Gap years are great. Even Harvard recommends gap years, if you look on its site you will see a loooong essay explaining that they are really great for students.
As long as the student doesn’t get married or have children, they have a chance to try out the world a little. One of my kids is on a gap period currently. The second year. The first year was all decompression from the rigors of school. Then one day the child took a piggy bank’s worth of savings and took off on a Grayhound Bus 1500 miles away. No parental support, except for phone and medical insurance. Child has job, pays rent, set up a savings account, and seems to be happy. A fully fledged adult at age 19. Maybe this child won’t go to college? I suspect college is in this child’s future though.
the biggest benefit I see in gap years is a chance to figure out interests and gain real experience before college. They get a chance to explore BEFORE THEY HAVE SCHOOL LOANS. Once you have loans, there’s n chance to try this and try that. You have to service the loans.
Also there are several programs available for nontraditional students that are closed to traditional students. Some schools offer special entrance and special scholarships.
I keep begging Child Number 2 to take a gap year, but this child is so excited about Early Decision Choice 1 that gap year is out of the question.