I typically recommend students apply to college during their Senior year while they have the support of their college counselors and while peers are also applying to colleges. After accepting an offer of admission in the spring, students can request a deferral for a gap year. Some colleges have specific deferral policies for gap years and some schools evaluate deferral requests on a case by case basis. Students should contact their college or university’s office of admissions for specific instructions on the deferral request process and deferral deadlines. The Gap Year Association has a list of some schools that have official gap year deferral policies.
Most schools will ask that students submit a deferral letter outlining why they wish to defer their admission and what they intend to do during that time. When writing your deferral letter, there are a few things you should consider:
Share your Gap Year Goals
More colleges are warming to the idea of the gap year as they see the benefits of gap time embodied by former gap students. However, a successful gap year does not happen without some intentional planning and support. Students should come up with some achievable goals (at least 2-3) for their gap year and ensure their gap year plan reflects those goals. Highlight how those goals will help you to grow, as well as, allow you to contribute more to your campus community once you arrive on campus the following year.
Demonstrate you have a Solid Plan for your Gap Year
A gap year should be an intentional year of personal growth, exploration and experiential learning, not a wasted year of aimless wandering. Be sure to lay out a clear plan for your gap time and provide specific programs or experiences you intend to participate in during your gap year. These experiences might range from: organized gap year programs, service year experiences, volunteering, internships, skills based courses, non-credit academic courses, etc. Your plan may change slightly, and most colleges understand that. Your deferral letter should outline a feasible plan that closely resembles how you intend to spend your gap.
Why a Gap Year
Convey why gap time is important to achieving your goals. Are you burnt out academically and need a break from the classroom with some experiential learning opportunities? Did four years of high school Spanish classes not get your conversational abilities to the level you’d like them to be? Are you hoping to gain some real-world experience through an internship that will help you narrow down your choice of major? Show that you’ve spent time seriously thinking about how a gap year fits into your educational plan.
Here is an example of a gap year deferral letter —
Dear Office of Undergraduate Admissions:
I was elated to receive my offer of admission, as attending the University has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. As I got further into my Senior year though, I began to feel I might benefit from exploring other experiences outside of a classroom during this natural pause and transition phase of my life. I would like to request to defer my admission for one year so that I might pursue a gap year starting this fall.
After much consideration and research I have come up with a plan for how I hope to spend my gap year. During the fall semester I plan to participate in a language immersion program in Seville, Spain with SYE. I will live with a host family, take Spanish classes at a local language institute, and immerse myself in Spanish culture alongside a group of gap year peers. Becoming fluent in Spanish is an important goal of mine, and while I learned a great deal during my four years studying Spanish in high school, I know I could benefit immensely from an immersion experience. I plan to return home for the winter holidays and work a seasonal retail job before heading off for part two of my gap year. For the spring semester, I plan to participate in a three month internship with Tierra Viva, a sustainable development NGO in Northern Peru. At Tierra Viva I will be helping develop sanitation initiatives such as dry toilets and wastewater treatment projects. I am excited about this internship since I hope to join the school of engineering at the University, with a focus on sustainable systems. This internship will provide me with excellent real-world experience related to my intended major. Maybe it will even lay some groundwork for my future thesis project! After my internship I plan to utilize my Spanish language skills and independence gained during my gap year to backpack around South America for a few weeks to see some of the amazing historical and cultural sights the region offers. I plan to return home at the beginning of summer to work for a few months before moving to campus in August 2021.
I feel confident my gap year will equip me with valuable life skills and real-world experience that will not only help me to succeed at the University, but to be a more engaged scholar with a broader perspective so I can contribute more to my classes and the campus community. I hope that you will accept my deferral request and allow me to join the class of 2025.
Sincerely,
In the era of coronavirus, you might consider outlining a Plan B option as well. For the example above, Plan B for the fall might be:
In the event I am unable to travel to Spain this fall, I intend to take online Spanish classes offered through a local language institute, Clic, while volunteering with Conexión Américas, a local non-profit that serves Latino communities in my city.
You might have a cautiously optimistic approach to being able to travel overseas for the spring, but also mention a back up plan in the event you aren’t able to travel outside of the U.S. in 2021 by offering a domestic volunteer or internship opportunity. Show the admissions office that you are being responsible, realistic and nimble in your gap year planning!
It is not recommended that you mention online classes as a reason for wanting to defer your offer of admission. While the uncertainty surrounding this fall may drive more students to elect to consider a gap year, students and parents should explore gap year opportunities and arrive at the choice to take a gap year based on the many benefits and unique experiences a gap year can offer.
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