RESOURCES
2024-03-13
What to Look For in a Gap Year Program
There are a number of gap year programs available to students, but how do you know which one to choose?
There’s a lot you can do in a year’s time and you want to make it count.
That’s why we created this guide to help you find find the best program for you!
Written by Tilting Futures
Gap Year Program: What to Look For?
Use this checklist to help narrow your search for a gap year program.
Opportunity
Gap year experiences offer a unique opportunity to combine cultural immersion, personal growth, and real-world experience. When looking at different programs, try to find a good balance of all these elements. Purely volunteering abroad can sometimes lack the structured learning element. Conversely, traditional study abroad can be so classroom-focused that you miss out on real-world experience. Seek out programs that balance all the opportunities gap years offer!
Destination
If you could spend a year anywhere in the world, where would it be? Keep in mind that a gap year program takes you away from the tourist spots and into the “real life” areas of a country. This provides more than a vacation can offer and offers the rare opportunity to learn more about a culture that interests you in an authentic, hands-on way.
Experience
Whether it’s a topic you’d like to learn more about or a global issue you’d like to be involved more in, make sure you know about all the possibilities out there before making a decision. Reading what past gap year participants have to say can help you make the right choice.
Affordability
Think you can’t afford a gap year program? Think again. Many programs offer scholarships and financial aid, some even offer full scholarships. At Tilting Futures, 80% of our students have received financial aid, many receiving full scholarships! We believe this opportunity should be open to everyone, irrespective of income level.
