Although most students at WHS attend college their first year out of high school, some choose to take different paths such as taking a gap year or not attending college at all. Driven by factors such as interest or money, graduating students who do not go directly to college often engage in nonacademic activities such as sports, work, and traveling.
“I think gap years are a great idea. For a lot of people it gives them some time to regroup after completing high school, and it’s a chance to explore some other things,” guidance department head Marla Schay said. “Almost every college that I know of is more than happy to defer admission for a year, and I think a lot of the reason for that is they’ve seen that students come in more mature with a better understanding of what it is that they want to study and do.”
Some students feel that getting a headstart in the workforce is their best option rather than going straight to college as this allows them to have a stable source of income.
“I’m taking a gap year because I feel like I’ve been in school for a long time. I need a mental rest and I like working with my hands, so I’m going to go to trade school,” senior Ben Whitmore said. “I’m going to do an electrician apprenticeship and work for a company. To become a licensed electrician you have to complete 8,000 hours of training, which is about four years, but you get paid to do it at the same time.”
Two to three percent of high school students take a gap year, and 90 percent of students who took a gap year returned to college within a year. While some seniors plan ahead to take this year off, others decide in reaction to the application process.
“I missed the early application deadline for college and then it was a few weeks before the regular deadline in January and I wasn’t fully done with my application,” Whitmore said. “That’s when my mom said that I didn’t seem very interested in going to college, which I realized was true.”
Other students base their decision to take a gap year in relation to their passion for sports, choosing to reclass through a private or boarding school during a post-graduate year. Less than one percent of the overall high school graduating population take a post-grad year, but for those who choose this option, it can provide opportunities not yet available to them at the end of senior year.
“I’m going to Westminster School in Connecticut for lacrosse and academics to raise my GPA and to take some harder classes,” senior Emilio Tanzi. “I made the decision sophomore year to do a post-grad year, so I could talk to colleges for a longer period of time.”
For some students, starting their career is most preferable, so the “gap” may prove to be longer than just one year.. Among the 38.6% of high school graduates who do not enroll in college immediately after graduation, 71.7% are either working or actively looking for work according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Senior Bryson McDade plans to join this group of employed high school graduates by pursuing a career in real estate.
“I’m interested in real estate because it seems like a way that a lot of people have made money, and I plan on doing that instead of college along with owning rental properties,” McDade said.
Not pursuing a traditional education, McDade has nevertheless had to expand his knowledge base for this career by taking classes to obtain his real estate license. He also plans to apply what he has learned in previous jobs to his new one.
“My past jobs have given me interpersonal and customer service skills, which are important for real estate,” McDade said.
For the students who choose to take a path after high school that is not college, family support can play an important role in their journey.
“[My family] loves that I’m going into real estate. My dad has a lot of good friends who are in real estate so I already have a job helping one of them” McDade said.
While a gap year or other non-college option may not be ideal for everyone, for those who have carefully considered their goals, these options can be optimal.
“Part of it is knowing yourself – knowing the kind of thing that’s going to be exciting to you and interesting to you, something that might push you but not so far that you’re panicked that you pushed yourself too far,” Schay said.