Gap Year Information

A gap year is typically a year-long break between High School and College during which students engage in various educational and developmental activities, such as travel, work or community service. Most colleges look favorably on these experiences as they give students time to emotionally recharge, mature and start to focus on their personal & professional goals. Gap programs can be very structured and supervised by an organization that specializes in these programs, they can be an academic, travel or work based program, or it can be a self-designed and directed experience. If it’s done correctly, a gap year can be a life-changing experience.

Take this GapMatcher quiz to find out which programs may fit your needs!

Program Ideas & Resources:

Adventure Treks Gap Year Program

Website: https://www.adventuretreks.com/

Adventure Treks is out of Hendersonville, North Carolina. They run an outdoor adventure-based gap programs for 18-20 year olds during the spring, summer and fall. They have an articulation agreement with Western Carolina University for students to earn 14 academic credits in their Parks and Recreation Management department.

American University Gap Year Program

Website: american.edu/spexs/augap

Program Information: American University offers Summer, One Semester, and Full Year Gap Programs for students who have just completed high school and are taking a year or semester off before starting college. The program features experiential learning through academic seminar classes and internships in Washington, DC. The program offers housing on the AU campus, resources on the AU campus, and at the end of the semester or year, students will have college credits on their transcript that can be shown on college applications.

Center of Interim Programs, LLC

Website: www.interimprograms.com

Gap-Year counselors since 1980. Explore interests through hands-on learning. Determine what may or may not be a passion. Relieve academic burnout. Create your life for a year after the lock-step of formal schooling. Discover the relevance of classroom study to the world around you. Step out of your comfort zone. Gain professional and practical skills. Improve chances for college acceptance by building a richer resume.

Dynamy Internship Year

Website: www.dynamy.org

Dynamy Internship Year offers an array of opportunities for personal growth through experiential education, including travel, language immersion, directed study, outdoor adventure, community service and internships.

EF Gap Year Abroad

Website: www.ef.com/year

Launch your global future. Immerse yourself in a world-class destination for 6, 9, or 11 months and return home with language fluency and academic achievements to be proud of. Our accredited schools around the globe combine 11 great locations with modern facilities and the latest in learning technology.

Global Citizen Year Gap Program

Website: https://www.globalcitizenyear.org/

Rustic Pathways

Website: www.rusticpathways.com/groups

Rustic Pathways offers a very flexible and diverse schedule of programs that can be tailored to each student's particular goals and interests. 36 Scheduled Gap Year Programs are offered throughout the year. Students can join for a few weeks, a semester or a full year. Gap for Good programs are independent, service-based homestay programs that can begin at any time during the year. Students can begin their trip any time of the year, and programs can be combined, allowing students to customize their experience.

Sea Mester

Website: www.seamester.com

This is the only sailing-based academic program that circumnavigates the globe, offering students the opportunity to explore those places that most intrigue them, and study the subjects that most interest them. They offer 4 Caribbean voyages per year: an 80 day semester every fall and spring, as well as a shorter 20 day and 40 day experience during the summer.

Service Learning in Paris

Website: https://www.asparis.org/academics/service-learning

Gap Year Semester in Paris provides Homestay, Twice monthly journeys, Service work with immigrant families, the elderly, children, and drop-in centers, as well as Language Study, and Seminar Meetings.

Grades: Recent High School Graduates

API

Website: aspirebyapi.com

These programs provide recent high school graduates with the opportunity to travel and study abroad before starting their undergraduate programs at home. All Aspire gap year and gap semester programs offer students the opportunity to earn college credit for their studies while abroad. Programs are offered in France, Ireland, Italy or Spain.

TeenLife

Website: https://www.teenlife.com/

Enrichment opportunities for teens.

The Academy at Watkinson

Website: www.watkinson.org

The Academy at Watkinson offers a pre-college year designed by YOU. Strengthen your transcript while you participate in intriguing internships, earn college credits, and travel to amazing places.

United Mint Campus- UMC

Website: www.unitedmintcampus.com

At United Mint Campus, the belief is that you should never have to sacrifice what you love for "the responsible choice" because we believe that you can do both- and excel at both. In this program, you work on real projects for local and global companies. At the same time, you can take up to a full load of US and UK academic credits and participate in immersive language learning. Our campus experience revolves around interactive experiences where you engage with your coaches, your project, and the people around you.