You will travel the world, learn a new language, serve a good cause, gain internship experience in your future career, and develop your leadership abilities. You’ll build an impressive portfolio of global skills while you’re away. And you’ll return home more self-confident, self-reliant and mature—ready for success in college and your future career.
Here’s how it works: An EF Gap Consultant helps you customize a highly individualized program to meet both your personal and professional goals. You decide how long you’d like to be away, where you’ll go, and how you’d like to focus your gap experience.
All programs include a 3-day Orientation and a 2-week European Immersion in London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona. You decide the countries where you would like to do 6 weeks each of Language Study, Service Learning, and Internship.
All programs end with the EF Leadeship Academy—a week of intensive workshops, seminars, and simulations—followed by a Wrap-up and final gala banquet.
How to Start
Step 1 - Choose Your Program Lenght
For the total “global citizenship” experience, we highly recommend our 25-week EF Gap Year beginning in September and ending in April. If you have more limited time to be away, we also offer a 12-week EF Gap Semester, with the flexibility of starting in either September or January.
Step 2 - Choose Language
Start your gap experience with an immersive language course at one of our fully accredited schools abroad. Choose between Spanish, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean. In all cases, you study with native-speaking teachers and students your age from 100 countries. Benefit from highly interactive lessons that take place both in the classroom and out exploring your host city.
Step 3 - Choose Service Learning
Decide where and how you would like to do some good in the world, learn about social impact, and engage in an authentic cultural exchange. Complete service projects that focus on youth empowerment, environmental sustainability, or community building. In Latin America, choose between the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, or Peru. Or venture farther afield to Thailand or Tanzania.
Step 4 - Choose Your Internship
Gain incredible business experience abroad with an internship. Choose the world-class city where you’d like to live and intern: Bangkok, Berlin, Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Seoul, Sydney, or Tokyo. You’ll be placed with a respected organization, mentored by professionals, and live in a shared student apartment.
Step 5 - Reserve Your Place
Our programs fill up fast, so reserve your place today. (Note that all cultural immersion destinations, language locations, service learning experiences, and internship fields are subject to availability.) Still not sure? Contact us to speak with one of our knowledgeable consultants about which EF Gap experience is right for you.
