Published by Forbes
May 1 is “Decision Day” for many high school seniors across the U.S. - the deadline for choosing the college they will attend in the fall, submitting their acceptance, and making a deposit. Typically, it’s a day of excitement and relief for students, who have spent four years working and studying hard to get to this point.
This year, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, students are filled with anxiety and uncertainty about their college plans.
“I’m excited for college,” says Maya Kanungo, a senior at the School of the Arts in San Francisco who accepted an offer from the University of California, Santa Cruz, “but I don’t want my freshman year to be ruined by having classes online. If I wanted that, I could do it on Khan Academy.”
For Kanungo, as with many students, college is about more than classes. It’s about the campus experience, which includes making friends, living in dorms, and, for her, pursuing her passion for musical theater, which is difficult to do remotely.
UC Santa Cruz has not yet announced its plans for fall instruction, but Kanungo says she would consider taking a gap year if classes are online.
“I’d probably spend it taking classes at City College to get some credits out of the way, hanging out with my family, and maybe visiting my grandfather in India,” she explains.
A recent national survey by Art & Science Group shows that the coronavirus pandemic is derailing the plans of many prospective college students. According to the data, 1 in 6 high school seniors are reconsidering attending college full-time in the fall. Of these, a third are considering a gap year, and another third might attend college part-time.
The uncertainty is the hardest part for many high school seniors, who are faced with making an important life decision in the face of so many unknowns.
“If we had even a remote idea as to what would happen 1, 2, 4 months down the line, we would be more relaxed,” explains Evan Timnev, a senior at Wilton High School Connecticut who plans to attend the University of Connecticut in the fall. “We’d be able to plan and adjust accordingly. Unfortunately, that’s a luxury we don’t have.”
For Timnev, a gap year is not a viable option.
“My mom just lost her job due to the pandemic,” he explains. “We’re currently living on a single income, and ⅓ of the money we had saved for college is gone. Taking a gap year means running the risk of falling behind on the professional path towards becoming a physical therapist, something which the sooner it is done, the better.”
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