WISCONSIN (SPECTRUM NEWS) - A survey conducted in April shows 16% of college-bound high school seniors will be holding off on college this coming fall.

The survey was done by the Art & Science Group, where 1,171 seniors were polled across the country.

Megan Christian, who will be a freshman at Carthage College in fall of 2020, says a gap year is not for her.

"I would feel so behind everyone else," Megan said. "My mom took a big gap between high school and college and she says she regrets it because she didn’t get to meet all of those new people and form connections like others did."

Nick Mulvey is the Vice President of Enrollment at Carthage College.  He says, despite data that shows gap years are becoming more common in 2020/2021 due to COVID 19 complications, Carthage College is on track to have its largest incoming freshman class.

"We are fully planning on having in-person instruction in the fall in whatever shape or form that might take," Mulvey says.

He also warns students considering a gap year should have a solid plan for how they will spend that year off.   

"Employers can look at gap years skeptically, especially if you don’t have a way to articulate how your gap year benefitted you," he says.

Another complication -- the most common aspects of a gap year are currently unavailable due to COVID-19.

"Potentially study abroad at different institutions across the world, do some volunteer work," Mulvey says. "The issue here is a lot of these things, that in the past, have been common aspects of a gap year are not happening because of the situation we're in."

Megan says she is apprehensive about the future, but excited to begin her journey towards a higher education degree.

"With all this stuff going on, I don’t know what it’s going to bring," Megan says.  "Whatever does happen, I know it will be exciting."