What do colleges think about taking time off before the freshman year?
The El Casal students quoted above will be on their way to colleges such as Dartmouth, Vassar and New York University after their stay in Spain. The fact is that these schools and most other selective colleges are happy to have their recently-admitted students defer for a year. William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions at Harvard University, wrote: “A time out can take many forms….It is a time to step back and reflect, to gain perspective on personal values and goals, or to gain needed life experience in a setting separate from and independent of one’s accustomed pressures and expectations.” Harvard’s admissions office states its position very clearly: “We encourage admitted students to take a one-year deferral to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work or spend time in another meaningful way…” Former Princeton Dean of Admissions Fred Hargadon has said that he would reserve up to a quarter of the places in each entering freshman class for students who do not come to college
