skill building can also be useful if students’ GPAs are low, because students can point to their relevant work experiences and skills to take the focus off of their GPAs in their college applications and portfolios. Excellent work experience and skills may also indicate how a student has matured and is ready to pursue college.

The aforementioned benefits allow students to return to academia with additional knowledge and experiences, which may give them advantages when applying to college after a gap year. Indeed, some advice for how to apply to college after a gap year is to use the experiences and skills that a student has learned to show colleges that the student is truly passionate about their intended career, has clarity regarding what they want to do in life, and has the necessary skills to succeed in a college’s program and, ultimately, in the student’s chosen career field.

However, despite these possible benefits of a gap year, there can be some challenges to consider.

An online student sitting on a red striped hammock working on their online class outside under a tree.

Considerations

Difficulty Returning to School

Taking a gap year can result in some difficulty in returning to school. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found that of those students who took a gap year in 2020, only two percent chose to enroll in college for the fall 2021 semester.

Part of this could stem from gap-year students getting out of the habit of doing schoolwork and going to classes, thereby losing their academic momentum. They may also not want to give up an income (if the person is working) or time with their friends and family.

Another reason may be because the individual feels intimidated when applying to college after a gap year since they no longer have contact with their high school counselors and teachers and feel as if they lack the necessary academic support.

Wasting Time

Without the built-in deadlines of academia, students may lose motivation for formal learning. Students need to hold themselves accountable to move constantly towards their goals and to live each day with purpose. Yet, if they have an unstructured gap year and do not have a concrete plan for their time, then they may lose momentum and purpose.

Cost

Gap years can cost significant money, particularly if the student decides to travel. Some travel researchers estimate that gap year travel costs can vary between $5,000 and $40,000 per person, although the costs depend upon location, activities, travel style, and accommodations.

Feelings of Isolation

A student who takes a gap year may feel isolated from their friends who are attending college. Seeing friends having college experiences may also cause the gap-year student to feel as if they are falling behind their peers.

For some students, taking a gap year can be a good choice, particularly if they use it for building their skills, expanding their horizons, finding clarity in their interests and career choices, and saving money. However, a gap year can lead to wasted time, numerous costs, feelings of isolation, and a loss of academic motivation. Students should discuss the idea of taking a gap year with their family and academic advisors so that they can determine if it is the right option for them.