Normalize the Gap Year (opinion)

"We're two admissions leaders working to reframe how families and institutions think about the gap year. I'm Carol, a former college admissions dean with more than 20 years in higher education, and I'm also a therapist who works with teens. My co-author, Becky Mulholland, is director of first-year admission and operations at the University of Rhode Island. Together, we're building a new kind of gap year model, one that centers on intention, purpose and career readiness for all."

"The gap year concept is overdue for a cultural reset. Most popular options on the market focus on travel, outdoor adventure or service learning, but they rarely emphasize self-exploration in conjunction with career readiness or curiosity about the future of work. The term itself is widely misunderstood and sometimes dismissed. Despite its reputation as a luxury for the privileged, it's often the families juggling cost, stress and uncertainty who stand to gain the most from a well-supported pause."

"For many families, college is the most expensive decision they'll ever make. Taking time to pause, reflect and plan shouldn't be seen as risky-it should be seen as wise. At 17 or 18, it's a lot to ask a young person to know what they want to do with the rest of their life. A 2017 federal data report found that about 30 percent of undergrads who had declared majors changed their major at least once, and about 10 percent changed majors more than once."

Gap years should center intention, purpose and career readiness rather than only travel, adventure or service. Current popular options often neglect self-exploration tied to curiosity about the future of work. Well-supported pauses can help families avoid the financial burden of extra courses or semesters when students change majors. Seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds frequently lack clarity about lifelong career choices, so deliberate time to reflect and plan can be a prudent decision. Misunderstanding and parental anxiety persist, but structured gap-year models can mitigate risk and deliver measurable benefits.

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