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A Year of Purpose: Exploring the Gap Year Option

G Written by Gap Year Association | April 1, 2022

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Photo of woman on a swing in Bali, Indonesia by Christopher Alvarenga on Unsplash

Planing a Successful Gap Year: A Webinar

Two years into the global pandemic, it's becoming clear that more and more students are exploring alternate routes to college, or choosing to take a gap year before starting their four-year degree. A gap year is defined as "a semester or a year of experiential learning, typically taken after high school and prior to career or post-secondary education, in order to deepen one's practical, professional, and personal awareness." Research frequently supports the many benefits of taking a gap year, from improved academic performance in college, to gains in confidence and maturity, to higher career satisfaction later in life.

College Confidential and the Gap Year Association recently held a webinar with a panel of gap year experts and alum on planning a meaningful and successful gap year. Watch the full recording below to learn more about taking an intentional year off before college.

Panelists include:

Sri Kulkarni - AmeriCorps

Jane Sarouhan - J2Guides

Christoph Guttentag - Duke University Admissions

Lily Slaughter - Gap Year Alum

Gap Year Association

The Gap Year Association is a nonprofit membership community for educators, students, gap year programs, and post-secondary institutions with a shared VISION of making at least a semester of quality gap year time accessible to every high school graduate.

Recognized by the US Department of Justice and the US Federal Trade Commission as the Standards Development Organization for gap year education, the Gap Year Association oversees a robust accreditation process for gap year providers and consultants.