Helping students increase college success by planning transformative Gap Years based on life skills and real world learning
Click here to read Gap Years During a Global Pandemic by Katherine Stievater, published December 31, 2020
Click here to access Katherine’s webinar hosted by the Belmont High School PTSO (60 minutes including Q&A)
Click here for Katherine’s interview with Belmont Media Center (12 minutes)
Services
Gap Year Plan
The Gap Year Plan helps students map out their Gap time and helps structure activities and experiences to meet their interests, goals and budget. Learn more.
Gap Year Mentoring
For students who are seeking a little extra prompting and organizational support, Gap Year Mentoring helps students stay on track during Gap time. Learn more.
Katherine Stievater, Founder
Katherine founded Gap Year Solutions because she feels strongly that many students can benefit from taking a step off the typical path, and become more self-reliant and confident through REAL WORLD LEARNING. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, with over 13 years of experience as an admissions interviewer, and was a Retail Buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City. Katherine has four sons, the second oldest of whom completed a Gap Year before beginning college. Her oldest son spent his junior year of high school at a Spanish language school in Spain. In addition to being an accredited Gap Year Counselor, Katherine is a Member of the Advisory Board and Standards & Accreditation Committee of the Gap Year Association, is a Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and has served as a Keynote speaker for USA Gap Year Fairs. She speaks regularly about Gap Years at high schools, libraries, and college fairs across the U.S.
Gap Year Solutions has been featured in many national and local news articles. Click below to read the most recent publications.
Testimonials
When my husband, our daughter and I first met with Katherine, we were impressed by her knowledge of the field, but even more struck by her connection with our daughter and interest in her life — past, present, and future.
Kristin M. (Parent)
When I returned home, Katherine helped me keep on track, look for a job, and have concrete goals. Katherine’s questions and suggestions revealed that she genuinely cared about my experience and I always enjoyed talking to her.
Mahesh A. (Student)
Katherine was personally invested in getting to know me and really trying to help me make the most of my Gap Year. Her knowledge and passion around helping me reach my personal goals was so motivating. I love her energy!
Arjun D. (Student)