Well, I am back in college full time at night (after work) after a twenty two year gap. I have taken classes here and there but this is the first time I am enrolled to finish my degree (I'll have my Associates in May and my Bachelor's next year.) I have a 4.0 GPA and a fairly rigid schedule which suits me at this time in my life. It did not suit me at 19, nor at 22 when I returned for a semester, nor at 35 when I took classes at the Community College.

A gap year would have been good. I was not mature at 19.

My daughter, on the other hand, was extremely focused (she goes to RedRhodie's alma mater) and was not interested in a gap year even though I recommended it. She is also extremely young for her age, although not immature. She's just not a partyer, not very social, and very in to her art and not much else. So school is exactly the right place for her at exactly the right time, and that's the way I feel about where I am at this time in my life.

My sister pushed her kid to go to college and my niece dropped out after 2 weeks. Not everyone is ready to go, no matter how smart.

Gap years have gotten very popular and there are a lot of good, structured programs out there if you look around. But ultimately, I would leave it up to your daughter. We did... even though we felt it was imperative she apply, we were ready for whatever she wanted to do if she had decided not to go. I couldn't have said it would be better to go. Everyone is different. And despite the recruiting desires of hiring entities, the packages are not always so nicely wrapped up. For myself personally, the diversity of my background actually helped me more than any degree could have to land me exactly here (that and, the recommendation of a good friend. )

P.S. I also work in higher education and can say for sure there are some kids here who are seriously meant to be here, and others who should be repeating their Senior year of high school.