Gap Year Solutions provides consulting services to help students successfully transition to college. We “meet students where they are,” and listen carefully to their interests and goals. We are your gap year counselor and coach throughout this process, and customize a combination of internships, work, service and travel into a structured Gap Year plan. We encourage students to embrace this unique opportunity to push the pause button, dream big, be authentic and believe in themselves!
We believe in immersive, Real World Learning, and focus on helping students build important life skills – time management, networking, dealing with adversity, working with people of diverse backgrounds. Our founder and principal consultant understands today’s teens and the complex demands they face. The strong connections she creates with her students lead to honest conversations, and ultimately, transformative experiences.
Katherine Stievater, Founder
Katherine founded Gap Year Solutions because she feels strongly that many high school students and some college 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 twelve 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. 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 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.
We believe that all students, regardless of income or background, should have the opportunity to explore whether a Gap Year is right for them (see Five Myths of Gap Years).
View short presentation by Katherine about Gap Years, their many benefits and working with a gap year counselor.
Click here for Hinsdalean (IL) profile of Katherine and Gap Year Solutions
Click here for Katherine’s article “Colleges Warm to Gap Years”
Click here for Katherine’s article: “Teens, Anxiety & Gap Years”
