Gap Year
For many students, a gap year is a time to focus, recharge, and learn about themselves before starting their academic journey. So if you’re thinking about a gap year, we want to help. From understanding our deferral policy to connecting with programs around the globe, we want you to have every resource possible to inform your choice.
A gap year offers a unique opportunity to enhance individual learning experiences prior to coming to Colby. Students who have taken a gap year have challenged themselves around the world and right at home, bringing new perspectives to Mayflower Hill. Admitted students can submit a Gap Year Request Form.*
*Gap year requests for the Class of 2029 have closed as of June 1, 2025. Please contact Deputy Dean of Enrollment Management Molly B. Hodgkins should you have any questions.
Teaching in Nairobi and swimming with sharks
Aanavi had intended her gap year to focus on service work. Her journey instead took her to a second-grade classroom in Kenya and the cerulean seas of Indonesia.
An immersive experience abroad
Enrolling in a program that placed her in public housing in Jerusalem, Emma immersed herself in the culture to help her neighbors and learn a new way of life.
Getting outdoors in Utah and Patagonia
Following a half-year of service work, Topher had the experience of a lifetime in South America.
Working two jobs to challenge herself
After leaving high school in New Mexico, Fini went back to her native Austria to work—in the process learning resiliency, independence, and how to put academic and social demands into perspective.
Resources for Pursuing a Gap Year
Structured or unstructured, with a group or on your own—there’s no template for a gap year. These agencies and organizations are only a sample. The rest is up to your imagination, drive, or desire.
Community Service and Volunteerism
Intercultural Exploration and Education
Outdoor Education and Sustainability
Tilting Futures
Colby College collaborates with Tilting Futures to offer Take Action Lab, immersive learning programs where students learn how to create a meaningful impact on human rights issues during a semester in South Africa or on environment and sustainability issues during a semester in Malaysia. Students expand their global perspective and sense of purpose through a research-backed curriculum, cultural immersion experiences, and apprenticeships with organizations advancing human rights issues or climate. They make friends and mentors for life and graduate into a community of changemakers from across the world. With Take Action Lab, students develop the skills, network, and insights they need to lead fulfilling lives that create positive change.
If you are interested in applying for this opportunity, please visit Tilting Futures’ admissions page for application materials and upcoming deadlines. If you indicate on your application that you are also applying to Colby College, Tilting Futures will prioritize your application and consider you for their available pool of need-based financial aid and merit scholarships.
If you are accepted to both Colby College and Take Action Lab, our Admissions team will defer both your admission offer and financial aid package for one year to allow you to participate in this transformative year of cross-cultural immersion and self-discovery.