The Risk of Taking a Gap Year

If you read The Wall Street Journal, you might have seen the article, “Seeking College-Admissions Edge, More Students Take Gap Year,” talking about how 130,000 students took a gap year in the 2020-21 admissions year due to rising college rejections. The logic behind a gap year is that the student is rejected so they will take a year to do another prestigious project and apply again next year. While taking a gap year offers some benefits, you should keep in mind the following: a gap year could scare admissions officers. 

You might think that sending your student to Africa to build schools for developing countries will look great on their resume when they reapply. While this task is admirable, it doesn’t challenge your student academically. Has your student forgotten the quadratic equation in the past year? Can they identify Dante’s nine circles of Hell from AP English? These are the questions going through the admissions officer’s head when they see your student’s gap year. Beyond some form of academic pursuit, few gap-year activities will increase your student’s admissions chances. 

If your student was rejected from their first-choice school, our advice is to attend the best safety school that they got into, do well in class, and apply to transfer to their preferred school. Or, if your student doesn't want to attend their safety schools at this time, they can always find a high school that offers post-graduate classes to keep their intellectual curiosity stimulated. Either of these options keeps your student on track academically, in the way admissions officers want to see. 

If your student ends up taking a gap year, a good amount of planning is required. What will your student accomplish academically and intellectually during the gap year? How will your student spend their time each day? At the end of the gap year, will your student be materially more impressive than they were at the beginning? Strategize and have a smart plan in place in order  to avoid wasting a year of your student’s life and diminishing their admissions chances upon reapplication. 

Ivy Link advises students on college admissions, gap years, and transfer applications. Looking for more in-depth assistance? Use the button below to schedule a consultation.