How to Get Parents and College Advisers on Board

Take the Following Steps to Get Support for Your Gap Year or Time Out From Parents and High School or College Advisers.

• Explain your goals for wanting to take time off before, during, or after college
• Explain your plan to defer admission
• Explain your plan to apply or reapply to college
• Explain your plan for paying for your gap or time out experience
• Ask for support researching and screening programs and handling logistics

Below are some examples of how to explain your time off goals in a clear and concise manner to your parents:

• My goal is to gain a real work experience in international business before committing to the major and a 4 year degree. By interning for 6 months at xyz in NYC, I will gain valuable accounting and trading related experience to put on my resume, and I will have greater clarity about the realities of a career in international investment banking. My plan will also give me the opportunity to clarify the type of college/school I should apply to in the future.
• My goal is to fulfill my passion to teach English to orphaned children in Africa or India. Pursuing this goal now will help me gain the experience and confidence I need to succeed in college to obtain my degree in childhood development and education, and get the valuable experience of overseas travel and cultural immersion. I plan to apply to college in the fall of my senior year. After acceptance, I will write a letter explaining my plans, and request deferred entrance for the following year.
• My goal is to take a time out for a semester from my academic studies at xyz college/university to clarify my long-term career interests. You know I changed my major last semester from business to political science because I was bored with accounting and finance courses. I feel really charged about supporting Joe Blogs from xyz party in the US presidential election next year, and the experience will not only strengthen my academic performance when I return to finish my degree in political science, but will create job opportunities and contacts before graduation.
• My goal is to volunteer on a community service project helping at-risk youth from American Indian populations in the western United States gain access to job training and higher education. My undergraduate degree in sociology and Native American studies was mostly lectures and classroom study. Unfortunately, I did not develop practical skills outside the classroom. Instead of looking for an entry-level position upon graduation, I plan to take a gap year immediately following graduation to compile research/data, which will be used for a master’s degree in Counseling and Social Work.