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

Resource Center

Access a library of articles, presentations and other Gap Year information, including COVID-19 perspectives.

Resource Center

Access a library of articles, presentations and other Gap Year information, including COVID-19 perspectives.

Gap Year Solutions has been featured in many national and local news articles.

Click below to read the most recent publications.

From Our Blog

Discover Gap Years! – Part 2

Part 2 covers major Gap Year myths including that they cost too much, that students must travel, FOMO, and that there is a specific “Gap Year student”.

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Discover Gap Years! – Part 1

Hands down, the biggest benefit of a Gap Year is maturity which shows up a number of ways for students. The teenage brain is just not, well, finished at 18 years old. It’s still growing.

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New Type of Gap Year Student: College Transfers

A Gap Year after a student has already started college can also be a different experience. They are more mature with more life experience and time spent living independently.

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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!

Read Teen Anxiety Changing Gap Years by Katherine Stievater, published February 2020

Access Access Katherine’s Junior Planning Night presentation for Darien High School (21 minutes)

Watch Katherine’s presentation - How Gap Years Can Build Essential Skills for Success (17 minutes)

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.

I had a fantastic experience working with Gap Year Solutions this past year! Katherine was so knowledgeable about amazing opportunities and programs out there for me.

Right from the beginning, Katherine made me feel comfortable and at ease in my decision to take a gap year. I liked the questionnaire she had me fill out because it made me sit and just think about what I really wanted to do.

The gap year was game changer for our son. You should feel great about what you do. You are making a tremendous difference in their lives.

Thank you for your support. You've helped our daughter launch in a fresh direction. She is loving the Spanish immersion and environmental science work. The turtle conservation project seems particularly amazing. Most importantly, she is experiencing tremendous self -discovery and growing in lovely ways.