The knee-jerk reaction to attend college after high school may be stopping mid-kick. More students are opting to take some time off — and colleges are supporting the idea.

Most of us know what it’s like: Facing the constant pressure throughout high school of getting good grades, joining lots of clubs and playing on sports teams … all for the lofty purpose of “getting into a good school.”

Now many new high school grads are saying “Enough!” They’re opting for a gap year to give themselves some much-needed time off.

And guess what? Many colleges are encouraging students to exercise the gap-year option.

According to The Boston Globe:

• MIT recently saw 24 students defer enrollment, compared to the usual eight to 10 each year. The school’s director of admissions promotes the idea — which has always been popular in Great Britain and Europe — in his blog.
• Last year, Princeton began sponsoring a gap-year program. The school foots the bill for students who choose to spend the year doing public service in countries like Peru and Ghana. Nearly 50 students went for the idea and deferred enrollment last year.
• At Middlebury College, students receiving a letter of admission are referred to a website where they can read about the merits of a gap year.
• In the past 10 years, Harvard has experienced a 33% increase in the number of students choosing to take a year off before entering as a freshman.
• Amherst College saw 20 students go for a gap year this past year — an increase of 67% since just last year.

Those in favor of the gap year say students gain a sense of the “big picture,” an understanding of the world and a maturity they won’t attain as quickly if they head right to college.

On the other hand, some fear students taking a gap year may never find their way to college.

Do you think a gap year is a good idea for a new high school graduate? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tags: Amherst, Harvard, Middlebury, MIT, Princeton