My d is currently taking a gap year in Europe. She is very happy with her decision to wait a year before starting college. She did not do it for financial reasons. She was undecided about where to study, and she just wanted to see something of the world before continuing her education. She already has a better sense of where she wants to study. She just submitted her college applications for next year, and I am sure that her experiences abroad actually made her a stronger applicant (independence, foreign language skills, work experience…). To be honest, I would not want my kids to go to a college that sees taking a year to work, volunteer or travel as a problem!