The Gap Year Advantage

"I'm not ready for college yet..." Those words need not cause panic and fear for parents. Taking time off before or during college is no longer the road less traveled for many students in the United States. A gap year offers students the opportunity to gain focus and discipline, learn to set realistic goals, get real-world experience, and ultimately get the most out of a college educaiton. A complete resource, The Gap-Year Advantage provides parents with all the advice, tips, and information they need to help students develop and implement a gap-year strategy. With answers to commonly asked questions such as "What do colleges think of gap years?" and "Can I be certain my cheld will go or return to college after taking time off?," education experts and gap-year parents Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson also offer guidance on researching program options, creating a gap-year time-line that complements the college-application process, communicating with students about their goals, and handling logistics such as travel, health insurance, and money. With anecdotes from students and parents across the country who have taken gap years, this valuable guide also provides extensive information on program options in the United States and abroad that include volunteering, travel, interning, and specialized study.

The idea of the gap year has taken hold in America. Since its development in Britain nearly fifty years ago, taking time off between secondary school and college has allowed students the opportunity to travel, develop crucial life skills, and grow up, all while doing volunteer work in much-needed parts of the developing world.

From the bestselling author of College Unbound comes a hopeful, inspiring blueprint to help alleviate parents’ anxiety and prepare their college-educated child to successfully land a good job after graduation. Saddled with thousands of dollars of debt, today’s college students are graduating into an uncertain job market that is leaving them financially dependent on their parents for years to come—a reality that has left moms and dads wondering: What did I pay all that money for? There Is Life After College offers students, parents, and even recent graduates the practical advice and insight they need to jumpstart their careers. Education expert Jeffrey Selingo answers key questions—Why is the transition to post-college life so difficult for many recent graduates? How can graduates market themselves to employers that are reluctant to provide on-the-job training? What can institutions and individuals do to end the current educational and economic stalemate?—and offers a practical step-by-step plan every young professional can follow. From the end of high school through college graduation, he lays out exactly what students need to do to acquire the skills companies want. Full of tips, advice, and insight, this wise, practical guide will help every student, no matter their major or degree, find real employment—and give their parents some peace of mind.

Amplified Advantage investigates the value and impact of today’s small liberal arts colleges through an extended examination of a recent cohort of students attending them. It demonstrates how these colleges sometimes succeed and sometimes fail in equalizing the experience of all their students. But there is more to the book than that. Although primarily an account of life and learning at small liberal arts colleges in the US today, scholars will find much of theoretical interest underlying the account. The context of the small liberal arts college is used to unpack how class works. Unlike many other books written about class in college, Amplified Advantage is not exclusively focused on how some students fare less well than their peers, but rather how all students’ strategies are affected by their past experiences and classed expectations, particularly in the context of growing inequality. Amplified Advantage draws on Bourdieu’s theory of class, particularly his concepts of capitals operating in a field, and habitus as way of understanding agent’s structured but generative choices, to demonstrate how inequalities are met, resisted, and ultimately reproduced across generations. Chapter by chapter, the book lays out the many ways that class continues to play a role in the college experience, from choosing a major, to frequency of faculty interaction, to participation in the extra-curriculum. The last chapters demonstrate the differential burden of debt on graduates and the impact of varied parental support after graduation. Amplified Advantages adds to our understanding of how class works, the impact of parents and families on social reproduction, and the ways that colleges and universities can contribute to or reduce inequalities.

Cut through the noise and make better college and career choices This book is about addressing the college-choosing problem. The rankings, metrics, analytics, college visits, and advice that we use today to help us make these decisions are out of step with the progress individual students are trying to make. They don't give students and families the information and context they need to make such a high-stakes decision about whether and where to get an education. Choosing College strips away the noise to help you understand why you’re going to school. What's driving you? What are you trying to accomplish? Once you know why, the book will help you make better choices. The research in this book illustrates that choosing a school is complicated. By constructing more than 200 mini-documentaries of how students chose different postsecondary educational experiences, the authors explore the motivations for how and why people make the decisions that they do at a much deeper, causal level. By the end, you’ll know why you’re going and what you’re really chasing. The book: Identifies the five different Jobs for which students hire postsecondary education Allows you to see your true options for what’s next Offers guidance for how to successfully choose your pathway Illuminates how colleges and entrepreneurs can build better experiences for each Job The authors help readers understand not what job students want out of college, but what "Job" students are hiring college to do for them.

An expert in cognitive development and music education reveals the remarkable and surprising benefits that playing--or even appreciating--music offers to children. The latest cognitive research has revealed something extraordinary: learning music and listening to music can grow and repair our brains at any age. Here, Dr. Anita Collins explains how music has the potential to positively benefit almost all aspects of a child's development, whether it's through formal education or mindful appreciation; simply clapping in time can assist a young child who is struggling with reading. It turns out that playing music is the cognitive equivalent of a full-body workout. Dr. Collins lays out the groundbreaking research that shows how playing an instrument can improve language abilities, social skills, concentration, impulse control, emotional development, working memory, and planning and strategy competence, from infancy through adolescence. She also provides real-life stories to show the difference that music learning can make, as well as practical strategies for parents and educators to encourage a love of music in their kids.

This is the go-to book for anyone considering a year to re-charge, to follow a passion, to become immersed in another culture, or to find their love of learning again. It includes everything a student, parent, or guidance counselor would want to know about the gap year; including what a gap year is, what it is not, and why it can have a positive impact on a young life. * Readers can find out what college admissions deans think of the gap year, and how it is becoming an important part of the educational process at top tier universities. *Economically, the gap year can make a lot of sense in a recession, and this useful guide gives information on free programs, financial aid, and tax savings. *The book has a comprehensive guide to 200 of the world's best gap year programs. *Students will find self-quizzes and helpful criteria to help them decide whether to take a gap year, and if so what kind of program. This guide helps them evaluate their interests and plan and fund their gap year; whether it means spending a year on a sailing vessel, coaching sports and teaching in an impoverished area, or following a passion in the arts or academics.