Gap Semester
#My100Days
100 Days of possibility.
Starting in January means CGS students have a gap semester to work, travel, volunteer, or take a class or two.
Explore and learn, wherever your semester takes you
CGS’s partnership with Verto Education allowed Elyssa Rosen to travel to Italy, where her mother’s family is from. Through the program, students can jump-start their global learning experience by taking classes for credit at a partner institution in cities like Florence, Prague, Buenos Aires, and Seville.
ReadMy gap semester seriously helped me grow in independence. I am so glad that I have gotten to build up that responsibility, and I know that skill will carry over to all sorts of other areas in my life.
Elyssa Rosen ('26)
Build lasting memories
Joseph Carey (’22) used the gap semester to work, save money for college, and complete an Eagle Scout project building a library garden at his elementary school.
ReadThere is no tried-and-true way to spend the semester. Spend the gap semester how you feel is right. You’d be surprised how much you can do in only a few months.
Joseph Carey ('22)
Pursue passions and help others
The 2020 gap semester produced some eye-catching student projects. One student launched a socially conscious small business, selling jam produced by women in Mexico. Another took a job with the Nigeria Chamber of Commerce. And another interned at a news outlet in Hong Kong.
ReadI’ve had time to challenge myself and experience things I never thought I would at this point in my life.
Inés Santacruz ('22)
Collaborate with your CGS academic advisor
Your partnership with your advisor starts right after you accept your admission. Collaborate with them to discuss your dreams, goals, passions, and plans for your gap semester.
Our academic advisors can give you tools for self-reflection, help you decide which classes are right for you, and give advice on how to make the most of your gap semester. Visit this section to hear from our advisors. This list of recommended gap semester programs may be a helpful starting point for your conversations.
Get to know other cultures and places
Backpacking through Europe, working at a school in Tawian, studying Spanish in Barcelona, driving across the United States—just a few ways CGS students have spent their travels.
Build professional skills with a job or internship
Get work experience before you go to college. Work in a field you want to pursue, do an internship, or build your professional skills in the gap semester.
Pursue a passion or learn something new
A gap semester can give you the space to try something new, reflect on your identity, pursue a hobby or a passion project, or just spend more time doing things that you love and enjoy.
Spend more time with the people you love
Whether you stay at home or go far, you can use the gap semester to visit family, spend more time with loved ones, or travel to see friends.
Make a difference—at home or around the world
Whether you travel through a volunteer program, give back in your spare time, or choose an internship that does good for the world– the gap semester is a chance to focus on others.
Using your skills and time to give back
Sarina Zaparde (’22) used the gap semester to work on her nonprofit, which provides uniforms to orphaned girls in rural India.
Researching treatment for injured soldiers
Jack Dougherty (’20) interned with the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, focusing on combating infection in injured soldiers.
Pursuing a passion for photography
Jennifer Small (’22) worked at a local elementary school and spent time developing her photography skills. Her advice for other students? “Plan ahead.”