Marcus Hijkoop
Reporter & Website Manager
In towns such as New Canaan and Darien, teens feel pressured to receive top marks throughout high school and immediately proceed to elite universities. Whether it be work-overload, homesickness or general irresponsibility, many college students fail to resolve early problems they develop, and one in every four students drop out before they have completed their freshman year, according to American College Testing.
Now, juniors here are making “Junior Appointments” throughout February in order to discuss options beyond college with their guidance counselors. Recently more high school graduates have been taking a year off before college, in what is known as a “gap year”, their purpose being to embrace real-world situations and develop as a person.
Susan Carroll, coordinator of the College & Career Center, said that taking a year off gives students a chance to develop skills that they will need to succeed in their college years and throughout the rest of their lives. “Students who do take a gap year are usually more mature when they get to college,” she said.
Popular for over a decade in the United Kingdom and Australia, the concept of a typical “gap year” incorporates relaxation, work experience, community service and travel. Though the idea may be eccentric to some high school students, gap years have become increasingly popular in the United States in the past few years.
Dan Berman, freshman at Dartmouth College and ‘09 NCHS graduate, ventured to Japan and Nepal during the ’09-’10 year while the vast majority of his fellow graduates moved on to college. Spending his time in Asia sightseeing, exploring wilderness and culture, and volunteering at a hospital and orphanage, Dan said he “recharged from the built up stress from high school and grew as a person,” and “became much more excited to learn.”
Paul Ribeiro, Director of Guidance at Darien High School, said that not all gap years involve travel to exotic or impoverished areas. “Some programs are more career orientated and remain inside the country,” he said.
For example, City Year, a program based in Massachusetts, sends students to different work environments around the country, where they learn about the different aspects of various jobs.
City Year caters to various careers such as law. “[City Year] takes you out of your comfort zone and they send you to Los Angeles, where, every day, you go to a courthouse,” Ms. Carroll said of the judiciary program. “If you like to teach, they send you to Texas to tutor Spanish to fifth graders.”
However, many gap year programs exceed the cost of a college education, so some advise students to research several options. Some students may decide not to use a program or organization for a part, or the entirety, of their gap year. Many gap year programs also offer financial aid and scholarships to students in need.
Dan utilized the organization Projects-Abroad for parts of his trip in Asia, but he spent the entire winter in Montana as a ski patroler and stayed in his parents’ house, independent from any programs.
Ms. Carroll said that it’s a good idea for students to have a job for a semester in order to gain work experience and finance their travels and adventure that they may experience the other half of the year.
Mr. Ribeiro recommends students apply to college conventionally and then pursue their gap year interests. “Most students who take a gap year have already been accepted to college,” he said. “Most college admissions offices encourage gap years and will defer a student for a year.”
“It’s an individual choice of whether you will benefit from it or not,” Dan said. “I think it’s a great idea if you aren’t quite ready for college and want to experience something truly unique.”
Experts recommend that students contemplating taking a gap year should look to many different programs, attend a “Gap Year Fair,” such as the annual USA Gap Year Fair that takes place at Darien High School, and consult their guidance counselor whilst going through the college process.
New Canaan High School juniors can utilize their “Junior Appointment” in winter and spring months to discuss whether taking a gap year is a good decision and to consider various gap year organizations. It is advised that students looking at different programs should consider the duration, location, credibility of the organization, cost, and above all, what they want to get out of their year off from school.
Photos contributed by Dan Berman
