Gap Year/Semester

Thinking about a Gap Year ? Think about SAGE !
The SAGE Program welcomes “Gap Year” students for either a semester or a year during your time between high school and college. SAGE offers fully accredited study & volunteer abroad programs which include both academic opportunities (college-credit courses) as well as amazing experiential education and community service experiences.

SAGE is partnered with two high-caliber international residential schools in India, and vacancies are available for Gap year and semester students. Whether you choose Woodstock School, set in the foothills of the Himalayas, or Kodaikanal School in the tropical highlands of South India, SAGE offers both the structure as well as the independence which Gap Year students are looking for. Students live in the residence halls and can take a wide variety of college-level courses, while simultaneously getting involved in the local community and designing and carrying out their own independent study or service project.

“The world is at once both smaller and larger because of this experience: smaller because I now have so many friends inhabiting it; larger because of the vast differences it encompasses."      -Matthew Anderson, Minneapolis, MN

A SAGE Gap Year is a great way to prepare for college by taking a few extra courses to strengthen your transcript, or even place out of college classes by taking A.P. or I.B. courses. Additionally, you can take classes in areas which you haven’t tried before: Indian history, Asian religions, Indian music or dance or Hindi language, to name a few. Since you don’t need to fulfill graduation requirements, you have considerable freedom in your course selection.

SAGE Gap Year students are often interested in doing volunteer work or getting involved in a variety of community service programs. These can include everything from teaching English or computer literacy in local village schools, to doing environmental restoration, to assisting in an orphanage or at a home for disabled children. In addition, Gap Year students may design and develop their own projects based on community needs.

The success of your Gap Year depends a great deal on your reasons for coming. If it is simply “to see and experience India,” it probably will not be a good match for what we offer. If, on the other hand, it is to take advantage of all that our study & volunteer abroad programs can offer, including challenging classes, volunteer work, and being an active member of an international community immersed in the Indian cultural context, then your SAGE Gap Year experience is likely to be a tremendous success.

For more information about the academic and social life at our affiliated international residential schools in India, visit the Semester / Year Abroad section of this site. SAGE Gap students are considered “regular” SAGE academic year students – but with greater privileges and freedom.

GAP Year Application

Enrollment forms Once you have been accepted to the SAGE Program, please use these links to download and complete these necessary forms. Accepted Woodstock School students Accepted Kodaikanal School students