Gap to Growth Year- Making the most of your Gap Year Planning

Embarking on a gap year can be an enriching and transformative experience for any students. It provides an opportunityto explore new avenues, gain valuable skills, and make a positive impact. However, it is essential to plan your gap yeareffectively to make the most of this valuable time.

When does the gap year hiring cycle begin?

• For most major organizations that processes opens in November and deadlines are often in March.
• More agile organizations often have rolling applications into April.
• Many of the AmeriCorps positions will being to open in April/Map and can often run hiring through September
• Peace Corps is a 6 month-1 year process, often with a launch date in August.

Designing Your Gap Year in Four Steps:

To make the most of your gap year, it’s essential to follow a systematic approach. Good Work suggests four steps to helpyou design your gap year effectively:

1. Understand your why: Reflect on your purpose and focus for taking a gap year. Consider your passions, interests, and goals to align your experiences accordingly.
2. Map what matters: Use reflective exercises to identify areas of interest and explore potential paths for your year. The Mapping of What Matters Reflection can assist you in this process.
3. Articulate your skills and growth areas: Take stock of your existing skills and determine areas where you’d like to develop further. The Transferable Skills Sheet can help you identify your strengths and growth areas.
4. Understand and name your needs and capacities: Consider your personal needs, capacities, and aspirations for the workplace. The Post-Grad Bridge Year Reflection Guide offers valuable insights to assist this reflection.

Where to find Gap/Bridge Year Programs:

• University Of Iowa , Gap Year Opportunities – comprehensive list of Gap Year opportunities by category
• AmeriCorps- Developed in 3 subsections, AmeriCorps offers a clearing house for non- profit organizations to post their positions.
• Catholic Volunteer Network – Offers the most comprehensive listing for service based programs (not all religiously affiliated)
• UVA Bridge Year Opportunites

Pre-Health/Med Focused Gap to Growth Year Resources:

JHU Pre-Professional

• Gap Year Opportunities– Johns Hopkins Related Resources
• Relevant Experience – includes volunteering and clinical opportunities
• University Of Iowa , Gap Year Opportunities – comprehensive list of Gap Year opportunities by category – search health
• UVA Bridge Year Opportunities– includes bridge year programs, post-bac exploration (by category)

Medical Bridge Year Programs

• Explore Health Careers – Enrichment (gap year and post bac)
• AAMC – Post Bac Programs