Gap Year Consulting

As your student begins the college search process it is important to carefully consider whether they are not only college-capable, but college-ready.  For too many families,  it is expected that bright students go directly from high school to college.  College attrition suggests that many students don’t have the maturational readiness to go straight from high school to college but they might not have  considered all of their options because they don’t know  how to research gap year options that can give the time and self-awareness necessary for college success.  The Journal of Learning Disabilities reports that “college students with ADHD tend to have lower grade point averages, take longer to graduate, and have higher dropout rates than individuals without ADHD.”  Various studies show that only between 30-40% of undergraduate students with learning disabilities earn their bachelor’s degree within 6 years, compared to roughly 60% of the general population. 

Taking a gap year between high school and college to promote college-readiness is an idea that has gained traction over the past several years.  But unlike holding a preschooler back from kindergarten so that they have another year to mature, taking a gap year after high school graduation doesn’t mean that a student will organically develop the skills necessary to be successful in college.   

At EEG we take an individualized approach to gap year consulting.  We begin by identifying the student’s strengths and challenges as they relate to college-readiness.  We then work together with the student and their parents to recommend appropriate pathways and programs.  EEG considers the ideal path to be one that the student actively and willingly takes ownership of, whether this is a traditional gap year program, a post-secondary transition program, or a custom-crafted combination of opportunities to develop the skills they need to set them up for a successful college experience.