49 48 What do Colleges Think? Here’s what some have to say Worried about what colleges and universities will say? Most of them are totally on board. “We encourage admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way.” And guess what? Their 98% graduation rate suggests that students who take time off come back even more motivated and ready to succeed. Every year, between 90 and 130 students take a gap year at Harvard, and their experiences are “uniformly positive.” “At Middlebury, we’ve long suppor ted students who want to take time off between high school and college. Every year, a handful of students admitted for September choose to defer their enrollment for a year and instead travel, work, or take the oppor tunity to pursue other interests. All of those options can help contribute to an even more enriching college experience.” “Approximately fifty Penn students chose to take a gap year, whether as admitted high school seniors prior to matriculating, or between years at Penn. When they return to campus, these students frequently repor t that their gap year has been a deeply meaningful and formative experience, and studies indicate that the benefits of taking a gap year are many and wide-ranging. All requests for taking a gap year are reviewed on a caseby-case basis by the Dean of Admissions.” “In order to make sure you have an effective gap year, make sure you set goals and have a plan. While your gap year doesn’ t need to follow a rigid schedule or be planned to the last detail, you should be clear on the purpose of how you’ll be spending your time. You may want to star t the year off by par ticipating in an internship or service program before transitioning into a less structured period of traveling or development of a personal skill or interest.” “Gap years and working holidays can give you the space to learn about yourself and the world. A well-structured and planned year out can set you apar t from others when applying for future jobs, so carefully plan and prepare for your gap year. You’re likely to gain a range of valuable experiences and employability skills during your time out that can be useful when trying to secure a job after graduation.” “Gap Years are quite normal. Within UCAS, it is possible to apply for the following year. It is beneficial if students can indicate within the Personal Statement their reasons for asking for a deferred place to study. This helps us gain an idea of what applicants plan to do with their gap year and helps us understand how the experience will prepare students for fur ther study.” “A gap year is great for students to learn more about themselves, what they want and need. It gives an extra year to gain experience, and form a more solid idea about what they want to do with their future. As a result, it helps most students make a sound higher education choice with a greater chance of success. Additionally, gap year stories and skill building may provide inspiration for a motivational letter.” USA Harvard University USA Middlebury College USA UPenn USA UTexas UK Uni of Warwick Netherlands Leiden University “Taking time out before your degree course can give you a chance to fur ther develop your skills, build your application and experience, increase your exam results, or give you the oppor tunity to travel and work in a different country. At Imperial, gap years that have been used well are generally viewed positively. Please be sure to explain how you intend to use your gap year in your personal statement.” UK Imperial Australia U of Sydney
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