I think all students should take a gap year. Many of my students don’t know what they want to do with their lives while they are paying top dollar for their college education, and they wind up spending at least an extra year in college while they try to figure that out. A gap year gives good perspective.

BTW — I didn’t take a gap year until my late 20's — just before I started graduate school. And honestly, I’m considering a gap year now that I’m in my 50's!