Gap Year Programs

by Brian Fisher, AdmissionsQuest, Inc.

As a follow up to our PG article, we've put together a list of Gap Year Programs and resources that provide a starting point for the kinds of experiences that many students and families seek.

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In our article "A Post Graduate Year; what's that?," we discuss rationales - as varied as students - for choosing a transition or gap year before moving on to a student's post secondary endeavors. Some students may need only additional school work; some students may want to volunteer for a year; others may benefit from a wilderness experience.

We've put together a list of programs and resources that provide a starting points for the kinds of experiences that many students and families seek. A separate lists of boarding schools from AQ's database that offer post graduate programs can be accessed from this page as well.

Remember that to be successful, this must be time spent working and growing. Hanging out at the beach doesn't count.

Post Graduate Boarding Schools-- a list of boarding schools offering a PG year.
Bridgton Academy, Bridgton, ME -- a PG-only boarding school.

Educational organizations that offer programs that can bridge the gap between high school and college:

American Field Service
AmeriCorps (Corporation for National Service)
Amigos de Las Americas
Audubon Expedition Institute
Au Sable Institute for Environnemental Studies
British American Education Foundation
Bridges: Study Abroad
Broad Reach
Center for Interim Programs
City-Year
Dynamy
Earth Corp
Earth Watch
Full Sail Center for Recording Arts
Foundation for Foreign Study
Habitat for Humanity
High Mountain Institute
ICA Journeys
GlobalQuest
Global Routes
Ithaka
Interlocken/Windsor Mountain
LEAPNow
Leysin American School-Switzerland
National Outdoor Leadership School
NACEL Open Door
Outward Bound
Oxford Advanced Studies Program
Pacific Village
Peace Corp
Rotary International Exchange
Sea Mester
Student Conservation Association
Studio Art Centers International Florence
Up With People
The School for Field Studies
TASIS Schools
Where There Be Dragons
World Learning-The Experiment in International Living
Youth For Understanding

The next group of sites offer web portals into the various gap year programs available to students.:

Find a Gap
Taking Off
StudyAbroad.com
Where Are you Headed?
The Center for Interim Programs
TransitionAbroad.com

3 Comments

By Ruth Levy on October 17, 2008 11:50 AM

This seems like an amazing resource. I have a son who is a senior in high school who is very bright and not achieving due to many factors ~ I will look forward to exploring these possible areas.

By Peter Baron on October 17, 2008 11:56 AM

Ruth, thanks for the kind words. Let us know if you find additional programs along the way. We're always looking to build on our list. Best of luck, Peter

By Jim Minor on November 24, 2008 8:03 PM

Here's one more for the list - Map the Gap International. Offers 5 international gap year programs that feature language and cultural immersion and community service.

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