A possible Interim Gap-Year scenario below illustrates how you can weave together different program experiences in a variety of areas of interest before heading to college or while taking a year during or after college. (Look here for other Sample Scenarios)

• French chateau

  6-week art history study in Venice, Florence and Rome
  
  
• Tutorial studies program in England
  
  
• Semester intensive cultural & academic study in Greece
  
  
• 5-month academic immersion in France with travel to Italy, Spain, Morocco
  
  
• Language study/home stay throughout Western Europe
  
  
• Shipboard semester program focusing on leadership and international awareness
  
  
• 9-month rite-of-passage program: study/volunteer abroad, self-reflection, in US
  
  
• Language study and home stay in Japan
  
  
• 6-week field research studying flora and fauna in the US and abroad
  
  
• Worldwide semester research expeditions focusing on methodology training
  
  
• Surfing, sailing, art, and Spanish language study in Central America
  
  
• University with international campuses and mandatory study abroad
  
  
  

• Volunteer at birds-of-prey and conservation centers in US (R)
  
  
• 2-4 week humpback whale research in Hawaii
  
  
• Sled dog courses and volunteer work with injured animals in Canada
  
  

• Interim student in Tanzania

  Wildlife conservation in South Africa: lions, black rhinos, sharks, baboons
  
  
• Volunteer at a demonstration farm for a charitable organization in the US (RB)
  
  
• Care for retired and rescued elephants at a US sanctuary (RB)
  
  
• Short-term volunteer option at an animal park in Australia
  
  
• Live and work on a horse ranch or volunteer at a penguin sanctuary in Chile
  
  
• Volunteer at a monkey sanctuary in Argentina
  
  
• Tag turtles, aid researchers, do beach patrols in Greece or Costa Rica
  
  
• Wildlife sanctuary in Thailand
  
  
• Worldwide research teams studying crocodiles, meerkats, rhinos, lemurs, koalas
  
  

• National park conservation work

  Intern at a cattle station/outdoor adventure center in Australia (RB)
  
  
• Conservation work in Great Britain
  
  
• Desert living skills and Native American cultures semester
  
  
• Intensive short-term Native American wilderness survival courses
  
  
• Short-term and semester-length skill-based outdoor leadership courses worldwide
  
  
• 4-6 week group conservation projects throughout Australia
  
  
• 10-week conservation and outdoor adventure program in New Zealand
  
  
• Worldwide organic farming network (RB)
  
  
• Trail maintenance at a US national park (R)
  
  
• Sustainable development at an experimental farm in Costa Rica
  
  
• Intentional community/sustainable development farming in New Zealand (RB)
  
  
• Volunteer at bio-reserve associated with language school in Guatemala
  
  
  

• Multi-country group social service semester in Asia or South America
  
  
• Semester travel/cultural study programs in India and Guatemala
  
  
• Semester in Spain: culture classes, Spanish, home stays, outdoor activities
  
  
• Semester in Italy combining language, cultural study, service work, travel
  
  

• Interim student on an excursion in Nepal

  Cultural study semester with Tibetans: social service, independent projects
  
  
• Independent internships and group programs in Tibet, Nepal, and India
  
  
• Group social service/adventure in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand
  
  
• Chinese language and cultural study and travel semester across China
  
  
• Semester of cultural study, independent study, service and travel in Thailand
  
  
• Three-month teaching semester in Africa, Costa Rica, and Thailand
  
  
• Local university study combined with service in South America, Caribbean
  
  
• Customized semester of cultural/language study and service work in Peru
  
  
  

• Study sculpture, jewelry, painting, and drawing at an art school in New Zealand
  
  

• Painting and drawing classes in Italy

  Intern with American artists in southern France or Paris (RB)
  
  
• Apprentice with a mural artist in Mexico
  
  
• Film courses in US and Western and Eastern Europe
  
  
• Summer glass-blowing courses on the US west coast
  
  
• Courses in sculpture, photography, jewelry, textiles, glass-work in southern US
  
  
• Language and opera workshops in Italy
  
  
• Theatre programs in the US and Italy
  
  
• Study Italian language and studio art, restoration, graphic design in Italy
  
  
• Year-round jazz, rock, bluegrass, guitar and percussion classes in US
  
  
• Study Spanish language and fine arts, dancing, batik, photography in Mexico
  
  
• College-level semester art program in Italy and Greece
  
  
  

• Internship at an historical B&B in Alaska (RB)
  
  
• Business/career internships in London, England and Wellington, New Zealand
  
  
• Internship at theatrical PR agencies in New York City
  
  

• Garden or cook on Elba

  Garden or cook at an American professor's summer home in Italy (RB)
  
  
• Internships all over India in hospitals, newspapers, businesses, etc.
  
  
• Recording arts internship in northeast US
  
  
• Voter education internship at a western US ranch (RB)
  
  
• Political internship at a government watchdog organization in DC
  
  
• Work/study program at a Hawaiian resort: housekeeping, grounds or kitchen
  
  
• Intensive Spanish review and hands-on medical internship in Central America
  
  
• Architecture summer course in a northeast US city
  
  
• International internships in journalism, business, medicine, and more
  
  
  

• Live and volunteer at a children's home in India
  
  
• Volunteer at a children's home in Chile
  
  

• Interim volunteer in Thailand

  Live and teach in villages in Ghana, Costa Rica, or Thailand
  
  
• Volunteer at an orphanage in Vietnam
  
  
• Intern at outdoor education centers in the US (RB)
  
  
• Intern at schools for the deaf and/or blind in the US (RB)
  
  
• Private school internship in New Zealand (RB)
  
  
• Assistant teach at an environmental school for Costa Rican children
  
  
• Intern at a school in Nepal and live with the director or local family
  
  
• Volunteer at children's home/hostel in Guatemala (RB)
  
  
• Work with street children in Mexico
  
  
• Volunteer work with destitute children in India
  

• Martial arts in China

  12-week guitar-building program abroad
  
  
• Construction internship with a builder/mountaineer in Alaska (RB)
  
  
• SCUBA, sailing, and snow sports instructor training in Australia, Greece, Canada
  
  
• Chinese and martial arts classes in China
  
  
• Sail-training courses in Australia and the Caribbean
  
  
• Bladesmith courses in southern US
  
  
• Spanish, surfing, digital photography classes in Central America
  
  
• 5-week, semester or year-long recording arts instruction in the US
  
  
• School of design, construction, & renovation of living structures in northeast US
  
  
• Cooking courses in Italy, Ireland, France, and the US
  
  
• Wilderness EMT certification courses in the US
  
  
• Boat-building courses and apprenticeships in the US and abroad
  
  
  

• Build houses for the poor worldwide
  
  
• Healthcare outreach in rural southern US
  
  

• Australia working with Aboriginal students

  Language, home stay, and volunteer options in Bolivia
  
  
• Volunteer work and home stay in exiled Tibetan community in northern India
  
  
• Independent internships in Nepal and India
  
  
• Service work in South Africa: school/swimming programs, HIV/AIDS orphans
  
  
• Spanish, indigenous language study and volunteer options in Guatemala
  
  
• Russian language study and teaching English in Russia and the Ukraine
  
  
• Worldwide 5-week summer programs: language, service, peace studies, ecology
  
  
• 2-12 week social service programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Russia
  
  
• 3-month group teaching and village home stay in Asia, Africa and Latin America
  
  
• Tanzania community center for HIV/AIDS education, coaching sports, and tutoring
  
  
  

• 3-month work/study at a healing arts center on the US west coast (RB)
  
  
• Semester group program focusing on religious studies and spiritual sites in India
  
  
• Intentional community in Hawaii involving permaculture
  
  

• Zen Buddhist Temple Hawaii

  Yoga classes and teacher training courses worldwide
  
  
• Live and volunteer at an ashram in Bali or India
  
  
• Volunteer at a yoga study center/orphanage in Mexico
  
  
• Study Shamanism traditions in North American workshops
  
  
• Summer work/study internships at a spiritual studies center in the US
  
  
• Work/study at a spiritual and holistic education community in Scotland (RB)
  
  
• 5-week workshop building an intentional community in southwest US
  
  
• Intern at a Tibetan Buddhist studies center in France
  
  
• Study midwifery, healing arts, farming at an intentional community in the US