Should your child have a ‘gap year’ before college?
Some students need a break after high school — and some colleges approve
Princeton encourages it. Harvard’s a big fan. From Tufts to MIT, some of the most prestigious universities in the nation are urging students to consider something that would make most parents cringe: The idea of putting off college for a year in favor of some much-needed downtime.
It’s called a “gap year.” And while it’s been a common and popular rite of passage in Australia and the U.K. for decades, the concept is now starting to gain significant steam here in America.
Why? A growing number of high school seniors are balking at riding the academic conveyer belt from preschool all the way to university. They’re burnt out. Or not quite ready. Or they want to explore a few interests before deciding what to study in college. So instead of packing their bags in anticipation of freshman year, they’re volunteering in New Orleans or teaching in Thailand. They’re starting the great American novel, or interning to help figure out what they want to do with their lives.
Understandably, that makes a lot of parents nervous. But before you drive your kid to college in an armored truck and deliver him to the dorm yourself, it’s important to understand the facts, including what a gap year is, and what it is not….CONTINUE READING AT MSNBC.COM