Malia Obama part of growing wave of US students taking a gap year before college
Increasingly, high-achieving students in the US are doing what many in Europe have long done - take a year out before starting university. So what are the advantages, and the limitations?
Malia Obama’s decision to take a year off before attending Harvard University in the autumn of 2017, announced by the White House at the weekend, reflects a growing trend among high-achieving teenagers to pursue other interests and get a respite from the academic grind that has come to define high school for many young Americans.
It will also provide her with a chance to experience college as the glare of the presidential spotlight has begun to ease, giving her a level of freedom that the daughters of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton did not have on their respective campuses.
Malia, the older daughter of US President Barack Obama, has not decided what she will do during her year off, according to someone familiar with the process who asked for anonymity to discuss the private decision. “She has yet to even graduate [from high school], so she’s going to take time to think about her opportunities,” the individual said.
Harvard and many other prestigious US universities now encourage applicants to consider taking a “gap year” before starting college to alleviate the stress and burn-out that often result from their pressure-filled high school years.
Between 80 and 110 students defer matriculating at Harvard each year, according to Harvard’s website, double the number it reported four years ago.