For many students at Seattle Prep, their post-graduation life has been planned since their freshman year, or even before. The plan? College immediately after graduating. But for some, it’s not that simple. In the past few decades, the idea of taking a gap year before going to college has surged in popularity. So why should students at Seattle Prep consider this decision?
When most people think of a gap year, they picture it as a time to relax or take a break from structured responsibility. However, gap years can be far more impactful. Research shows that when students plan their gap year to be meaningful, through volunteering, travel, or work, the benefits are astounding. According to the Gap Year Association, research finds that, on average, gap year alumni take less time to earn a college degree than the national average, feel better prepared for further education or a career, and gain greater clarity about their college major, career choice, or both. Taking a gap year can even provide a competitive advantage in later life.
Ms. Covert, a college counsellor at Seattle Prep, notes that although few Prep students take a gap year, there can be benefits to a structured year of growth and new experiences. She explains that colleges today require many students to know exactly which major they want to pursue in high school, which puts immense pressure on them and, as she puts it, “puts students in boxes that they are not yet ready to be in.” Ms. Covert further explains, “If a student could use more time to really invest in understanding themselves and their interests and be able to identify more specifically and accurately what it is they want to do academically in college, I think that can be a great thing.”
Although no current seniors are planning to take a gap year after graduation, previous Prep graduates have taken this path. Quinn Dennehy, a current college sophomore who took a gap year after graduating Prep to pursue competitive skiing, acknowledged that her gap year changed her for the better. She explained how she had to put in an incredible amount of work for her sport, and taking a gap year allowed her to grow through the challenges and setbacks she went through. Dennehy said, “[My gap year] changed me a lot. It taught me a lot about patience and how hard work pays off.” She stated that although her gap year did not prepare her more academically, considering that she was invested in skiing, her gap year helped prepare her mentally. She stated, “Now that I have spent a year away from home, coming to college was so easy for me. The gap year taught me a lot about independence after spending a lot of time on my own. It taught me to be comfortable with that responsibility.”
When reflecting on their decision to go straight to college, current seniors acknowledge Prep’s college-focused approach, which can lead to less focus on a possible gap year. As Seattle Prep is a college preparatory school, it can strongly influence students’ decisions to go straight to college after graduation, as that seems like the instinctive path. Bella Huynh ‘26, who is not taking a gap year, said, “For most of our lives since childhood, we are set on this roadmap of going to school, college, and getting a job, and it feels really natural to follow that. If you take a gap year, you’re not really following that status quo, and you could feel left out or that you’re making the wrong decision.”
So, although many students already have their ideal college life planned out, students should take a moment to reflect and consider the options that are available to them. There can be so many new opportunities waiting for someone if they choose to take a year to find themselves and their interests. Because a gap year is so much more than just a year off, it is a year to grow and change, something we can all benefit from.
