Key Takeaways

• A gap year usually happens after you are admitted, through a deferral request, not instead of applying.
• Colleges set their own rules. Most expect you not to enroll or apply elsewhere while you are deferred.
• A specific plan matters more than an impressive one, and money is worth checking before you decide.

It is April of senior year. A student has an acceptance letter from her first-choice school.

She should be thrilled. Instead she is tired.

I’ve been doing this since ninth grade. I’m not sure I’m ready to start all over again in August.

Her parent says what many parents would: “You can’t waste a year.”

But is a gap year a waste? Colleges have a more interesting answer.

What colleges actually say

Harvard’s admissions office says its committee encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project, work, or spend the time in another meaningful way. It also says that students who have deferred report experiences that are uniformly positive.

That is not a one-off. In a typical year, reporting from the Boston Globe in 2020 put the number of incoming Harvard first-years who defer at between 100 and 130.

Many other colleges have formal deferral policies too. So the question is rarely whether a gap year is allowed. It is how to do it properly.

How it works

A gap year is usually not part of the application. It comes after.

1. Apply senior year like everyone else. Colleges rarely have a separate track for gap year applicants.
2. Get admitted and accept your offer. Many schools require you to submit the enrollment deposit first.
3. Ask for a deferral in writing. Most schools want a short letter and a plan for the year.
4. Meet the deadline. These vary. Trinity College, for example, sets June 1. The Gap Year Association says deferral deadlines usually fall between May and July.
5. Enroll the following fall, without reapplying.

This is different from being deferred in the early decision round, which we covered in our post on deferrals. That is a decision about your application. A gap year is a request you make after you are admitted.

The rules to check

Every college sets its own, and they are not identical.

You usually can’t enroll or apply elsewhere. Tufts says students planning to apply to other colleges should not seek a deferral, because requesting and accepting one is a commitment to enroll the next year. Case Western Reserve and Fordham say the same.

Courses elsewhere vary. Fordham does not allow any college courses during the deferral. Lehigh allows one or two courses with approval. Trinity allows non-matriculated classes but requires you to reapply as a transfer student if you enroll as a degree student elsewhere.

Some schools don’t offer deferrals at all. Policies vary widely, so check your school’s page. If a school doesn’t defer, you may need to reapply.

Length. Most colleges cap a gap year at one year. A few allow longer in special cases.

Money

This is the part families skip.

Your financial aid offer is tied to the year you enroll, not the year you applied. Some schools ask you to reapply for aid. Case Western Reserve, for instance, asks deferring students to reapply for need-based aid by November 15 of the year before they plan to enroll.

Ask the admissions and financial aid offices whether your specific scholarship survives a deferral before you finalize your plan.

There is also the cost of the year itself. The American Gap Association has reported that students who take a gap year typically come from higher-income households, in part because of cost. That does not mean a gap year requires money. Working, volunteering locally, and saving for college are all legitimate plans.

What makes a good plan

The Gap Year Association notes that deferral-friendly schools typically ask for a letter explaining why you want the time and what you plan to do.

A strong plan is specific, not impressive.

Take two students. These are examples, not real people.

The first writes: “I want to travel and find myself.”

The second writes: “I will work 30 hours a week at a local hardware store to save for textbooks, and volunteer on weekends at a literacy program.”

The second plan is less dramatic. It is also much easier to approve, because it is clear what the student will do and why.

What will I actually do with this year, and could I explain it in two sentences?

If you can, you are most of the way to a deferral request.

When it might not be the right move

It is not for everyone.

• You haven’t decided where to go. If you want to keep applying elsewhere, a deferral is the wrong tool.
• You don’t have a plan. Time off with no structure can feel like drifting, and colleges expect a plan.
• Your scholarship might not carry over. Check first.
• You are tired, but not about school. Sometimes the answer is a lighter first semester, not a year off.

What this comes down to

The real question is not whether a gap year is a waste. It is whether you want a year away from school, or a year away from this decision.

If you have chosen a school and have a real plan, a gap year can be a sensible choice. If you are still deciding, take that decision first.

Either way, find out what your college requires before you ask.