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Follow on Google News |  A Gap Year or Semester: Hitting ‘Pause’ Before CollegeA Q & A: What You Need to Know About the Growing GAP Year Trend
By: Adventures Cross-Country 
Gap student in Africa This trend is known as a Gap Year or a Gap Semester, explains Scott von Eschen, president of the student adventure travel and service company Adventures Cross-Country (ARCC - http://www.adventurescrosscountry.com/) “We structure this time as 90-day Gap Semesters,” said von Eschen. “It’s a new concept to many so we spend a fair amount of time educating families as to what it’s all about.” Following are questions students and parents frequently ask about ARCC’s Gap Semesters (http://www.adventurescrosscountry.com/ What is a Gap Year? A Gap Year is generally considered the 12 to 14-month window after graduation from high school. For some, this time is a break between high school and college. For others, time is dedicated to exploring and experiencing the world before heading into the work force. What do people do for a Gap Year? Gap Year possibilities are endless. Some students explore potential educational interests or venture out to investigate a new continent or country. Others engage in meaningful service work with marginalized communities home or abroad. Who takes a Gap Year? Just-graduated high school seniors make up the majority of people doing a Gap Year. However, some students choose to take a Gap Year after freshman year of college. How do colleges feel about Gap? College acceptance of the Gap concept has evolved significantly in just the last few years. Gap has gone ‘mainstream’ Structured Gap Year vs. Self-Arranged? There are many ways to spend a Gap Year. Some students arrange every activity on their own while other students rely on outside organizations to orchestrate their entire Gap experience into so-called ‘structured programs’. Some students do a structured program in the fall and then work or intern in the spring. What does a Gap Year cost? Costs vary, but ARCC’s structured Gap Programs run in the range of $10,000 to $15,000 per 90-day semester. Many programs have scholarships available for at least part of the tuition. Do I want to be in a group or alone? Structured Gap programs often work with groups of 10 to 15 students for at least part of the time. Some programs break up the groups after an initial familiarization period while others keep the group together the entire Gap period. Some programs have loose supervision with traveling instructors while others place the students independently without day to day oversight. Do I want to stay in one location or travel to many? Some programs are staged in one community for the entire Gap section. Others move from location to location. An obvious advantage to moving is that students see and experience much more of a region or country. However, some people enjoy immersing themselves completely in one community for an extended period. Can I earn college credit on my Gap Year? Some programs offer college credit for structured Gap programs, including Adventures Cross-Country. Generally there will be a modest extra fee to get college credit through the applicable college. As transfer rules vary by college, be sure to check that the credits will transfer to your college of choice. Should I apply to college before taking a Gap Year and then defer? Most of the students on ARCC programs have already been accepted to a college and have deferred their enrollment. However, there are some students who have not yet applied to college but expect to after their Gap Year. What should I look for when researching Gap companies? What questions should I ask? How long has the organization been around? How big are the groups? What is the background of the instructors? Latin America (http://www.adventurescrosscountry.com/ ARCC’s Gap Semester Programs start at $12,500 per student, exclusive of air and personal needs. Included are all meals, lodging, ground transportation, activities and fees, ARCC curriculum and all group equipment and training. Since 1983, Adventures Cross-Country (http://www.adventurescrosscountry.com/) CLICK HERE (http://www.joomag.com/ About Adventures Cross-Country (ARCC) Founded in 1983, ARCC has become a leading provider of Community Service, Service Learning and Adventure Travel programs for youth ages 13 to 19. For over 30 years ARCC has been offering life-changing experiences to students who participate in two- to four-week small group programs that visit 21 countries on six continents. From teaching primary school English and building water purification projects in Africa to running whitewater rapids in Costa Rica to enhancing fluency in Spanish or Mandarin in Spain or China, ARCC brings youth face to face with the challenges, realities and beauties of nature and our global community. For post-high school students ARCC operates Gap Programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These offer an educational and cultural bridge between high school and college combining a rich academic curriculum with the experiential benefits of international travel. For media inquiries, interviews and photos contact Widness & Wiggins PR: Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / sara@widnesspr.com Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / dave@travelnewssource.com Website and Portfolio of Past Releases: http://www.travelnewssource.com/ Follow Widness & Wiggins PR on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ Follow Adventures Cross-Country: Facebook https:// Twitter https://twitter.com/ End
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