Center for Interim Programs - Independent Gap Year Counselors

09/10/2026

I was recently interviewed for a gap year article in Bloomberg News which unfortunately focused on the most expensive gap year group programs, potentially leading readers to believe you have to spend a lot of money to have a productive gap year experience. In this instance, higher cost should not be equated with higher value. NPR LA picked up the topic and I was interviewed for Larry Mantle's "Air Time" and offered my rebuttal of this approach and focus. A gap year experience is definitely of value. And it can be tailored to any budget given the range of viable options.

04/28/2026

Interim student, Phineas, in the final leg of his gap year in Italy assisting at a reading retreat/art center/hotel. This hospitality internship also offers him the opportunity to play piano as well as read and write during his spare time.

01/07/2026

The USA Gap Year Fairs return this month! Holly Bull, President of the Center for Interim Programs, will be keynote speaker for the Scarsdale HS, Brooklyn Friends School, and George C. Marshall HS fairs. Holly and co-counselor, Kate Warren, will also be tabling at each event to answer specific questions. The fairs are free and open to all who are interested in learning more about this unique field and option.

09/23/2025

WHAT: The Gap Year Association’s (GYA) 2025 Fundraiser is almost here!
Win a trip to Portugal, Maine, or Ireland; benefit from free college, career, or gap year counseling; or score gap year essentials like books, safety kits and other goodies! This year’s fundraiser features an Experiential Raffle & Live Auction to support GYA’s mission.
WHO: The Gap Year Association (GYA) is a nonprofit working to make gap year opportunities more accessible and recognized as vital for educational, personal, and professional growth. This fundraiser will help support GYA in upholding their mission and achieve several key goals:
Celebrate experiential education
Connect new families with the gap year movement
Promote programs and experiences to new audiences
Raise $20,000+ to support GYA scholarships, outreach, and access initiatives
WHY: Help us in supporting GYA’s 2025 goal to raise $20,000 for scholarships, outreach, and expanded access to transformative gap year opportunities. Every ticket makes an impact and gives you the chance to win unforgettable prizes donated by the GYA community.
🎟 Purchase your raffle tickets and enter for a chance to win the incredible prizes listed above. Winners will be drawn at random and matched with prizes. → https://givebutter.com/c/hY5KU8
📅 Join us on October 5, 2025, for GYA’s Live Auction, another chance to win an amazing experience and support GYA’s 2025 fundraiser! → https://givebutter.com/c/hY5KU8
✨ Be sure to follow GYA’s Instagram for more information on the raffle and live auction prizes, as well as additional details about GYA and their fundraiser:
→ https://www.instagram.com/gapyearassociation/

By Gap Year Association

08/13/2025

Gen Z Embracing Gap Years Before College
https://nypost.com/2025/07/30/us-news/gen-z-embracing-gap-years-before-college-working-3-jobs-made-me-realize-what-i-really-want/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMJdixleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF6U0VGeGZjbFI2SjNCMXlIAR5qhsHlkqgf2R23uOXBKlx0_PezPDMQ9Gi-9ZR3RJgJIkssmctM3IN3e6YHbQ_aem_ZOxEZ5VwbRj8lzkBtFvqhA
The New York Post published this July 30 article featuring Center for Interim Programs student, Evan Collins, on his 2024-2025 gap year.
Evan engaged in a cultural immersion program in Chile last fall and then did a more independent internship in South Africa this past spring.
As he put it in the article:
Taking time off felt natural for Evan Collins, after being homeschooled for his entire life. The 19-year-old from Boxford, Massachusetts, says he’s “used to just looking at different methods of gaining education.”
“I didn’t want to rush right into college, and part of the reason for that was I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” he told The Post.
“People are realizing that you don’t have to rush. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I heard, ‘I wish I had done that when I was your age.’”
“I wanted to get an internship in my hopeful field of choice, and, if I could at least eliminate the things I don’t want to do, I would have considered that a success,” he said.
“I don’t want to spend a lot of money on an education that I don’t ultimately want to use.”
The experience confirmed that he does, indeed, want to go into the sports industry, and he learned that his passions lie in management. In September, he’ll start studying sports management at Crestpoint University.
Looking back, Collins says time off helped him grow more than school ever did.
“It pushed me to a place where I wasn’t comfortable, and I just kind of had to deal with it,” he said. “I feel like that exposure is pretty limited in our day to day lives in the US school system, where we have a pretty routine life.
“I think it’s actually insane how much I’ve grown in, like, eight months. I’ve probably grown more than my entire high school experience.”
He’d recommend gap years to anyone, albeit with a small caveat: “You have to go into the year having a clear plan. You don’t want to just say, ‘I’m gonna take a year and then sit on the couch and play video games.'”

01/22/2025

Interim student, Evan, commenting on his fall experience in South America: " Incredible! It was everything I hoped for and more. I got an immersive, authentic cultural exchange experience, formed relationships with people from all over the world and learned countless hard and soft skills." He loves fishing so this was a fine fit and now he is doing a sport marketing internship in Africa!

01/22/2025

This lovely endorsement below from Dean, one of Interim's early gappers, illustrates how these experiences continue to positively influence people over time. Dean has been a college guidance counselor for years and has recommended gap time to many of his students, including his own daughter who is currently on her gap year.

"Thank you for being a part of a legacy that has changed so many lives. I’m one of them. Neil Bull helped me take a gap year from 1988-1989 and it made me a better, more curious, and more interested person. I am grateful for all that I experienced during that time and they ways it has enriched my life ever-after. My daughter is on a gap year right now before heading to Bryn Mawr College this coming fall."

01/22/2025

A quick reminder that Holly Bull, President of the Center for Interim Programs, will be presenting as a gap year expert this evening from 7-8pm ET at the Virtual Gap Year 101 event. You can register for free using the link below (see first listing) and come away with considerable information about the gap year option. Although gap years are typically identified with students between high school and college, the reality is that you can take gap time at any age, through college, post college, mid-life, post career, etc. Interim has worked with all ages since 1980 and we are delighted to be celebrating our 45th year, so come get inspired on a chilly evening in mid-winter!
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Connect with gap year program providers, counselors, alums, and college admissions representatives at our in-person and virtual events to learn everything you need to know about taking a gap year!

01/05/2025

The 2025 USA Gap Year Fairs commence tomorrow in Philadelphia. Holly Bull has presented as an expert in the gap year field since the fairs began over a decade ago, and will be keynote speaker for the first fair at William Penn Charter School, as well as the three in DC and VA. These events are free and open to all so please alert any interested students, parents, individuals who would like to learn more about the gap year field and options! ; ;

Connect with gap year program providers, counselors, alums, and college admissions representatives at our in-person and virtual events to learn everything you need to know about taking a gap year!

11/10/2024

Please read our blog celebrating 45 years of gap year counseling at Interim!

Center for Interim Programs helps people of all ages find meaningful gap year opportunities and maintains a database of over 6,600 programs worldwide.