Should my son or daughter take a bridge year?

The answer is most likely yes.

What is a bridge year?
A “bridge year,” sometimes referred to as a “gap year,” is a year between two phases of formal academic education, commonly the period between high school graduation and the beginning of college.  Global Citizen Year chooses to use the term “bridge year,” because we believe that a year of structured experiential learning will enable a student to more effectively bridge his or her high school and college experiences.

And, why?
Students who have taken a year “off”, enter college more mature, with new life experiences and perspectives that will make them better prepared to make the most of their college experience. At the same time, students are poised to contribute to their college community in new ways.  They enter school with renewed energy for academics and a clearer vision for how to focus during their time in college.

We’d recommend reading Gwyeth Smith’s article that ran recently in the Washington Post, in which he advocates for the majority of high school students to take a bridge year before college.  If you need more convincing, Harvard has recommended taking a bridge year to all of its students for the past 30 years.

Wondering if GCY might be a fit? Check out our selection criteria or meet some of our current Fellows.

How about the big concerns: safety and finances?  Take a look at our For Parents section, where we address these questions in detail.

Tags: parents