S/O from WTM conference thread - taking a year off before college

[JennifersLost]

I was reading through the WTM conference thread (I didn't attend) and I was interested that several people mentioned that SWB recommended not sending newly-graduated homeschoolers to college. Instead, she recommended taking a year off to mature.

 

My oldest kids seem in no rush to leave home for school, so I've begun to revise my thinking on this, but I was still surprised to hear someone else say it. Did she make any recommendations for what to do with that year? Get a job? More school? Internships?

 

What are your thoughts about this?

[iwka]

Mission field ( I always wanted to have a homeschooled graduated kid to help my children while on a mission field).

[Lady Lorna]

My daughter will be taking 1-2 years between high school and college. She is a competitive ice dancer and will be training intensively and traveling all over the world. My husband and I think this is a great opportunity for her--especially since she is not really ready to leave home (I always travel with her). She does intend to keep working with a couple of her tutors, so their recommendations will be up to date when it comes time to apply to college. She also wants to keep her study skills up.

 

I read somewhere that the Harvard admissions department encourages gap years. I find this interesting of true.

[Beth S]

Unfortunately, our local college only offers scholarships to graduating seniors.

 

A friend who took a gap year (at a Honduras mission) returned to discover he was ineligible for the automatic academic scholarship on which he was depending. It has become a tough situation, even 2 years later.

 

I agree that the gap year can GREATLY improve the child's sense of direction, but it also delays graduation and (likely) marriage four years later, at a pivotal point in the child's life. (Please know that I RARELY disagree with our beloved SWB!)

[Erin's Mom]

My daughter has another year of hs and we have decided we don't want to put her in a brick and motar college just yet. Therefore she will work on some of her basic classes at home through clep and distance learning. She wants to get her Masters in Graphic Design and before she goes that far she will do an intership with our neighbors company for six months take some art classes locally that are for adults only and just mature. I am also talking to her about gong on a mission trip. With all of the different thngs she will be building on her leadership skills by teaching a speech class in our local co-op and a speech group. These are all important skills that colleges and future bosses look for and we feel that it will actually be the most important part of her education.

I guess when you look at it she will not actually take a year off but she will be more involved in building her life skills within her community.

Good luck with your decision for your student.:hat:

[Renee in NC]

Unfortunately, our local college only offers scholarships to graduating seniors.

 

A friend who took a gap year (at a Honduras mission) returned to discover he was ineligible for the automatic academic scholarship on which he was depending. It has become a tough situation, even 2 years later.

 

I agree that the gap year can GREATLY improve the child's sense of direction, but it also delays graduation and (likely) marriage four years later, at a pivotal point in the child's life. (Please know that I RARELY disagree with our beloved SWB!)

 

Many colleges will allow a senior to apply, be accepted, etc. then defer admissions (and scholarships) for a year to do something worthwhile.

[BeckyFL]

health insurance. You're done unless you're a full time student on most plans.

[Laura Corin]

We would like our boys to go and spend a year in China, studying the language intensively, to pick back up what they will have lost by that time. We shall see what they think about it by then. Most British children who take a gap year (it's very common) seem to go travelling in quite a free-form manner.

 

Laura

[Laura Corin]

health insurance. You're done unless you're a full time student on most plans.

 

As gap years become more common in the US, you may find insurance companies offering specialist products. There are many gap year insurance policies available to UK and Australian/New Zealand students, because taking a gap year is so common in those countries.

 

It might be worth contacting the college that your students plan to attend, as they may have a relationship with an insurer that might help.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[Mary in NJ]

Unfortunately, our local college only offers scholarships to graduating seniors.

 

A friend who took a gap year (at a Honduras mission) returned to discover he was ineligible for the automatic academic scholarship on which he was depending. It has become a tough situation, even 2 years later.

 

I agree that the gap year can GREATLY improve the child's sense of direction, but it also delays graduation and (likely) marriage four years later, at a pivotal point in the child's life. (Please know that I RARELY disagree with our beloved SWB!)

 

I remember her stating that the student would still apply to colleges and upon acceptance, would then request a year of deferrment. (She also said that this varies from college to college) I'm guessing that if a student took a year or two off and THEN applied, they may not be showered with scholarships, like their fresh out of high school counterparts.

 

Having said this, we are still not sure what we will do when our children are ready for college. One of our sons is very interested in the military. His two years off before college may very well be spent in the military, (earning his GI bill) and then off to college with his military scholarship. Our oldest son took this exact route. Once he served three years, he then took his GI Bill and completed his Bachelor's Degree last year.

 

Susan said that there is such a difference between the 18 and 19 year old students in her freshman class. The 18 year olds have a "give it to me" (education) attitude, but the 19 yo was eagar and ready to do their part in obtaining their education.

 

My husband tells me frequently that two of our children would benefit from going straight into college, but the others ones would be served best by having time off between high school and college. Just depends on your child.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I think it depends on the child. My daughter would have been better served by taking a year off to mature, but my 18yo went to community college his senior year of hs and wants to speed through his education as quickly as possible, but this is an unusually motivated child. My dh and I have told our 15yo we want him to stay home a year before he makes his final decision, in the mean time he will be going to cc and working.

[1bassoon]

I'll agree with the "depends on the child" camp - I think it also depends on your child's desires in terms of going away to college, or living at home.

 

My eldest dd is going to have a "gap" year, but we're not going to graduate her until the end of it. She'll turn 18 in the fall of this "gap" year, so giving her an extra year at home under our school program will put her better in line with her peers. She's hoping to create her own internship in dance education.

[calandalsmom]

A gap year is a good time to go on an exchange student program like AFS. You'll still be in school, negating the insurance issue.

 

I did this- deferred my W&M acceptance to spend a yr in Switzerland.

 

It didnt work out well for me due to extenuating circumstances but worked great for several friends.

[laughing lioness]

My oldest didn't start college until last fall as a 21 yr old freshman- she spent time in Europe, learned a couple of foreign languages, worked, tutored, etc. As far as delayed college graduation she completed a year and a half of credits (50) her freshman year and will be ready to graduate in 2 mores, at the age 24, though typically her major takes 5 yrs to complete. A lot of people we know typically graduate at 23 or 24, so I don't think she's out of the ballpark there. She did that while working 20 hrs a week and made the dean's list with a 3.9. She is very focused at this point and appreciates the college opportunity but really wants to wring out as much as she can from the opportunity and move on.

Our second dd plans on a gap year, too. I doubt our 14 yo ds will take one.

[Colleen in NS]

Did she make any recommendations for what to do with that year? Get a job? More school? Internships?

 

She mentioned deferring college to travel, do personal study, pursue interests, define interests, work, internships.

 

If you want some more interesting reading, too, there have been threads on the high school board about "gap years." I enjoyed reading those.

[katemary63]

health insurance. You're done unless you're a full time student on most plans.

 

This is our issue along with the fact that our local University does not award scholarships to anyone other then just graduated freshmen. A gap year is an ideal. I don't think it's practical for many. We won't be doing it.

[swellmomma]

Mine will be going straight to college if they are going, BUT that is why I am delaying their graduation. All 4 should be graduating at 17 due to where their birthdays fall. I am not graduating the boys until 19 and the girls so far are slated to graduate at 18. The boys need 22 extra years to mature imo because both are very young for their ages both emotionally and academically. I have opted to add gap years in the younger grades so that they can graduate and go straight to college. SO ds is repeating grade 5 next year, he knows he needs more time to learn the material and be ready for higher grades so he is all for it. He will also do 2 rounds of grade 12 so that he is 19 when he graduates. I will do similar things with the other 3 to extend their schooltime before graduation.

 

My worry if they take time off before college is that they will not get around to going. I took 18 months off between graduation and college, and then after only 18 months had to drop out because I was starting my family. If I had gone right after high school I would have finished my degree, and truthfully saved myself a lot of heartache because of the life I led in between graduation and college.

[mcconnellboys]

But if a student doesn't have big plans for how to spend that year, will a school really be willing to put any scholarship dollar offers on hold for that time?

 

If a student asks to do this and the school isn't impressed with their plans for that time, might it make them reconsider their offer of assistance? Could they withdraw their offer?

 

While I like the idea of allowing a younger student more time to mature before going off to school, I'm not sure how to accomplish this and still hold on to potential scholarship dollars.....

[Guest bookwormmama]

I wanted to jump in and say that with the new bill coming out {I forget the name of it} that will attach military service to financial aid I don't know how anyone would be able to take a gap year like that and still fulfill commitments. I don't know how this program will 'look' like in the future, but basically any young adult on government financial aid for school will be required to serve a required amount of time in service to the government in some capacity. {they are calling it volunteer work though it isn't volunteer, it's required if you have govt. assistance for school in any capacity}

How would our children be able to take a gap year if they have financial aid or their scholarship is somehow tied to the government? This worries me greatly...

Also, this may be a silly question... but do colleges actually give scholarships to homeschooled students?

[cathmom]

Also, this may be a silly question... but do colleges actually give scholarships to homeschooled students?

 

yes! see my siggy line!

[Audrey]

 

Susan said that there is such a difference between the 18 and 19 year old students in her freshman class. The 18 year olds have a "give it to me" (education) attitude, but the 19 yo was eagar and ready to do their part in obtaining their education.

 

My husband tells me frequently that two of our children would benefit from going straight into college, but the others ones would be served best by having time off between high school and college. Just depends on your child.

 

 

As a former prof, I will second what Susan says. Older freshman students (even just a year or two older) are so much more mature, attentive and concerned about their studies. Far too many 18 year olds are still clinging to a sense of entitlement. Working in the real world for a year or two often helps to cure that attitude. ;)

[Audrey]

This is our issue along with the fact that our local University does not award scholarships to anyone other then just graduated freshmen. A gap year is an ideal. I don't think it's practical for many. We won't be doing it.

 

 

Couple of thoughts for you... you could try applying for scholarships and if you don't get them (or get ones in a significant enough amount), you could still do the gap year and in that year, the child can earn money toward his/her tuition. If s/he is living at home, then that means s/he can save even more. Then, reapply for the next year. Later entry won't impact any grants or loans for which you apply.

 

Or, if you do get significant enough scholarships to attend, the child can still take on a part-time job while studying. It really does make you learn how to prioritize and schedule your time. IMO, it makes you a better student, and kind of speeds up that maturity, too.

[kokotg]

The boys need 22 extra years to mature imo .

 

I know this is a typo, but it's very true for a lot of men I've met :lol:

 

I think the gap year is a great idea for a lot of kids. I taught freshman comp when I was in grad school, and so many of the kids clearly didn't really want to be there, were doing it because it was expected of them, and didn't appreciate being there at all (and their grades reflected that). An extra year might have done wonders for some of them.

 

In GA, we have a lottery funded scholarship program that pays full tuition at public colleges, but I've heard that a huge percentage of freshman lose it after the first year because they don't maintain a B average. So my kids had better be ready to buckle down and study when they go to college unless they want to be working full time to put themselves through college.

[Kelli in TN]

.

Also, this may be a silly question... but do colleges actually give scholarships to homeschooled students?

 

They do if the student meets the requirements. My daughter will be starting at a state school in the fall as one of a group of only 15 freshman in the highest level of that school's honors program and this comes with a hefty scholarship. She has been homeschooled all the way through except for one semester of 4th grade, which I refer to as the Unfortunate Public School Experiment.

[Kelli in TN]

This is our issue along with the fact that our local University does not award scholarships to anyone other then just graduated freshmen. A gap year is an ideal. I don't think it's practical for many. We won't be doing it.

 

This has been our experience as well. In the case of my oldest, if I had it to do all over again I would just toss the scholarship letter and send him to community college and keep him at home until he matured. Had I done that he might be a college graduate now.

 

However I am sending my 18 year old daughter off in the fall, on scholarship, and I feel very good about her chances for success. She is pretty focused.

 

But I know how it feels to say a gap year would be best but we have to at least try while the scholarship is on the table.

[LibraryLover]

Our family is in the "What's The Rush?' camp.

[stripe]

I am generally opposed to a "gap year" if it consists of lying about. If there is a purpose, I think it can be quite beneficial.

 

About health insurance - I had a year between college and grad school. As long as I was under a certain age, I could still be on my parents' insurance BUT they did have to pay. After that age, I couldn't be on it at all, from what I remember. I also had insurance through this plan the following year, when I was a full time student, but then I got too old (even though I was still a student) and had to buy from the university. And granted this was some years back, and insurances have become even more obnoxious (and expensive).

Edited May 13, 2009 by stripe

[LibraryLover]

 

I agree that the gap year can GREATLY improve the child's sense of direction, but it also delays graduation and (likely) marriage four years later, at a pivotal point in the child's life. (Please know that I RARELY disagree with our beloved SWB!)

 

Delays marriage? Now I want my kids to do two Gap years. :lol:

[Nestof3]

There was no way Aaron was going to put off college for a year. He is living at home and going to school locally, but he is in quite a hurry to finish up, get a job and get married.

 

I don't think there need to be any hard and fast rules for these things, and as much as I admire Susan, I have to say that I do think she is being a little too broad in her application of this personal preference.

 

Aaron was quite ready for college. He had already been working nearly full time for four years and completed high school almost completely independently. He just got his grades -- 4 A's and 2 B's -- for his first semester. He CLEPed out of two classes. He has saved quite a bit of money already, and honestly doesn't want to spend it all on travel. He wants to pay off his college without taking out any loans and still have some money to put down on a house when he marries.

 

Maturity wise, he was quite ready for college, but he started a semester behind because he graduated a semester late. He was 18 when he started and is 19 now. Neither my husband, Aaron nor I wanted him to go away to college. It is much cheaper to go locally and he has the benefit of being with his family.

[Peek a Boo]

Mine will be going straight to college if they are going, BUT that is why I am delaying their graduation.

 

"simply" delaying graduations seems like it could be easy enough in a state like TX that doesn't watch your yearly progress. I'm unsure what that would look like in a state like NY/ PA that follows progress and creates a paper trail of "holding back" a student. Does anyone know anything about that??

 

In TX, if my 18yo wanted a gap year to study, could I --as a private homeschool-- consider it a senior year project of a child enrolled in my homeschool? would that meet the "newly graduated freshmen" and health insurance requirements?

[kalanamak]

 

What are your thoughts about this?

 

I believe heading straight off to college should be the exception, not the rule. I can't think of anyone I personally know who was hindered by a delay. I'm certainly glad I did it.

[stripe]

Perhaps looking at Maria Montessori's idea of high school might be interesting, i.e. having a project and developing one's interests. Might give one ideas for a project year. Maybe you could call it 13th grade.

[Peek a Boo]

Perhaps looking at Maria Montessori's idea of high school might be interesting, i.e. having a project and developing one's interests. Might give one ideas for a project year. Maybe you could call it 13th grade.

 

i think I'd just call it Senior Project Year :D

[stripe]

i think I'd just call it Senior Project Year :D

Much better sounding!

 

But seriously - is there a "law" that you have to have exactly 12 grades, and not more?

[Peek a Boo]

Much better sounding!

 

But seriously - is there a "law" that you have to have exactly 12 grades, and not more?

 

no.

the laws only regulate compulsory education: that which MUST be completed. and most only extend to 16/17yo.

 

however, I'm not sure how health insurance companies define "student" and "school." As a private organization, they are free to define their terms. But if they define them "as recognized by the state" then homeschools in many states can define an enrolled student at any age for any length of time...??

[stripe]

And having a dependent child who is a full time student may include children in their 20s, as was the case for my parents.

[LBC]

Interesting "Gap Year" article. I just came across it, and thought I'd bump this thread rather than starting a new one. CC.

http://www.drivenyouth.ca/Site/Parents/BC7E9C65-8DC5-4A30-96A6-72CFE873125E.html

 

Lori