Gap Year Options

 More and more college-bound high school students in the United States are beginning to learn what their counterparts “across the pond” already know… taking a Gap Year has proven benefits to help shape an individual before they head to college. 

In Australia and the United Kingdom, economic researchers found that high school students who deferred their admission to college to take a Gap Year went to college (after their gap year) at the same rate as those who accepted an offer and intended to go straight there. In fact, in the United Kingdom and in the United States, students who had taken a Gap Year were more likely to graduate with higher grade point averages than observationally identical individuals who went straight to college,

There are so many options for students and each has its own unique set of goals and benefits. At Custom College Consulting, we can help you sift through the plethora of options to determine the best one(s) to suit you.

Opportunities include:

Structured Gap Year Programs

• There are several gap year programs you can apply to, including some that offer financial aid. Many of these organizations provide structured itineraries, include accommodations, travel, participation in local activities, and more. 

Get a Job and Save Money

• You could find a job during your gap semester or year. Try to be flexible when it comes to finding work during this time, and apply to companies you may not be familiar with.

Learn a Valuable Skill

• There are plenty of skills you can learn from home — coding, languages, photography, or digital marketing, for example. Many online resources are free, and you can tackle any topic at your own pace. You won’t get course credit, but you can get a clearer sense of what you do and don’t like, which could influence what you study in college and help you develop skills to be successful after you graduate. 

Local Volunteer Opportunities

• There are volunteer opportunities for nearly every interest area and plenty of ways you can use your skills to give back. Volunteering not only helps others in need, but it can also expand your horizons, even if it is as simple as buying groceries for your elderly neighbors or organizing a virtual donation campaign for a local animal shelter. If you aren’t comfortable volunteering in person, there are thousands of virtual opportunities available through VolunteerMatch. 

Get a Remote Research Position or Internship

• Don’t overlook temporary remote or at-home learning opportunities. Project-based work and short-term internships (ideally paid) can get your foot in the door at a company that may be hiring down the road. Sites like LinkedIn and Handshake are great places to start looking for an internship.

• Participating in an online research program that matches your interests is another good way to occupy your time and gain valuable skills, especially if you plan to attend graduate school. Universities typically have an online page dedicated to finding research opportunities, so be sure to check it often to see if any interest you. 

Take Classes at Community College or through Coursera

• You could take a few classes at a local community college, which are typically significantly less expensive than a four-year college. It’s a way to knock out some 101-level classes, and you can usually transfer the credit to a four-year college.

Start a Passion Project

• Many people have been a lot less busy during the pandemic. So what better time to start that project that’s been stuck in your head? A passion project can help you learn about a subject—one you might want to pursue later, too.