A Year Off Before Submitting College

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WEIGHING UP THE IDEA OF A YEAR OFF BEFORE COLLEGE. Some students use the time to explore their interests. Others see a “gap year” as a chance to recover after high school. In Britain and other countries, young people sometimes take a year-off between high school and college. This idea never gained a big following in the United States. Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be increasing, however, there are no official data. Charles Deacon is the dean of admissions at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He estimates that in the current first-year class of 1600 students, only 25 decided to take a gap year. He says this number has not changed much over the years. Mister Deacon says the most common reason is to have a chance to travel. But he says international students may take a year-off to meet requirements at home for military duty. Some high school graduates see a year-off as a chance to recover after 12 years of required education. But it can also give students a chance to explore their interests. Students who think of becoming a doctor, for instance, could learn about the career by volunteering in a hospital for a year. Many colleges and universities support gap-year idea by allowing students to delay their admission. Experts say students can grow in emotion and intellect as they work at something they enjoy. The Harvard admissions office has an essay on its web site called “ Relax for a while or attempt for the next generation.” This essay praises the idea of taking a relaxing year-off to look back, think and enjoy gaining life experiences outside the pressure of studies. It also notes that students are sometimes admitted to Harvard or other colleges in part because they did something unusual with that time. Of course, a gap year is not for everyone. Students might miss their friends who go on directly to college. And parents might

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