Gap Year Counselor Standing by to Assist You!

Julia Levine is an experienced Gap Year Adviser, based in Vermont, whose passion is to help students and parents across the country plan effective gap year experiences. In the coming months, Julia will be contributing valuable Gap Year planning advice to our readers. Read her first post below, then visit her at EnRoute Consulting to have her answer your questions and help you plan your gap year!

Mapping the Gap:
How a Gap Year Adviser Can Help You Make the Most of Your Gap Year

By Julia Levine, Director, EnRoute Consulting

Gap years are awesome, so why doesn’t everyone take one? One major hurdle for students turning a gap year into reality is the fear of the unknown. The decision to take a gap year in America is still relatively rare, and therefore resources for students and parents seem harder to come by.

Luckily, there is plenty of personal guidance available for those who make the exciting choice to take a gap year. Gap year advisors such as myself work individually with students and their families choose high-quality programs, form itineraries, budget, and prepare students for their travels. In addition, gap year counselors work to make the gap year more accessible to American students. I give talks at high schools, collaborate with guidance counselors and hold informational webinars in order to spark interest in the gap year.

The biggest asset to working with a gap year adviser is access to our knowledge about gap year opportunities. I spend an enormous amount of time researching and interviewing gap year opportunities for my database. I only recommend organizations that I have independently vetted for social responsibility, sustainability, safety record and quality of student experience. Having an adviser match a student to a reputable program based on the student’s individual desires, skills and goals is the first step towards a successful gap year.

I have personally visited many of these programs on-site during my recent nine-month sabbatical, which took me to fourteen different countries. My visits with partner organizations enabled me to examine program locations and witness volunteers in action. I trekked to remote villages in Northern India, visited a Spanish-language school in Costa Rica, attended a school celebration in Nepal and worked on organic farms in New Zealand. All of these experiences now allow me to speak first-hand about the organizations I work with and to impart invaluable travel advice to my clients.

Another aspect of a gap year counselor’s job is helping families with the financial aspects of planning a gap year. Taking a gap year is affordable! With a little forethought, students can fundraise or work for a large chunk of the cost of their gap year. Many programs offer financial assistance and there are travel grants available from a variety of sources. Although most volunteer projects require a program fee, there are many locally-run programs that are very reasonably priced. Using a gap year adviser as a resource can end up saving you a lot of money! To make my assistance more affordable, my fees are on an income-based sliding-scale.

Having support while planning a gap year can make the whole process less intimidating. A gap year is supposed to be fun and a counselor can prepare you to enter your adventures confidently and ready to succeed. If you have any questions about planning your gap year, I’d be happy to talk to you.