Guide to Gap Years

A gap year can be an amazing experience. It's a great way to learn about the world from a different perspective. Most students choose to volunteer, work, and travel. Brown students' recent gap year experiences have included working in an art gallery, farming in France, and bicycling across America.

Upon arriving at Brown, students who have taken a gap year generally find that they are more appreciative for and excited about their education than ever before.

It’s important to remember that taking a gap year is not for everyone. Most students are very excited to begin at Brown and don't want to delay freshman year. Also, not everyone does well with a lot of unscheduled time. Trying to design an entire year of your life is a daunting challenge. But it also an exciting challenge.

The concept of adding a year between high school and college is unconventional, but it is worth exploring. It can be a wonderful way to break away from the beaten path, to learn more about the world, and to get to know yourself.

Brown has many resources available to help students considering taking a gap year. The "Guide to Gap Years" is a collection of gap year experiences and resources from the Class of 2014. To receive this guide and get in touch with past gap year-takers, contact browngapyear@gmail.com.

Students interested in taking a gap year should contact Elisha Anderson (elisha_anderson@brown.edu) with a one-page letter explaining their motivation and plans for their gap year.