by Sara McGinnis posted in Celebrities

Malia Obama is all set to graduate high school with the class of 2016, and she's decided to go to Harvard -- in 2017.
While many were curious to see where the firstborn daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama would choose to go to college, I'm intrigued by this talk of taking a "gap year." Specifically, I'd like to know where this tradition was when I was 18" All of a sudden I'm all kinds of jealous.
In light of Malia's decision The New York Times reports:
In deferring her start date until 2017, Malia, 17, is availing herself of the opportunity to take a ?gap year,? a popular option for high school seniors who are seeking experiences outside the classroom ? some in far-flung parts of the world ? before they begin pursuing a degree. Harvard actively encourages admitted students to do so. It may also yield a less scrutinized freshman-year experience for Malia, whose parents have worked vigilantly to keep her out of the public eye during her years in the White House and hope to shield her from such attention as a college student.
While it's not yet clear what Malia Obama will be doing during her gap year, it makes sense for her to take a little time off while her family is going through such a transition period. But even if they weren't, I'd love to see this concept pick up in popularity stateside.
My husband and I both struggled to pick our majors in college, in part I believe because we had virtually no experience worki...