Harvard College encourages admitted students to deferenrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work,or spend time in another meaningful way—provided they do not enroll in adegree-granting program at another college. Deferrals for two-year obligatorymilitary service are also granted. Each year, between 80 and 110 students defertheir matriculation to the College.

For more thoughts on the advantages of taking time offbefore college, read the article below, “Time Out or Burn Out for the NextGeneration.”

Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation

William Fitzsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Harvard College

Marlyn E. McGrath
Director of Admissions, Harvard College

Charles Ducey
Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology, Harvard Graduate School of Education

College admissions officers, especially those whoadmitted the parents of today’s applicants, have an unusual vantage point fromwhich to observe changes from one generation to the next. Many of us areconcerned that the pressures on today’s students seem far more intense thanthose placed on previous generations. College admission—the chance to positiononeself for “success” through the acquisition of the “right” collegedegree—looms large for increasing numbers of students. Particularly becauseselective colleges are perceived to be part of the problem, we want to do everythingpossible to help the students we enroll make the most of their opportunities,avoiding the much-reported “burnout” phenomenon that can keep them fromreaching their full potential.

Of course, the quest for college admission is only oneaspect of a much larger syndrome driving many students today. Stories about thelatest twenty-something multimillionaires, the astronomical salaries forathletes and pop-music stars, and the often staggering compensation packagesfor CEOs only stimulate the frenzied search for the brass ring. More than ever,students (and their parents) seek to emulate those who win the “top prizes” andthe accompanying disproportionate rewards.

From the cradle on…

The chase for the prize begins early, and some recent reports sound hyperbolic.Anecdotes abound of infants serenaded with classical music to enhance theirmental powers; toddlers overwhelmed with computers and “educational” toys;“experts” guilt-tripping parents by telling them that their children will behopelessly behind by age three or four if they don’t follow myriad prescribedstrategies.

Consultants are paid thousands of dollars to preparetoddlers for the “all- important” interview and observed play-time that willdetermine admission to the “right” pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or primaryschool—thereby presumably ensuring admission to the right high school, college,graduate school, and so on. The consultant will teach the child to maintain eyecontact in the interview and to demonstrate both leadership and sharing duringthe observed play sequence. The competition for admission to some of the pre-k,kindergarten, and grammar schools can be intense—statistically more difficult(with lower admission rates) than Harvard.

Once in the “right” school, students are pushed along byteachers, by outside tutors and, if they stumble, by learning specialists whowill help them approach their studies in the most efficient manner. The schoolday continues well into the night with structured study time and drills. Thepressure can be relentless, even from well-intentioned parents. For the mostpart, they simply want the best for their children who, they fear, will be leftby the wayside by other high achievers.

Sports, music, dance, and other recreational activitiesused to provide a welcome break, a time to relax and unwind. No more: trainingfor college scholarships—or professional contracts—begins early, even ingrammar school. Professional instruction, summer camps, and weekly practice andgame schedules consume many hours and nearly all free time. Student and familycommuting logistics become byzantine in their complexity. Even “play-time” isoften structured and enriched with just the right mix of appropriate playmatesand educational activities. Summer vacations have become a thing of the past.The pace of the day and the year allows little time simply “to be a kid”—or, itseems, to develop into a complete human being.

The middle school/high school fast track

By high school, the pressure intensifies. Students start to specialize in oneactivity even to the exclusion of other pursuits. Athletes, dancers, musiciansand others begin to define themselves by their chosen activity as they try toperfect their new-found talents and identities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned of possiblephysical and psychological damage that can result from specializing in a sportprematurely. For every success story, there are countless other less happyresults. Some students participate in programs that take up as much time asschool. Fast-track athletic teams compete or practice most days—withweekend-consuming road games, and national or international schedules duringsummers and vacations. A serious athlete or musician or dancer may change schoolsfor a better athletic program, even moving far away from home to do so, andperhaps to an academically weaker school.

Academic demands also ratchet up, supported by specialtutors and the beginnings of SAT prep in middle school. In high school, SAT prepbecomes a way of life for some students, with night and weekend sessions. The“right” SAT tutors may command several hundred dollars per hour, and can beengaged to live during the summer at or near their tutees’ beach houses. Summer“cram schools” for the SATs are increasingly common, as are summer schoolsessions at the best prep schools and universities, some beginning in middleschool.

The quest for the right college

Professional college counselors (either independent or school-based) appear onthe scene early, sometimes in middle school, to begin to structure students’academic and extracurricular profiles for entrance to the “right” college. Atits best, such advice can be helpful in assessing talents, goals, and making“mid-course corrections” that can make a real difference in students’ lives.From a more cynical perspective, such advice steers students toward travelabroad, community service, or other activities solely to enhance collegeapplication essays or interviews. Such services may command thousands ofdollars, and assistance in preparing applications ranges from appropriate toplagiaristic. Videotaped mock college interviews are features of some packages,as are guided tours of colleges. An array of services start in ninth grade (“orseventh or eighth grade for no extra charge”) for fees of over $30,000. Morespecific services include Essay Review, which offers “brainstorming session andas many revisions as necessary.” Such services can add to, rather thanalleviate, the stress of the normal expectations of school, community, andfamily life. Their “products,” such as overly-slick essays, can even hurt astudent’s admissions chances as they can sometimes be easy to spot in theadmissions process.

The pressure of gaining entrance to the most selectivecolleges is commonly blamed for much of the stress we observe. But those of uswho work in college admissions recognize that college is only one of manydestinations in the fast lane. The accumulation of “credentials” simplycontinues to intensify as the stakes increase. The “right” graduate schoollooms after college, and the “right” sequence of jobs is next. Such attainmentsmake it possible to live in the “right” kinds of communities and to begin thejob of bringing up the following generation, one that might need to vault evenhigher hurdles.

The fallout

Faced with the fast pace of growing up today, some students are clearlydistressed, engaging in binge drinking and other self-destructive behaviors.Counseling services of secondary schools and colleges have expanded in responseto greatly increased demand. It is common to encounter even the most successfulstudents, who have won all the “prizes,” stepping back and wondering if it wasall worth it. Professionals in their thirties and forties - physicians,lawyers, academics, business people and others - sometimes give the impressionthat they are dazed survivors of some bewildering life-long boot-camp. Some saythey ended up in their profession because of someone else’s expectations, orthat they simply drifted into it without pausing to think whether they reallyloved their work. Often they say they missed their youth entirely, never livingin the present, always pursuing some ill-defined future goal.

Some early remedies

What can we do to help? Fortunately this young fast-track generation itselfoffers ideas that can reduce stress and prevent burnout. In college applicationessays and interviews, in conversations and counseling sessions with currentcollege students, and in discussions with alumni/ae, many current studentsperceive the value of taking time out. Such a “time out” can take many forms.It can be very brief or last for a year or more. It can be structured orunstructured, and directed toward career, academic or purely personal pursuits.Most fundamentally, it is a time to step back and reflect, to gain perspectiveon personal values and goals, or to gain needed life experience in a settingseparate from and independent of one’s accustomed pressures and expectations.

For the years during high school, here is some of theadvice students have offered:

Families should allow for “down-time” during vacations,weekends, and during the week at mealtimes or at any other break in the action.The fabric of family life is already under assault from the demands of parents’increasingly stressful jobs. Parents, some of whom experienced the first waveof fast-lane childhoods themselves, are often distressed by how littleuninterrupted free time they have to devote to their children.

Bring summer back. Summer need not be totally consumed by highly structuredprograms, such as summer schools, travel programs, or athletic camps. Whilesuch activities can be wonderful in many ways, they can also add to stress byassembling “super peers” who set nearly impossible standards. Activities inwhich one can develop at one’s own pace can be much more pleasant and helpful.An old-fashioned summer job that provides a contrast to the school year orallows students to meet others of differing backgrounds, ages, and life experiencesis often invaluable in providing psychological downtime and a window on futurepossibilities. Students need ample free time to reflect, to recreate (i.e. to“re-create” themselves without the driving pressure to achieve as aninfluence), and to gather strength for the school year ahead.

Choose a high school (or a college) not simply by “brand name” or reputationbut because it is the best fit. A school with a slower pace or a differentacademic or extracurricular focus can be a better match for certain students inthe long run.

Using the senior year

The senior year of high school presents some special challenges andopportunities. The U.S. Department of Education’s Commission on the High SchoolSenior Year calls the senior year a “lost opportunity that we need to reclaim.”While some students try to get by with as little work as possible, others findit the most stressful year of their lives, with more demanding courses, moreleadership responsibilities in their extracurricular activities, and the addedburden of applying to college and taking the requisite college entrance tests.

There is often great tension about choosing and beingadmitted to the “right” college. Students and their families react to thisparticular stress in a number of ways, and many want the college admissionsprocess over with as soon as possible.

While early admission programs may be right for somestudents, many observers have begun to ask whether too many students areapplying early. They wonder if students are taking enough time and care toselect colleges that best match their academic interests, career goals, andpersonal aspirations. Some have even used the word “hysteria” to describe somestudents who, perhaps influenced by peer pressure, want to apply early“somewhere”—without considering which colleges might be best for them. Somestudents have concluded that it is a virtual necessity to apply early, whateverthe circumstances, for fear of being left behind.

We concur with these observers that early admissionsprograms have not always served students well. In addition, they are notequally available to all students given the great disparities in guidancecounseling and other resources in the United States and elsewhere. Weeliminated our early admission program in recent years in part to encourage ourstudents to use their secondary school years in the most effective mannerpossible. By focusing on the opportunities available in secondary school ratherthan on applying “early” to college, students will also benefit by avoiding theworst aspects of the college application frenzy that students often find sostressful. While we have restored early admission to meet the rising demand forthis option—and have instituted changes to encourage students from modesteconomic backgrounds to apply early—we hope all students will use earlyadmission in a thoughtful manner and only when it is appropriate for theirindividual needs.

Some high schools help their seniors in the transitionfrom high school to college by allowing a slightly reduced course load, alongwith alternatives such as community service, research projects, and internshipsthat might help with career exploration.

Colleges can help themselves as well as their prospectivestudents by declaring (and demonstrating) that they are not judged simply bythe number of AP or other advanced credits amassed at the end of senior year.For example, those students with particular strengths in the humanities andsocial sciences often believe colleges expect them to take calculus when theymight be much better served by another algebra course or statistics—or anotherlanguage—instead. No matter which path they take, students who can find ways toreduce stress and use the senior year well arrive at college much betterprepared to take full advantage of their first year of college.

Taking time off before or during college

Perhaps the best way of all to get the full benefit of a “time-off” is topostpone entrance to college for a year. For nearly 40 years, Harvard hasrecommended this option, indeed proposing it in the letter of admission.Normally a total of about 80 to 110 students defer college until the next year.

The results have been uniformly positive. Harvard’s dailystudent newspaper, The Crimson, reported (5/19/2000) that students who hadtaken a year off found the experience “so valuable that they would advise allHarvard students to consider it.” Harvard’s overall graduation rate of 98percent is among the highest in the nation, perhaps in part because so manystudents take time off. One student, noting that the majority of her friendswill simply spend eight consecutive terms at Harvard, “wondered if they everget the chance to catch their breath.”

During her year off, the student quoted above touredSouth America with an ice-skating company and later took a trip to Russia.Another interviewed in the article worked with a growing e-commerce company (inwhich the staff grew from 10 to 100 during the year) and backpacked around Europefor six months.

Some options for the interim year

Members of one recent class participated in the following activities, and more,in the interim year: drama, figure skating, health-care, archeologicalexploration, kibbutz life, language study, mineralogical research, missionarywork, music, non-profit groups, child welfare programs, political campaigns,rebuilding schools, special needs volunteering, sports, steel drumming,storytelling, swing dance, university courses, and writing—to name some chosenat random. They took their interim year in the following locales: Belize,Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Guatemala,Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines,Scandinavia, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Uruguay, UnitedStates and Zimbabwe.

Many students divide their year into several segments ofwork, travel, or study. Not all can afford to travel or to take part in exoticactivities. A number have served in the military or other national serviceprograms. Some remain at home, working, taking part-time courses, interning,and still finding the time to read books they have never had time to fit intotheir schedules or begin to write the “great American novel.” Others have beenable to forge closer ties with parents or grandparents from whom they may havedrifted away during the hectic pace of the high-school years.

Reactions to the year off

Students taking a year off prior to Harvard are doing what students from theU.K. do with their so-called “gap year.” Other countries have mandatorymilitary service for varying periods of time. Regardless of why they took theyear off or what they did, students are effusive in their praise. Many speak oftheir year away as a “life-altering” experience or a “turning point,” and mostfeel that its full value can never be measured and will pay dividends the restof their lives. Many come to college with new visions of their academic plans,their extracurricular pursuits, the intangibles they hoped to gain in college,and the career possibilities they observed in their year away. Virtually allwould do it again.

Nevertheless, taking time off can be a daunting prospectfor students and their parents. Students often want to follow friends on saferand more familiar paths. Parents worry that their sons and daughters will besidetracked from college, and may never enroll. Both fear that taking time offcan cause students to “fall behind” or lose their study skills irrevocably.That fear is rarely justified. High school counselors, college administrators,and others who work with students taking time off can help with reassurancethat the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Occasionally students are admitted to Harvard or othercolleges in part because they accomplished something unusual during a year off.While no one should take a year off simply to gain admission to a particularcollege, time away almost never makes one a less desirable candidate or lesswell prepared for college.

Achieving balance

While the focus here has been on ways to relieve stress for today’shigh-achieving generation, we should note that in fact most students are copingwell with pressure, even thriving. This remarkable time offers opportunitiesthat previous generations (and students in many other countries today) couldnot imagine. Colleges, for example, now reach out through their recruitingprograms to talented students from every economic background. Financial aidmakes college a reality for outstanding students on a scale that was notpossible before. Graduation rates at leading American colleges and universitiesremain extremely high and students express satisfaction with their collegeexperiences.

It is important to remember that access to highereducation around the world is at present limited to a lucky few. Thosefortunate enough to enjoy such a privilege have a responsibility to use theirtalents to provide expanded opportunities for future generations. Our youngalumni and alumnae have been successful in meeting the formidable challengesthey have faced since college. But they continue to remind us that the rigorsof competing in the new world economy impose high standards on everyone. Theydo not (nor do we) tell today’s students to “slack off” and achieve less.Recent graduates advise today’s high school and college students to preparethemselves emotionally as well as academically.

It is worth noting that extraordinary achievements arenever based on emulating someone else’s achievements, but on some unmeasurablecombination of (a) marching to one’s own specific and unique drummer and (b)accidentally—perhaps unconsciously—doing something that captures the Zeitgeistin new and unexpected ways. Those whom parents often want their children toemulate either used their own ingenuity to give the public a product or imageit desperately wanted, or happened to catch a hot wave of the time, or(ideally) both.


While their achievement stands as an ideal for whichothers strive, others cannot by definition duplicate that achievement becauseit is induplicable. So the problem can often be well-meaning but misguidedparents who try to mold their children into an image of success they value; andtheir children, being moldable as they are, often get on board and go alongwith the program before they have any capacity to make such a choice forthemselves. Yet the paradox is that the only road to real success is to becomemore fully oneself, to succeed in the field and on the terms that one definesfor oneself.


So the pressures placed on many children probably havethe unintended effect of delaying a child’s finding herself and succeeding onher own terms. We should all have the right to gape with awe at Yo-Yo Ma’smusical triumphs, while at the same time achieving our own more modest ones inour own fields and ways: finding hominid bones that shift our conception ofpaleontology, or composing smooth jazz melody, or tracing the rise and declineof Roman gentes. Parents and students alike profit from redefining success asfulfillment of the student’s own aims, even those yet to be discovered. Burnoutis an inevitable result of trying to live up to alien goals. Time out canpromote discovery of one’s own passions.


The fact remains that there is something very different aboutgrowing up today. Some students and families are suffering from the freneticpace, while others are coping but enjoying their lives less than they wouldlike. Even those who are doing extraordinarily well, the “happy warriors” oftoday’s ultra-competitive landscape, are in danger of emerging a bit less humanas they try to keep up with what may be increasingly unrealistic expectations.


The good news is that students themselves offer helpfulsuggestions about how best to handle the challenges they face. In part becauseof all the obstacles that confront them from the earliest stages of theirlives, this generation has emerged generally more mature, sophisticated, and,at their best, better prepared to cope with the demands of the twenty-firstcentury. They learn at an early age how to cope with both victory and defeatand with the formidable demands placed on them by adults and peers. Yet manywould benefit from a pause in their demanding lives. Let us hope that more ofthem will take some sort of time out before burnout becomes the hallmark oftheir generation.


2000 - Revised 2011