For parents and students · Launch League blog
Should you take a gap year after high school?
By Nick Gonzalez, founder, U.S. Air Force veteranPublished
The short answer
A gap year is worth it when it has a start date, an end date and one thing you will bring back: money saved, a skill, or a clear decision. It is a poor idea as a way to avoid deciding. Check your school's deferral rules in writing before you commit, because they differ and some forbid studying elsewhere.
The bring-back-one-thing rule
A gap year should end with something you can hold: a sum of money, a certificate or skill, or a decision backed by real conversations. If you can't say which one it is before you start, you are planning a pause, not a year.
Is a gap year a good idea?
Sometimes. I will be straight about the evidence, because most articles on this are written by people who sell gap year programs. The main North American advocacy group, the Gap Year Association, publishes its own survey results, and its own page says the findings come from engaged alumni and are not representative of everyone who takes a gap year, and that they lean toward structured, international, travel-heavy programs.
That does not mean gap years do not work. It means the glowing numbers describe people who had a plan and the money to carry it out. The same year, spent on a couch with no deadline, is a different thing.
The bring-back-one-thing rule
Before you start, pick which of these three you will bring back, and write it down:
- Money: a number. For example, enough saved to cover first-year costs you would otherwise borrow.
- A skill or credential: something you could not do last June and can prove, such as a certification, a language level, or a season of real work.
- A decision: a short list cut to one, backed by at least two conversations with people who do the job.
A gap year plan that is not empty
Here is the rough shape I would give a student who asked me for one.
- Months one and two: get a job or a placement. Income and a schedule are the foundation.
- Months three to six: try two things in fields you are curious about, even for a week each. Shadow someone, volunteer, take a short course.
- Months seven to nine: have the two conversations. Ask people in the field what an ordinary Tuesday is like, not the best day.
- Months ten to twelve: decide, apply or confirm your deferral, and write the next year's plan.
How does deferral work at Ontario universities?
Each university sets its own rules, so use this as an example, not a promise. The University of Waterloo's page for fall 2027 offers says a deferral lasts one year, that only one request is allowed, and that you have to accept the offer and meet its conditions first. The request itself goes in through the applicant portal in a window that opens on July 1.
The detail that catches families out: Waterloo says you may not take college or university courses during the deferral, and that doing so voids it. A gap year spent on a college course at another school may cost you the place. Read your own university's page, and get any exception in writing.
What to do after high school in OntarioUniversity, college or apprenticeship
What does a gap year do to scholarships and financial aid?
It depends on the school and on the award, and I will not guess. Before you request a deferral, email the financial aid office and ask three things in writing: is my scholarship held for next year, do I have to reapply for aid, and what is the deadline? Keep the reply.
When a gap year is the wrong call
If the honest reason is that you are avoiding the question, a year will not answer it. You will be a year older with the same question and less structure. If that sounds familiar, do the deciding first, with a free career quiz and a couple of conversations, and then plan the year around the answer.
If you need help turning a vague year into a real one, Launch League's Future Ready Sprint is six weeks of one-to-one coaching over video for $1,295 plus HST, and it ends with a written plan and two conversations with people in the field. Do the first two sessions; if you don't think it's worth it, you get the whole fee back.
Questions
Quick answers
- Will a gap year hurt my chances of getting into college or university?
- A deferral you have been granted keeps your place. A gap year taken without a deferral means you may have to apply again. Ask the school before you decide, and get the answer in writing.
- Can I take a course during my gap year?
- Some schools forbid it. Waterloo says taking college or university courses during a deferral voids it. Check your own university's rule first.
- How much should I plan to save?
- That depends on your costs, so work it out from your own: first-year fees, housing, books, and what you would otherwise borrow. A number you can write down is the point.
- What if my parents think a gap year is a waste?
- Show them the plan, not the idea. One page: the start date, the end date, the one thing you will bring back, and what you will do each quarter. Parents rarely object to a plan.
- Is a gap year worth it if I can't afford to travel?
- Yes. A year of paid work with a purpose is a perfectly good gap year, and for many students it is the one that pays for what comes next.
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Sources: Gap Year Association: Gap Year Data and Benefits (survey sample and its stated limits) · University of Waterloo: Deferring an offer of admission. Coaching is not therapy, medical, legal or financial advice.