A gap year is a post high school experience where you can engage in research, work, volunteer, travel, or participate in other opportunities. If you are admitted to a college and you want to take a gap year, you must request a deferral from that college to reserve your place until the following year.
There are several benefits of taking a gap year. It can serve as an opportunity to:
- Obtain valuable life experience
- Gain maturity and perspective
- Focus on a potential major/career
- Save money for college
- Re-apply to a college or program to which you weren’t originally accepted, as long as you didn’t accept another college’s offer
Colleges generally look favorably on gap year experiences. Some universities, including Harvard and Princeton, encourage their students to participate in a gap year. Princeton began a pilot “Bridge Year” program with students accepted for fall 2009. Interested students who were accepted into the program will participate in the tuition-free program. Students spend nine months overseas engaging in community service projects. If successful, the program will be expanded for future classes.
The policies for granting deferrals vary widely from college to college. You should check on a school’s policy before you request a deferral. You also need to find out whether any scholarships or special program acceptances, including Honors programs, will be honored or whether you will be re-evaluated with next year’s pool of applicants. If a college does not defer acceptances, you may need to re-activate your application or re-apply with a new application. Check with your prospective colleges about their policy.
The process for requesting a deferral involves completing a “deferral request form,” if a college has one, or writing a letter to the Admissions Office. A sample letter looks like this:
|
Date College Name Address Dear Admissions Officer: Thank you for your offer of admission. I would like to request a one year deferral to participate in the name of program. I look forward to attending name of college in fall _________. Thank you for your consideration of my request. Sincerely, Name ID# |
Once your request is submitted, you should receive a response from your college indicating if your request was accepted. You should also receive instructions about whether you need to re-activate your application or re-apply, or whether your spot will be held for you. If you have any questions, you should ask the Office of Admissions.
There are many gap year programs out there. The costs for these programs vary from no fee to costs comparable to one year in college. To ensure you are approved for a gap year, you can provide sufficient information about the program in your deferral request letter. You may have a better chance of being approved if the gap program you choose is an established program.You can start your research by reviewing the following programs:
|
Name of Program |
Web Site/Description |
|
African Leadership Academy |
www.alagapyear.org—A 10-month program in South Africa where students choose a service project |
|
Americorps |
www.americorps.org—Students participate in service projects in the U.S. and are offered a living allowance and sometimes housing |
|
Audubon |
www.audubon.org—Offers various opportunities to volunteer or participate in programs in different locations |
|
Brown Ledge |
www.brownledgegapyear.com—Students travel to various cities in the U.S., participating in service projects and producing their own documentary about their experiences |
|
Camp Hill Association |
www.camphill.org—Participants assist people with developmental disabilities in 1 of 10 Camp Hill communities in North America |
|
Center for Interim Programs |
www.interimprograms.com—A fee-based consulting program which matches you with an appropriate gap year experience |
|
City Year |
www.cityyear.org—Students participate in 1 of 18 cities, mostly in the U.S., serving as tutors and mentors, working in after-school programs, or leading youth programs |
|
Dynamy Program |
www.dynamy.org—An experiential, residential internship program |
|
Enrichment Alley |
www.EnrichmentAlley.com—Provides information and links to various gap year programs |
|
Global Quest |
www.gquest.org—Offers 12-week programs in Thailand and Ecuador, where students engage in field work, excursions, internships, and service work |
|
Global Service |
www.globalservicecorps.org—Offers various overseas service learning programs, including teaching English, AIDS prevention, and international health |
|
Institute for International Cooperation & Development |
www.iicd-volunteer.org—Volunteers engage in service projects in Africa, Central America, and Brazil |
|
LeapNow |
www.leapnow.org/index.php—A multi-faceted 9-month program in various countries, which includes travel, service projects, and internships |
|
MASA Israel |
www.masaisrael.org—A clearinghouse organization providing over 150 opportunities to spend a semester or a year in Israel |
|
National Outdoor Leadership School |
www.NOLS.edu—Offers a variety of wilderness and outdoor experiential programs |
|
Outward Bound |
www.outwardbound.org—Offers a variety of wilderness and outdoor expeditions in the U.S., Caribbean, and South America |
|
Planet Gap Year |
www.planetgapyear.com—Provides a database of gap year experiences in the U.S. and overseas |
|
Projects Abroad |
www.projects-abroad.org—Participants can volunteer, teach, or engage in archaeology projects in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the South Pacific |
|
Rustic Pathways |
www.rusticpathways.com—Participants can choose from a variety of programs or customize their own gap year program in various countries |
|
School of Everything |
www.schoolofeverything.com—A social learning network where you can find courses and teachers for every topic |
|
Seamester |
www.seamester.com—Offers academic and adventure voyages at sea, where participants learn about oceanography, marine biology, sailing, and leadership |
|
Semester At Sea |
www.semesteratsea.org—Offers voyages at sea, investigating new cultures, lands, and people in a variety of locations |
|
ServeNet |
www.servenet.org—Offers a variety of volunteer opportunities worldwide |
|
The Gap Year Advantage |
gapyearadvantage.com—A book offering advice for planning and implementing a gap year |
|
Thinking Beyond Borders |
www.thinkingbeyondborders.org—A 35-week program offering a variety of service learning opportunities in multiple locations in the U.S. and overseas |
|
Where There Be Dragons |
www.wheretherebedragons.com—Offers a variety of experiential programs in various international locations, fostering cross-cultural education, global citizenship, and community action |
|
World Learning |
www.worldlearning.org—Operates international education and development programs in 70 countries |
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