Taking a Gap Year

Taking a year off before starting college is a big decision, and it’s not right for everyone, but Whitman students who take gap years tend to have very positive experiences and report feeling even more ready to start at Whitman after completing their gap year. In our experience, the best gap years provide students with opportunities to expand on existing passions, explore new areas of interest, or gain real-world experience. It can also be a good opportunity to build a student’s academic strengths to set them up for a Whitman education.

Ultimately, it’s a personal decision, but Whitman is supportive of students who choose to take a gap year and we definitely think it’s worth considering if you think you would benefit from a break before starting your college journey.

To request a gap year, you must first officially confirm your intention to enroll at Whitman by submitting your enrollment deposit. Once your deposit has been received, your applicant portal will have a link to Whitman’s Gap Year Request form in the “Forms” section. Once you submit that form, you will hear back from Whitman within two weeks to confirm that you have officially been approved for a deferral (nearly all requests are approved).

Please note that even if you indicated on your application that you wish to take a gap year, you must still submit the Gap Year Request form to be officially approved for a gap year.

It is helpful for us to know your intention to defer your enrollment by July 1. This allows us to avoid placing you in housing and assigning an academic advisor. That said, we have a flexible approach and we are always happy to work with you if you decide later in the summer that a gap year is right for you.

Whitman does not currently allow gap semesters for first-year students; first-year students can only request a full gap year. Transfer applicants are allowed to defer admission for just a semester.

While the standard deferral is for one year, Whitman has granted multiple year deferrals for special situations, such as religious or military service, reasons relating to health and wellness, and issues with obtaining student visas. If you would like to pursue a multiple year deferral, indicate this in your gap year request and we will work with you to understand your situation and accommodate you if possible.

In most years between 25-40 incoming students took a gap year. Given Whitman’s typical incoming class size of 400-500 students, this means around 6-10% of Whitman students take gap years.

There are so many great options for your gap year! In the past, Whitties have participated in a variety of wonderful gap year programs previously, such as City Year, Dynamy, English-Speaking Union, Global Citizen Year, NOLS. Outward Bound, Rustic Pathways, Where There Be Dragons (and many more!). Many of these programs have generous scholarships available. Other Whitties have chosen to take a year off to work and save money for college. And others have forged their own path, for instance by combining community college classes with independent travel and learning a new language.

More than anything else, we want your gap year to help you develop your interests and passion in ways that will make you even better prepared for college life, so as long as you plan with that in mind you’ll be in good shape!

Yes, Whitman will allow you to earn college credit that is transferable to Whitman during your gap year. However, please note that you should not enroll as a degree-seeking student at another college during your gap year. For example, it is perfectly acceptable for you to take a few courses at a local community college during your gap year. And you can work with our Registrar to determine which courses would transfer for credit at Whitman. It is also acceptable for you to participate in a gap year program that has partnered with an accredited university through which you could earn college credit.

What would not be okay for you to enroll as a full-time student at a university in your hometown. This would make you a transfer student, and you would need to reapply to Whitman as a transfer student, rather than as a first-year student.

If you have any questions about credit transferability, send an email to registrar@whitman.edu and they can answer any questions you have.

Any achievement awards (i.e., merit scholarships) or talent scholarships you received will automatically stay with you through your gap year. If you received need-based financial aid, you will need to reapply each year by submitting the FAFSA and CSS Profile no later than March 15. As long as your family’s financial situation doesn’t change, you can expect that your need-based aid will remain consistent throughout your time at Whitman, including during your deferral period.