Will my child still be interested in going to college? There are instances, Jacobson maintains, when the teenager wants a year off, but the parents fear that their son or daughter may never go on to college. In such cases, the parents and their son or daughter may want to draw up a plan. “If students can present a sequence of actions that they will pursue in the interim, I find parents are much less likely to balk at the suggestion.” Parents shouldn’t fear the prospect of their child losing interest in higher education during the year off, says Bob Gilpin, president of Time Out Associates, a business that matches young people with opportunities during their time off. Based on his experience, the opposite generally occurs: After a year off, students nearly always return to school with a higher level of enthusiasm and a greater sense of purpose. “If this idea shows up on the horizon, the parent should look closely at what the (teenager) has to say,” says Gilpin. The alternative – possibly resulting in the student dropping out of college – can be a financial and emotional step backward, he adds.
