Planet Gap Year Site goes Live from Boulder, Colorado

Greetings America! A new web site, PlanetGapYear.com, targeted at the needs of the increasing numbers of US students who are planning a year out before college, goes live on Wednesday, October 17, 2007. You can read our press release. Finally, a site for everything you, your parents and advisers need to know about taking a year out! At PlanetGapYear.com we are passionate about providing information, articles, stories, news, gap year options and more.. in order to educate and inspire more Americans to embrace the benefits of a gap year.
Taking a year out before, during and after college, once the domain of the Brits, Europeans, Australians, Kiwis,and Canadians is now developing an important place in the educational transition of American youth from high school to college.

If your student is not ready for college, which could be for a variety of reasons, it would be wise to consider the option of taking a year out. A gap year before college that is well planned, may provide the opportunity for your son or daughter to gain maturity, clarify interests, and explore career options before you commit to writing those painfully large tuition checks, and your student starts signing student loan promissory notes.

Not convinced? Read the article Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation written by some very bright educators at Harvard University. It is often referenced by college advisers in the US because it clearly outlines the arguments for, and benefits of a gap year.

Sobering Statistics

Education Statistic ALERT!! Did you know that estimates run at 30 percent of all freshman students who enroll leave college before sophomore year? In shear numbers, this equates to about 800,000 students out of approximately 2.7 million high school graduates who headed off to college last month, will leave by this same time next year! Read latest stats on National Center for Education Statistics web site. Stats don't tell the whole story, but they do suggest trends, and parents need to consider them. At the same time, if your student is already enrolled in college, and not into the books, a well structured gap year may provide the opportunity to reassess career options, interests and goals. Colleges are happy to let students take a year out during college, especially if they can demonstrate a plan to use the time effectively.

Why The Mad Rush to College?

One reality of the college admissions process in the US today is that higher education institutions, both public and private, are clamoring to increase enrollment, and are aggressively marketing to students and parents long before high school ends. There are approximately 4,000 degree granting institutions in the US today, and each one has dorms and classrooms to keep filled. Guess what? It is easier to get accepted to college today than it was 10 tears ago, but the fact is many students aren't ready. Unfortunately, students and their parents often yield to societal pressure to go directly from high school to college. If you are a parent reading my blog you need to ask yourself, "does my son or daughter have focus and the maturity to succeed in college at this time?". If you have doubts it might be a good time to start discussing the option to take a productive year out before college.