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.
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
Global Citizen Year
Colby College collaborates with Global Citizen Year to offer an 8-month global immersion and leadership training program in one of four locations: Brazil, Ecuador, India, or Senegal. Global Citizen Year Fellows live with a host family and apprentice to a local organization working in education, health, or sustainability. This approach is aligned with Colby’s mission to educate and inspire engaged global citizens.
If you are interested in applying for this opportunity, please consult Global Citizen Year’s website for application materials and upcoming deadlines. If you indicate on your application that you are also applying to Colby College, Global Citizen Year will fast-track your application, guarantee you a final interview, and consider you for their available pool of need-based financial aid. They will also inform Colby Admissions when your application to Global Citizen Year is complete.
If you are accepted to both Colby College and Global Citizen Year, 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.