Note that forum demographics are very different from overall demographics. It is rather likely that most actual gap year students are not the strong students with no financial barriers to a college education (as is commonly the assumption on these forums), but those who cannot go to college immediately due to financial limitations (combined with not achieving highly enough to earn sufficient scholarships or admission to colleges with good financial aid). So they have to work (or serve in the military) to try to earn money (or veterans’ benefits) to pay for college. Some such students may not have been initially interested in college at high school graduation, but eventually became interested later, though “life happens” can be a barrier to enrolling or completing college.