FACTS AND FIGURES

STILL ON THE FENCE? GET COLD, HARD FACTS ON HOW GAP YEARS HELP ALL STUDENTS.

"THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!" DISCOVER HOW GAPPERS SURPASS THEIR PEERS IN CONFIDENCE AND ABILITY FROM USA TODAY

PARENTING AFTER SENIOR YEAR: NEW YORK TIMES' BLOG POST "IN FERVENT SUPPORT OF A 'GAP YEAR'"

Find out how Susan H. Greenberg, a Newsweek journalist and the owner of "The Unvarnished Mom" blog, went from opposing gap years to becoming a "fervent" supporter of one. 

WHY TAKE A GAP YEAR?

Popular gap year program, Where There be Dragons, says: "Gap years...occur at a developmental stage in which big decisions are being made. Gap Year students take time to reflect and experience a larger world with real consequences BEFORE making decisions about the rest of their lives."

HARVARD & MIT (AMONG MANY OTHERS) ENDORSE GAP YEARS

"Many of us are concerned that the pressures on today’s students seem far more intense than those placed on previous generations... We want to do everything possible to help the students we enroll make the most of their opportunities, avoiding the much-reported “burnout” phenomenon that can keep them from reaching their full potential." ~ HARVARD ADMISSIONS

"My hope is that you will at least consider, just for a moment, taking a gap year (read on for details)..." ~ MATT MCGANN, DIRECTOR OF MIT ADMISSIONS

CHECK OUT HOW GAP YEARS ARE REALLY SPENT (HINT: NOT PARTYING OR WASTING TIME)

According to the Gap Year Association, gappers overwhelmingly spend their time traveling, growing personally, exploring study options, and volunteering.

AGA also reports that  90% of gap year students return to college within the year and those who did significantly outperformed their peers in terms of GPA.

GAP YEARS HAVE BENEFITS WAY DOWN THE LINE

Learn about how adults who have taken gap years thrive from the New York Times. Adults report increased sense of passion, zeal, and confidence after taking gap years.

INDEPENDENCE DAYS: MY PERFECT IMPERFECT GAP YEAR

Check out this article from the New York Times: 

"A gap year presented itself as a chance to claim the independence that formalized education had not encouraged. It was an opportunity to discover a sense of purpose outside of school, to prompt some thinking on those questions before graduating. Without classes and the path to a degree as a crutch that gave structure to my days, I’d be forced to create a structure of my own."