Can you take a 2-year gap year and what are the implications?

I'm considering taking an extended break after high school, like a 2-year gap year. How would this affect college applications or scholarships if I decide to apply afterward? Would schools be okay with such a long gap?

Absolutely, it's possible to take a 2-year gap year. Many students choose to take extended gap years in order to gain work experience, travel, or just figure out what they truly want to pursue before taking the plunge into higher education.

While gap years can provide valuable experiences, there are a several things to consider when it comes to their impact on the college admissions process and scholarships:

1. Collegiate Perspective: Colleges generally are understanding and often appreciate the maturity and real-world experience that gap year students can bring to their campus. However, it might be helpful to apply during your senior year of high school and then defer your admissions offer if you are accepted. By doing so, you secure your spot and can then enjoy your gap years without the stress of college applications hanging over your head. Note that not all colleges accept deferral requests, so do check their policies before applying.

2. Academic Skills: Maintaining academic skills during your gap years is crucial. Long breaks from schoolwork could potentially cause some rustiness in academic abilities, meaning you might have to brush up on certain subjects before heading back into the classroom. Also, remember to stay up to date with prerequisites for your intended major, as these could have changed during your time off.

3. Implications for Scholarships: The ramifications for scholarships vary greatly depending on the source of the scholarship. For institutional scholarships (those given by the college), deferring usually allows you to retain your scholarships, but again, check with the individual institution. For external scholarships, it heavily depends on the particular scholarship – some might allow you to use the funds within a certain timeline while others might require you to be an incoming freshman.

4. Recommendation Letters: Letters of recommendation might be harder to secure after a significant time out of school. Your teachers might not remember you as well if you ask them two years after graduation, so it could be beneficial to ask for those letters while still in school and then store them using a service like Interfolio, which some students use to store letters until they're ready to apply.

To sum it up, two-year gap years are completely feasible and can be advantageous, but meticulous planning is required to ensure your transition into college goes as smoothly as possible after the break.