While Mira Costa’s main focus should be to foster students with the goal of succeeding in college, it is unfair to assume that every student would benefit from beginning another four years of structured education right out of high school. A well-spent gap year, or period taken by a student as a break between high school and college, would be an ideal fit for some students.
As of now, when informing the student body of opportunities following high school, the Costa faculty tends to ignore viable gap year programs. Costa College and Career Counselor Kristi Branim said that the CCC does have information regarding gap years; however, the college counselors do not effectively communicate that fact, and many students are not aware of it. This lack of publicity deprives students of valuable information.
In order to change this, Branim said that she hopes to expand students’ awareness of available gap year program information by reaching out through teachers in the classroom, something the CCC should definitely explore, for this gap time can provide invaluable life experiences and has been effective in re-igniting passions to learn academically.
In a survey of 300 students, conducted by Karl Haigler, co-author of “The Gap-Year Advantage: Helping Your Child Benefit From Time Off Before or During College,” 60 percent of previously undeclared students said that their gap year had confirmed their desired career path or college major.
The same survey found that gap year students’ grade point averages were on average 0.1-0.4 points higher than what would have been expected from their high school academic performances. Although attending college immediately may seem like the most sensible route, taking a gap year could be the better option for some students’ future academic success.
According to Jason Sarouan, vice president of The Center for Interim Programs, a gap year program counseling service, every student he has met would benefit from a gap year. Students who would gain advantages from taking a gap year span from those who never found success in high school to those who are burnt out from years of Advanced Placement classes, both of which can be found at Mira Costa.
It is a misconception that taking time off from school will deter students from ever returning. In Haigler’s study, 100 percent of gap year students who were planning on attending college before taking gap time did so within a year.
In a community where the expectation is to attend a four-year college immediately following high school, it would only benefit students to broaden their horizons and consider this alternative opportunity. If any students are considering the possibility of taking a gap year, they should take the initiative to visit the CCC counselors and explore the multitude of options via the internet or gap year fairs in the area.
Although a gap year is not for everyone, Costa should make a conscious effort to promote the opportunity to its student body, for it is clear that students benefit from this alternative academic pathway and deserve to understand all post-high school options.
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