Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, December 23, 2017

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 23, 2017 EDUCATION & YOUTH 7 Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 23, 2017 EDUCATION & YOUTH 7 
GOLDENWORDS: 


Dr. Dan’s College Corner 

As final college application deadlines approach in the comingweeks, here’s a few thoughts for current high school Seniorsabout not going to college--yet. There are lots of reasons foryou to consider taking an “interim” year, usually called a “gap”
year, before entering college or university. My fellow colleaguesand I at the Vistamar School called it a “fill-in-the-gap” yearbecause this transitional time has such great potential for youto identify, explore and refine your life interests.

A well-structured gap year can, in one scenario, be builtaround purchasing a formal gap-year program. There arequite a few excellent ones that have gone through the rigorousaccreditation process of the American Gap Association, whichhas set a variety of standards of practice for its members(see:https://americangap.org/gap-year-programs.php).

But you soon discover with these programs that they can beexpensive options to undertake, so let’s begin with the rationalefor taking a gap year first, and then identify some approaches tobuilding a good interim time before college or university. 

A GAP YEAR MAKES YOU MORE MATURE AND 
THAT MUCH MORE READY TO MAKE THE MOST OF 
COLLEGE. 

-- Institutions tell us that ‘gappers’ arriving as first-year enrolleeshave more academic and career focus, can make the adjustmentto the self-management demands of college more quickly, andare far less likely to succumb to the alluring distractions of togaparties, binge drinking and the like. 

A GAP YEAR CAN STRENGTHEN YOUR ACADEMIC 
PROFILE. 

--About now, if you’ve done your homework in terms of thegrades, test scores and activities you’re bringing to the collegeprocess, you have a good sense of your chances vis a vis theselectivity of colleges on your list. 

Some of the schools that do accept you by April may wellencourage you to take a gap year and save your spot for a year.
But perhaps you’ve harbored an interest in schools currentlybeyond the reach of your profile?

If you elect a gap year, you will be able to enhance your gradeprofile with a strong Spring term folded into your GPA. And, 
you’ll even have time to prepare for and sit for another batteryof standardized tests. Maybe this year’s “reach” school can benext year’s acceptance? 

YOUR CHOICE OF GAP EXPERIENCES IS VAST AND 
FLEXIBLE 

--Consider the 15 or so months you’d have to invest in gap timeonce you graduate from high school. Beyond purchasing avendor’s Gap program, you could design that year-plus to suit arange of your needs and interest. Some options:

you might accrue cash in a job right after graduating andbe able to extend your employment into the Fall when other 

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workers have to go backto school and thus payfor your subsequent Gapactivities, too; 

you could could 
similarly presentyourself in Fall as aneager candidate for aninternship or communityservice, offering your sitesupervisor a good-sizedweekly commitment foryour learning experience; 

you could cultivate 
a creative talent and tie 


it to future studies or 
careers. I had a student interested in ornithology who not onlyonly interned at the Bird House of a local zoo, but he studiedfalconry with a hawk-master. He arrived at college with hisheavy leather gauntlet-glove, insisting it was a great chick-
magnet, pun intentional.

Another violinist gathered up her resources and her bowand spent 6 months apprenticing in Prague to a violin-maker.
She didn’t speak a word of Czech beforehand, but emerged withlanguage and wood-carving skills, played with street musiciansat stations of the Letnany (Prague’s subway system), and arrivedat University with a new interest in the emerging former Sovietnations. Pretty cool stuff, eh? 

BUT IF I DO A GAP YEAR, I MIGHTN’T EVER GO TO
COLLEGE AT ALL! (an often-expressed concern of parents, 
too)
--not so, if you study the research and statistics on gapping.
And, with clever strategic planning, you can catch up on
the credits you didn’t take while gapping, do a few semester
overloads and summer sessions, and graduate in three 
years.


So, you could spend the coming months watching the mailsand e-portals of schools to which you’ve applied, edgy andconcerned about outcomes. Or, you could spend your timebuilding a gap year plan instead, and hold open this optionfor the first year after high school. You may have worked realhard on your college apps, it’s true--but maybe your immediatefuture best lies outside the college classroom for all the rightreasons? 

Dr. Dan Golden was the founding director of Life Planning atthe Vistamar School in El Segundo. He was a professor, programdirector and Dean for Work & Service-Learning at WheatonCollege (MA), and now consults with individuals, schools andeducational districts on college access, post-graduate study andcareer planning issues. He can be reached at dangolden0@gmail. 
com. 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY 
Alverno Heights Academy200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 
(626) 355-3463 Head of School: Julia V. FanaraE-mail address: jfanara@alvernoheights.org 
Arcadia High School180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: Brent Forseebforsee@ausd.net 
Arroyo Pacific Academy41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca, 
(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil ClarkeE-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org 
Barnhart School 
240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007 
(626) 446-5588 Head of School: EthanWilliamson 
Kindergarten - 8th gradewebsite: www.barnhartschool.org 
Bethany Christian School93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024(626) 355-3527Preschool-TK-8th Grade 
Principal: Dr. William Walnerwebsite: www. bcslions.org 
Clairbourn School 
8400 Huntington DriveSan Gabriel, CA 91775Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172 
FAX: 626-286-1528 
E-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org 
Foothill Oaks Academy822 Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010 
(626) 301-9809Co-Principals Nancy Lopez and Diane Kieffaberinfo@foothilloaksacademy.orgpreschool@foothilloaksacademy.org 
Frostig School971 N. Altadena Drive Pasadena, CA 91107(626) 791-1255Head of School: Jenny Janetzke 
Email: jenny@frostig.org 
The Gooden School 
192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024(626) 355-2410Head of School, Carl Parke 
website: www.goodenschool.org 
High Point Academy1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road Pasadena, Ca. 
91107 
Head of School: Gary Stern 626-798-8989 
website: www.highpointacademy.org 
La Salle High School3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 
(626) 351-8951 website: www.lasallehs.org 
Principal Mrs. Courtney Kassakhian 
Monrovia High School325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin JacksonEmail: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us 
Odyssey Charter School725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001 
(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neillwebsite: www.odysseycharterschool.org 
Pasadena High School2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 
(626) 396-5880 Principal: Roberto Hernandezwebsite: http://phs.pusd.us 
St. Rita Catholic School 
322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 
Principal Joan Harabedian (626) 355-9028website: www.st-rita.org 
Sierra Madre Elementary School141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 
(626) 355-1428 Principal: Lindsay LewisE-mail address: lewis.lindsay@pusd.us 
Sierra Madre Middle School 
160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 
(626) 836-2947 Principal: Garrett NewsomE-mail address: newsom.garrett@pusd.us 
Walden School 
74 S San Gabriel Blvd 
Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166www.waldenschool.net 
Weizmann Day School1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107 
(626) 797-0204Lisa Feldman: Head of School 
Wilson Middle School 
300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107 
(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth EsselnE-mail address: resseln@pusd.us 
Pasadena Unified School District 
351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109 
(626) 396-3600 Website: www.pusd@pusd.usrcadia Unified School District 
234 Campus Dr., Arcadia, Ca. 91007 
(626) 821-8300 Website: www.ausd.net 
Monrovia Unified School District 
325 E. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, Ca. 91016 
(626) 471-2000 Website: www.monroviaschools. 
net 
Duarte Unified School District 
1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010 
(626)599-5000 Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us