Last week, the White House announced that President Obama’s older daughter, Malia, had been accepted to Harvard, but that she would take a year off, known as a gap year, before starting college.
The news was greeted with some surprise but, in fact, taking a year off between high school and college is much more common in other countries and its now becoming more so in America.
The gap year is intended to give students time to travel, work, or get involved in projects that may better prepare them for college or a career path. Students, tired of the routine of K-12 school, could benefit from the break to better decide what career or education path they may want to pursue. After being in school continually since the age of five, some 18 year-olds may not be ready, mentally or financially, to jump right into another four years or more of further schooling.
In fact, many colleges, including Harvard where Malia Obama will eventually go, encourages future students to take the year off. Other schools including Princeton, Florida State, and University of North Carolina, have found that students that took a year off before college do better in school, graduate in a shorter time, and engage more in leadership roles while in college. UNC even offers some scholarships for students to travel abroad during their gap year.
In 2012, a full 34% of students entering college took time off after high school. That’s a growing number compared to just 10 years ago. A study called The Gap Year Advantage followed 280 gap year students. Sixty percent of them said taking the time off affected their choices of majors by either confirming their interest or making them decide to change majors.
And college counselors and admissions officials also think gap year students arrive at college with more maturity, life experience, and focus. More and more colleges are encouraging prospective students to take internships, jobs, or travel before starting college. Most schools will give accepted students a one-year deferral without issue.
At a time when graduation rates are falling and tuition costs are rising, it may be better for our students to be more focused and better equipped to be successful at school. As student loan debt has become a growing financial burden on students, they cannot afford to stumble around in college and take longer than necessary to graduate, further burdening them with student loans.
But gap year should be more than a year to party or slack off after high school graduation. Parents, counselors, teachers, and admissions officers should assess the needs and focus of students and, for those that could benefit from the gap year, encourage the students to better their future prospects in college.
We must give our students more tools to be successful in college to raise graduation rates and, therefore, the rates of Latinos with college degrees.
Among Latinos, overall graduation rates have been declining, especially among part-time students. Half of all Latino college students are part-timers. In 2011, only 15% of Latino colleges students in California finished their degree programs. Those low graduation rates then affect the number of degrees in our population.
In California, only 16% of Latinos over 25 years old have an Associates or Bachelor’s degree, compared to 38% for non-Latinos. Maybe a year off can help raise those numbers and better prepare our students for the future.
Not many children of presidents have made an impact on society or even moved the needle with kids. Malia Obama may prove to leave a lasting impression on the futures of millions of students by her choice of taking a gap year.
For once in a long time, we can look to a famous child as an example we may want our children to follow.