“Gap year” programs  — typically a year or semester taken between high school and college — are growing in popularity, and AFS is prepared to meet this need.

This article on Marketplace discusses the phenomenon among high school grads, and this one on Forbes shares stories about people taking gap years after college and throughout their careers (sounds pretty nice, right?). Here’s how AFS fits in:

AFS-USA opportunities for high school graduates

There are a few different ways for high school grads to go abroad with AFS:

1. AFSNext programs. AFSNext is our primary outlet for “gap year” programs. There are opportunities to volunteer, intern, study, or teach — all of which fit into what the world thinks of as a “gap year.” All programs accept high school grads who are 18 and over. You can find more info at afsnext.org.
2. AFS high school programs that accept graduates. Though not what most people think of as a “gap year,” we do offer graduates the opportunity to do an additional year of high school abroad on many of our traditional year and semester programs. The list of countries that accept grads changes year to year; here’s how to get the most up-to-date list:
   • Log in to Global Link and click on the “reports” link in the sidebar.
   • Select the “Sending Programs Report,” and enter the program year and cycle you’re interested in
   • Download the report to find tons of useful info, including grads acceptance and eligibility age range.

For related info, be sure to check out the Learn about Sending Programs article in Help & Learning.