What is a Gap Year? Gap Year
a period, typically an academic year, taken by a student as a break between secondary school and higher education.
Email: [email protected]
http://unitedmintcampus.us15.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=e7d5cd786217bc0b9108e938d&id=c9c11e1712&e=776222a4c5
Americorps and Serve for America are excellent gap years where graduates learn and serve in different U.S. cities. See Americorps.org
College Credit and Internship Experience Do you have students looking for a gap experience in the academic world while also exploring new experiences and opportunities? In American University’s Gap Program, students explore future careers through a 3-days per week internship in Washington, DC, and a seminar class in American Politics, International Affairs, or Global Business. Students use DC as their classroom with site visits and guest speakers who provide them with the behind-the-scenes look at an international capital—all while earning college credit. AU Gap can be a year-long or semester experience--allowing students to easily combine a semester in AU Gap with another type of Gap experience or to immerse themselves in gaining internship experience for a full-year! Learn more about application requirements and deadlines. Want to learn more about the AU Gap experience? Check out our video and our AU Gap blog!
AU Gap also provides the experience of living and working in the nation's capital. Students will get an inside look at DC with site visits to organizations, government agencies, and start-ups and by hearing from expert guest speakers. If you are advising a student who is a good candidate for the American University Gap Program, please let them know that they can submit their application online.
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=46915434&msgid=109188&act=OIYE&c=1685219&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.american.edu%2Fspexs%2Faugap%2FThe Kennedy Lugar YES Abroad program is a U.S. government-sponsored program for high school students or recent graduates (current high school seniors) to spend a year abroad – FOR FREE!!! Students live with host families, study in a local school, etc. No prior language experience is necessary. The program is to countries with significant Muslim population such as Morocco, Jordan, BosniaHerzegovina, Macedonia, Turkey and Ghana. There are other countries too: Indonesia, Senegal, Thailand, Philippines, India, and Malaysia. Also, it’s a program where the U.S. government helps you out later by showing you opportunities for college scholarships and careers. Find out more at: http://www.yes-abroad.org/about/about-us
Our mission: Go Grad is dedicated to matching students to the perfect graduate degree program, helping them begin their journey towards a more fulfilling career. visit us here: http://www.gograd.org
GoGrad.org, P.O. Box 77062, San Francisco, CA 94107http://www.gograd.org
Accreditation by the American Gap Association represents a commitment to the highest standards in safety, quality, and integrity. They have agreed to consistently abide by the Standards of the American Gap Association, which typically means that a student can count on an experience with the highest caliber of field leadership, the best degree of office support, and the highest standards of safety. ** This list of Accredited Organizations is being updated regularly. The following organizations represent those undergoing the application process, thus demonstrating their commitment to the highest standards in Gap Year Education. For peer-reviews, we have worked with www.gooverseas.com primarily, but because reviews are a critical part of the selection process, we wanted to provide more information of use and encourage looking at two other primary resources for program reviews: www.studyabroad101.com andwww.teenlife.com. For more information, visit our Standards web page. Currently Accredited AGA Members The following organizations have been vetted by the strictest Gap Year Standards. The process involves both AGA staff and the powerful Board of Advisors to ensure the best in Gap Year education and the highest consistency in programming.
NOLS -
The value of taking a gap year after graduation — long a tradition in other countries — is now gaining popularity in the United States.The concept of taking a gap year – or one-year break from school following high-school graduation – has long been popular in many countries around the world, except the United States. This is beginning to change, as greater numbers of young people in this country discover the value of postponing career training for one year in favor of self-discovery, traveling, and becoming familiar with this great big world.
|
How to Fill the GapUtilizing the option of a gap year is attractive for many reasons, such as indecisiveness regarding a college major, the desire to travel and live abroad, learn a trade, or pursue a dream. Many countries offer visas for tourism, employment, and working holidays. Once a student moves abroad and experiences daily life in a foreign country, the travel bug might bite and, with a little planning, filling a gap year by traveling to different nations through their particular visas will become a breeze.
Though travel can be expensive, entering into a four-year college program with no plan can cost much more money – without the benefits of taking a gap year. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, “The six-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time undergraduate students who began their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at a four-year degree-granting institution in fall 2008 was 60 percent.” A six-year sacrifice for a program that should be four is a large commitment of both your time and money. Many students who are uncertain regarding their future plans often change majors, requiring additional hours of study dedicated to fulfilling program requirements toward another course of study. It’s Never Too Late |
While the gap year is becoming popular with those who are graduating from high school, older students and professionals are taking a break from traditional education and career paths. It’s not uncommon for college graduates to postpone their career search, or a professional to take a leave of absence or simply resign, in favor of gaining the invaluable education afforded through a gap year.
Though taking a gap year could delay a student’s plans to graduate college according to a four-year plan, this traditional schedule isn’t necessary. While students who want to pursue a career that requires long-term dedication to school, such as medicine or legal STEM fields, might want to wait to take a gap year until after completion of doctoral studies, a gap year is not completely out of the question. Programs such as Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) and Lawyers Without Borders provide opportunities for professionals to travel the world andmake a difference. The benefits of pursuing a gap year following high school (or two or three over the course of a career) far outweigh the potential threats to a quality education. Travel connects people by transcending the boundaries forged by nationality, background, and personality. The common educational value of travel affords an excellent conversation starter for graduate-program applications, job interviews, and simply meeting new people. If a full-on gap year between high school graduation and post-secondary education seems a bit intimidating, check out STEM-focused study abroad programs and remember to join a club in high school, such as foreign language or government, to prepare for education beyond U.S. borders. |