Is Taking a Year Off After High School OK?

TheRealKEVP
Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:28:25 +0000

To answer the basic question, there is NO problem with taking a year off after high school before going to college. “Gap” years are becoming more and more common. You can even take MANY years off after high school, like I did. Colleges do NOT discriminate against people because of their age, if you meet the admissions requirements, you can be admitted no matter how old you are.

But I think your situation is a little more complicated. Why is your daughter interested in majoring in theatre/acting? Is she interested in a career as an actress? If so, has she researched the biographies of the actors she admires to see how they became actors (she might find that some of them never even went to college!)?

I am a believer that young people should be encouraged to follow their dreams. That might mean that if your daughter really has her heart set on starting to audition for programs, I think she should go ahead and try. What has she got to lose? Since you say she doesn’t know much about the audition process, this will help her learn what it is all about. So if she doesn’t get in, she will have a much clearer understanding of what she needs to focus on during the “gap” year, after which she will go back with a much better audition.

Most young people when they go off to college have never lived on their own, and all of them have to learn how to function. That’s a completely normal part of being a college freshman. And I don’t think driving is such a big deal, many college students make do with bicycles instead of cars, largely because on many college campuses there is nowhere to park!! Also, if she becomes an actress she will end up living in a large city like New York or L.A., where again a car can be more trouble than it is worth.

KEVP