I agree on the importance of financial responsibility, but I just don't think that the kids that are going to Tufts are going to get much out of saving for a year. If it costs 40k/year to go there, and they're saving maybe $10,000 tops during their gap year, they are still going to be completely drowning in debt…

So true! One of my good friends is from Singapore and just moved to NYC. I'm in the midwest and have four days off at the end of this week...she doesn't seem to understand why we can't take a road trip together in those 4 days!

I think some Americorps jobs are actually suitable for the younger crowd. For example, a lot of them involve tutoring or working in schools, and young people are great at mentoring other young people. I participated in an AmeriCorps program the summer after my freshman year of college, and I worked alongside high…

I disagree. I think that, however, the "lens" could sometimes be altered to make it seem less about Western cultural superiority. For example, I think it would be useful to explore the history of these traditions a little more. My mom — who was a social worker in India, in servants quarters in Delhi — always tells…