<p>I realize that your daughter wants to go directly to college but I’m still wondering if you might reconsider. She will be with far older students; many students (like my daughters) are older than 18 when they start. There’s all these pressures, like drinking/drugs, time management, independence, etc., and while every student is different, I don’t see how it’s a bad idea to delay for a year at the least. My daughter took a gap year but we didn’t think it meant automatically going overseas. She stayed home and worked 20-30 hours/week, took a supplemental German class at the community college, plus acting classes at a local professional theatre. She also auditioned for community theatre shows and was in a few plays. IT was a busy, very productive year and she has been positioned to start Northwestern this year as a more mature student who is disciplined and used to working independently. I think she would have had a horrible experience in college had she started several years ago; she was far worse in time management especially then. Again, this is individual of course, but I hope you consider that a ‘gap year’ does not mean merely going overseas, and that staying home and working and taking a class or two at a community college or theatre can be very educational, and will also bolster your college application. Best of luck with whatever choice you make.</p>