Interim (Gap) Year

Many students consider the idea of trying different kinds of learning for the year after high school. These can be students who have applied to college but are not ready to attend, or students who may apply to college for the first time after they have had a chance to explore more options for education focus. Interim years can provide valuable skills in maturity, independent living, employment, community service, and/or travel. There are now many programs for interim years if students do not want to create their own structures.

Even if a student knows well ahead of time that an interim year is possible, we recommend going through the college application process during senior year and choosing a college. Then to defer, send the confirmation deposit before May1 along with a letter stating that you will enter college a year later. The deposit will hold your place.

Benefits
Colleges appreciate students who have taken an interim year because usually those students arrive on campus with experience, focus, and maturity that contributes positively to academic and social endeavors.

Risks
1) Colleges cannot extend their financial aid offers past the upcoming academic year, so parents need to reapply for financial aid during the interim year and there is a chance that the new financial aid offer will be different than the original one.
2) Some parents worry that if their student does not go straight to college, the motivation for going to college will diminish. That does happen sometimes. However, on the flip side, if a student is not ready to handle college but goes anyway and then drops out, there can be significant emotional and financial expenses.

We encourage families to consider the possibilities of an interim year, even if the student decides in the end to attend college right after high school. The ability to consider options and then make the best choice is a life skill we want all our students to practice.

VSAC Pathfinder: Alternatives to College
(Refer to the VSAC website for updated/more information at www.vsac.org)
Books - Search our catalog online at http://follettweb.vsac.org:9000/webopac/main?siteid=1.
Patrons may borrow books either by coming to the Resource Center in downtown Winooski or by making an interlibrary loan request through their local school or public library.

Gap year information

  • Choices for the High School Graduate: A Survival Guide for the Information Age (2005). Call # 373.18 Fireside
  • The Gap-Year Advantage: Helping Your Child Benefit from Time Off Before or During College (2005). Call # 370.116 Haigler
  • The Gap-Year Guidebook (2006). Call # 370.116 Withers
  • The Gap Year Book: The Definitive Guide to Planning and Taking a Year Out (2003). Call # 370.116 Hindle
  • Success Without College: College May Not Be Right for Your Child or Right Just Now (2000). Call # 370.116 Lee
  • Taking a Gap Year (2005). Call # 370.116 Griffith
  • Taking Time Off: Inspiring Stories of Students Who Enjoyed Successful Breaks from College and How You Can Plan Your Own (2003). Call # 370.116 Hall

Educational Alternatives

  • But What If I Don’t Want to Go to College?: A Guide to Success Through Alternative Education (2006) Call # 374.013 Unger
  • Other Ways to Win: Creating Alternatives for High School Graduates (2006) Call # 370.11 Gray
  • The Teenagers’ Guide to School Outside the Box (2001) Call # 373.2 Greene

Internships/Work Opportunities

  • Back Door Guide to Short-Term Job Adventures: Internships, Summer Jobs, Seasonal Works, Volunteer Vacations, and Transitions Abroad (2005) Call # 650.14 Landes
  • International Workcamp Directory (2006) Call # 331.128 VFP
  • Sail Tall Ships!: A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea (2000) Call # 790.01 ASTA
  • Teaching English Abroad: Teach Your Way Around the World (2006) Call # 428.007 Griffith
  • The Uncollege Alternative: Your Guide to Incredible Careers and Amazing Adventures Outside College (2000) Call # 331.7 Wood
  • Work Your Way Around the World (2005) Call # 428.007 Griffith
  • You’re Certifiable: The Alternative Career Guide to More Than 700 Certificate Programs, Trade Schools, and Job Opportunities (1999) Call # 378.013 Natalfi

Volunteer, Service, and Travel Experiences

  • Alternative Travel Directory: The Complete Guide to Traveling, Studying, and Living Overseas (2002) Call # 370.116 TAP
  • Alternatives to the Peace Corps: A Directory of Volunteer Opportunities (2005) Call # 361.3 Willsea
  • How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas (2002) Call # 361.37 Collins
  • The International Directory of Voluntary Work (2005) Call # 361.3 Pybus
  • Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures that Will Benefit You and Others (2006) Call # 302.14 McMillon
  • Transitions Abroad (periodical) Call # PER 370.116 Hu

Web Links :
Below is a partial listing of the many available college alternative or gap year programs. The costs vary widely for these programs.

Resources

  • The VSAC Resource Library staff maintains an updated list of various summer/semester opportunities in and outside of Vermont geared primarily, but not exclusively, to high school students — Summer opportunities.
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ publication “High Earning Workers Who Don’t Have Bachelor’s Degrees” offers information on jobs that pay well, the educational requirements of these jobs, and a discussion of what makes a “good” job.
    http://stats.bls.gov/opub/ooq/1999/fall/art02.pdf
  • “Where Are You Headed?” provides a database of gap year options, as well as information on summer opportunities and advice on college admissions and transfers.
    Use VSAC’s membership: username = reachout, password = winooski
    www.whereyouheaded.com

Cultural/Educational Experiences

  • AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc. is a non-profit, international organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities abroad with the aim of promoting a more just and peaceful world
    www.afs.org/afs_or/home
  • Brown Ledge gives students life and work skills, as well as training them in documentary production to help them investigate and respond to the world around them. The program starts with an intensive training session in techniques and styles of video, audio, and digital photography. Participants will then travel to two unique American cities—New Orleans and El Paso—where they will live together while individually doing half-time internships or community service and creating their own documentary work.
    www.brownledgegapyear.com
  • Global Quest offers 12-week, summer, and year-long programs in Thailand and Ecuador/Galapagos for high school seniors and graduates who want an off-the-beaten-path, authentic cultural experience.
    http://gquest.org
  • Sojourns Abroad is a 12-week fall/spring or 2-week summer cultural immersion experience in Italy, Spain, or France for those who want an international adventure — www.sojournsabroad.org
  • Woolman Semester is a high school semester studies program for juniors, seniors, and first-year postgraduates. Through a focus on the issues of peace, justice, and sustainability, the Woolman Semester enriches a typical high school curriculum with seminar-style course work and experiential opportunities that promote life-long learning, personal growth and intellectual commitment.
    www.woolman.org/woolman.html
  • Youth for Understanding is an international exchange and educational organization committed to inspiring and engaging youth of all races and ethnicities, regardless of socioeconomic status, in an academic year, semester, or summer program
    www.yfu-usa.org

Environmental Experiences

  • Audubon Expedition Institute is a traveling graduate and undergraduate school that transforms students into inspired, compassionate environmental leaders and activists.
    www.lesley.edu/gsass/audubon/index.html
  • Earthwatch Institute promotes sustainable conservation of our natural resources and cultural heritage by putting people in the field where they assist scientists in their field work.
    www.earthwatch.org
  • Kroka Expeditions is an Earth Living Skills School dedicated to assisting young people in developing strong character, responsibility, community, and a sense of place in harmony with nature. All of our programs offer sustainable community living experiences balanced with state-of-the-art instruction in adventure sports and the ancient art of wilderness living.
    www.kroka.com
  • Living Routes offers Ecovillages, ecological communities where students live in harmony with local environments while investigating personal and community-based solutions to real world issues.
    www.livingroutes.org
  • Outward Bound offers over 650 adventure-based wilderness courses that focus on compassion, learning through experience, and responsibility to both team and the environment — www.outwardbound.org
  • The Student Conservation Association provides opportunities for volunteers, conservation internships, and a year-round leadership program in our National Parks, Forests, and other public lands.
    www.thesca.org
  • The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps is a private non-profit organization that hires young adults to complete conservation and park management projects on public lands in Vermont.
    www.vycc.org/index.html
Volunteer/Service Experiences
  • Americorps is the domestic Peace Corps; volunteers are eligible for an education award after one-year’s service.
    www.americorps.org
  • City Year is a national service organization which unites young adults, ages 17-24, from diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds for a demanding year of full-time community service, leadership development, and civic engagement.
    www.cityyear.org
  • Cross Cultural Solutions is a not-for-profit international volunteer organization that operates volunteer programs in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Morocco, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania and Thailand.
    www.crossculturalsolutions.org/Default.asp
  • Global Volunteers assists people of diverse cultures in gaining a non-tourist perspective through volunteer opportunities such as teaching English, working with community elders, repairing buildings, and more.
    www.globalvolunteers.org
  • The Global Volunteer Network places people in community projects in 21 countries.
    www.volunteer.org.nz
  • Volunteers for Peace offers low-cost international volunteer opportunities for young adults.
    www.vfp.org
  • World Volunteer Web, coordinated by the United Nations Volunteer program, supports the volunteer community by providing a global one-stop shop for information, resources, and organizations linked to volunteerism.
    www.worldvolunteerweb.org

Multi-Focus Organizations

  • Action Without Borders provides information on non-profit careers, volunteer opportunities, and internships.
    www.idealist.org
  • The Center for Interim Programs enables people to pursue structured alternatives to formal education by matching clients' interests with over 3,000 internships, apprenticeships, volunteer positions, and cultural study programs worldwide.
    www.interimprograms.com
  • Dynamy offers year- and semester-long leadership and career exploration internship programs for high school seniors and recent graduates. Each nine-week program combines an internship component with an Outward Bound course, community service, independent apartment living, and one-on-one advising.
    www.dynamy.org
  • Gap Year Edge combines customized gap year placement with one-on-one coaching throughout the gap year.
    www.gapyearedge.org
  • LEAPNow is a source for low-cost internships, volunteer positions, work exchanges, and experiential programs in 129 countries and the U.S.
    www.leapnow.org/home.htm
  • Young Politicians of America offers links to hundreds of internships in a variety of organizations, including government, nonprofit, media, academic, and service organizations.
    www.ypa.org/home.php