The Gap-Year Advantage: Helping Your Child Benefit from Time Off Before or During College - Paperback

by Karl Haigler (Author), Rae Nelson (Author)

"I'm not ready for college yet..."

Those words need not cause panic and fear for parents. Taking time off before or during college is no longer the road less traveled for many students in the United States. A gap year offers students the opportunity to gain focus and discipline, learn to set realistic goals, get real-world experience, and ultimately get the most out of a college educaiton.

A complete resource, The Gap-Year Advantage provides parents with all the advice, tips, and information they need to help students develop and implement a gap-year strategy. With answers to commonly asked questions such as "What do colleges think of gap years?" and "Can I be certain my cheld will go or return to college after taking time off?," education experts and gap-year parents Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson also offer guidance on researching program options, creating a gap-year time-line that complements the college-application process, communicating with students about their goals, and handling logistics such as travel, health insurance, and money.

With anecdotes from students and parents across the country who have taken gap years, this valuable guide also provides extensive information on program options in the United States and abroad that include volunteering, travel, interning, and specialized study.

Author Biography

Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson have a combined forty years of experience in the fields of education policy and practice. Karl Haigler has served as director of the Adult Literacy Initiative for the U.S. Department of Education and as special advisor to the Governor of Mississippi on literacy issues. Rae Nelson served as associate director for Education Policy at the White House. They live in Advance, North Carolina.