A New Gap Generation

> High school students work long and diligently to gain admission to the College. Now, in keeping with Moving

Dartmouth Forward goals to improve campus life, adminis-

trators hope more accepted students will take time off before matriculation. To promote that goal Dartmouth has announced plans to partner—at no cost—with the Aspen Institute’s Frank- lin Project, a curator of community service jobs that address

social needs. Gap-year opportunities will be offered beginning with the class of 2020. Students already accepted to the College would defer enrollment to work for a year.

Although reliable statistics are unavailable, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of U.S. students choosing this option after high school—a practice that is more common in Europe and the United Kingdom. According to the American Gap Association, which accredits gap programs, the practice

promotes “motivation, optimism, grit and conscientiousness.” The vision of the Franklin Project is to one day normalize a full year of service among America’s young adults as a matter of public policy. The partnership, says Maria Laskaris ’84, former dean of admissions and financial aid, will benefit both students and the College by offering an experiential pre-education for students who then arrive on campus with not only practical work skills but also a fresh perspective. “It always struck us that students who had taken a gap year for whatever reason felt much more ready and had already grown accustomed to being away from home,” Laskaris says. “For so many students now, high school is such a race. We see a lot of students who are quite frankly burnt out and would probably benefit from the op- portunity to recharge.”

Administrators hope the partnership, which will guide students to paid positions at nonprofits, universities and gov- ernment agencies, will remove some of the traditional barriers students face when considering a year off, such as the cost of living alone and away from home.

In the recent past approximately 25 to 30 students from each class have taken a gap year, according to Laskaris. Ad- ministrators hope to more than double that number in coming years and provide more gap-year opportunities.