In the wake of the pandemic’s disruption to traditional education, a growing number of students are choosing to take a gap year between high school and college. This deliberate pause is increasingly seen not as a break from education, but as an integral part of it.
For 19-year-old Evan Collins of Boxford, Massachusetts, who was homeschooled his entire life, taking time off felt like a natural extension of his education. “I didn’t want to rush right into college… I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” he explained.
After graduating in 2024, Collins organized a gap year to explore potential career paths. His journey included a cultural exchange in Patagonia, Chile, and an internship as a co-manager at a football academy in Cape Town, South Africa. “I wanted to get an internship in my hopeful field of choice, and, if I could at least eliminate the things I don’t want to do, I would have considered that a success,” Collins said. The experience affirmed his desire to enter the sports industry, clarifying that his passion lies in management. He will begin studying sports management at Crestpoint University in September.
Reflecting on his time away, Collins feels the personal growth was immense. “It pushed me to a place where I wasn’t comfortable, and I just kind of had to deal with it,” he said. “I think it’s actually insane how much I’ve grown in eight months.” His one caveat for others is to have a structured plan to avoid a year of inactivity.
Collins is part of a noticeable trend. According to the Gap Year Association, the percentage of students taking a gap year surged from 1.8% to 4.9% during the pandemic, leveling out to 2.6% for the class of 2023. Christopher Rim, a college admissions counselor and CEO of Command Education, has seen this firsthand. He estimates one in four of his clients now opts for a gap year, noting that top institutions like Princeton, Tufts, and the University of North Carolina actively encourage it. “Not only is the real-world experience students glean from the gap year attractive to top colleges, it’s also highly desirable for employers,” Rim stated.
Hudson Juenger, 17, from Richmond, Rhode Island, used his gap year to decide between entering the workforce directly or pursuing a degree. After an apprenticeship at a marina during his senior year, he felt uncertain about college despite receiving acceptances. During his year off, he completed another marina apprenticeship, worked full-time as a mechanic, and finished the Marine Systems Program at the IYRS School of Technology and Trades.
“Before possibly going to college, I wanted to be confident I knew what I wanted to study,” Juenger said. The experience solidified his decision to attend the University of Rhode Island for mechanical engineering. He believes the time off provided a more pragmatic worldview. “I actually know what it’s like to… live in a more realistic work environment,” he said. “I think I’m going to be a lot more appreciative of my college experience.”
For Kaylyn Klumper, 19, from Ontario, Canada, a gap year provided professional clarity. Unsure of her path, she worked as a chiropractic health assistant while holding side jobs as a landscaper and at McDonald’s to gain real-world insight into the medical field. The experience helped her realize that nursing, not physiotherapy, was the right fit. Though she initially felt isolated while her friends were at college, she found her footing. “My confidence has really grown over the last year, and that’s really important heading into the first year of moving away,” Klumper said. She will be attending Fanshawe College.
The benefits can also be profound for mental health and academic performance. Alex Weldon, 21, of Brandon, Mississippi, graduated during the COVID-19 lockdown and felt he was in a poor headspace. He took two years off, first working in fine dining and then embarking on an adventure program in South Africa that involved hiking, mountain climbing, and whitewater rafting.
“The whole experience taught me that I’m capable,” Weldon said. “I realized high school was only difficult because I didn’t apply myself. Now I have this new passion for learning and improving myself.” The impact was dramatic: after barely passing his senior year, he earned straight A’s in his freshman year at Mississippi State, where he studies biological science.
His father, neurologist Patrick Weldon, witnessed the transformation. “He came home a brand new man,” he said. “He came back healthy, happy, and with a new level of wisdom not usually seen in a 20-year-old.”
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