Changing Lives
One Student at a Time™
Helping students increase college success by planning transformative Gap Years based on life skills and real world learning






Services/What We Do


Gap Year Planning
The Gap Year Plan helps students map out their Gap time and helps structure activities and experiences to meet their interests, goals and budget.


Gap Year Internships
Matching students with an internship experience that fulfills key objectives of their Gap Year plan, focusing on desired industries, job functions and skills.
Access a library of articles, presentations and other Gap Year information, including COVID-19 perspectives.
Access a library of articles, presentations and other Gap Year information, including COVID-19 perspectives.
From Our Blog


Finding the silver lining
It’s that time of year. It’s time to find the silver lining of college rejection. High school seniors by now have heard from all the schools to which they applied. Some are elated. Others are heartbroken that they did not get into their preferred college.


History of the Gap Year, Part 3
Is the most recent change in focus for Gap Year students a sign of things to come in higher ed? Perhaps. One thing we can say with confidence is that the steep and ongoing decline in acceptance rates at selective colleges is almost certainly going to increase the number of students taking a Gap Year.


Gap Year Travel: Closer to Normal
We are happy to see that as expected, Omicron’s impact is declining rapidly and most countries are open to Gap Year travel. This post covers the current situation, and a quick view into fall 2022.


Founder
Katherine Stievater
Gap Year Solutions helps students increase college success through transformational gap experiences. Founder Katherine Stievater works with students across the U.S. to structure work, service, travel and other activities into a customized plan. Her approach focuses on student ownership, and building life skills such as problem solving, independent living, and resilience. Katherine’s process with her students creates trust and powerful mentoring relationships. She encourages students to embrace this unique opportunity to step off the traditional path, be authentic, and continue to discover themselves!
Katherine Stievater
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. Based in the Boston, MA area, she speaks regularly about Gap Years at high schools, libraries, and college fairs across the U.S.








