A gap year – a year between secondary school and university – can be a life-changing opportunity to explore, grow, and prepare for your future. It’s a chance to step off the academic path, gain real-world experience, and build a standout university application. At Highgrove Education, we’ve supported students in turning their gap years into transformative journeys that blend adventure, work, and learning. Let’s take a look at what a gap year programme might look like, why it’s worth taking one, and how Highgrove’s flexible online courses can help you make it unforgettable and purposeful.
What Is a Gap Year and Why Take One?
A gap year is typically a period of one year after finishing school, giving you time to pursue experiences like travelling, volunteering, or working, before starting university. According to UCAS, a well-structured gap year can showcase initiative and skills, and make your application more competitive.
Students take gap years for a whole host of reasons, including to explore career interests, solidify or rethink future plans, recharge mentally after their sixth form studies, or save for university fees. Our students, for instance, have used gap years to take internships, volunteer abroad, upgrade or refocus their academic credentials, or pivot towards an alternative future career path, all while staying on track for university applications.
4 Ideas for Your Gap Year
Consider your gap year as a blank canvas – fill it with experiences that align with your goals. Here are some ideas:
1. Gain Real-World Work Experience
Internships or part-time jobs in your field of interest can clarify career goals and impress universities. Pairing your work with our Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), could earn you up to 28 UCAS points.
How Highgrove Helps: Our online EPQ programme lets you study flexibly around work commitments. With expert tutors guiding your project through live lessons and interactive self-study materials, you can explore a topic you love while building skills and UCAS points, no matter where you are.
2. Volunteer for a Cause
Volunteering builds empathy and leadership while showing universities your commitment to impact. You could teach English abroad, join a conservation project, or participate in Highgrove’s peer-teaching partnership with Svitlo School, supporting Ukrainian pupils. These experiences enhance your CV and develop your skills and experience..
How Highgrove Helps: Our coaches help pupils find meaningful voluntary positions, including support for pupils to peer-teach at Svitlo. Online clubs, like debate or the school newspaper, sharpen your communication skills and offer the chance for leadership and collaboration; interpersonal skills that are key for many voluntary positions.
3. Travel and Expand Your Horizons
Traveling, whether backpacking in Southeast Asia or volunteering in South America, boosts independence and cultural awareness, qualities universities like Oxford or Cambridge value.
How Highgrove Helps: Our online platform lets you study from anywhere with internet access, meaning learning as you travel becomes an option. Highgrove offers a range of language learning electives that give you the basics to get by abroad, and as an international school, you have the chance to make friends across the world who you can visit on your travels.
4. Explore Electives to Stand Out
Taking unique courses during your gap year keeps your academic skills sharp and shows universities your curiosity. Highgrove’s electives, such as Sports Psychology, Game Theory, or Introduction to Investment, let you dive into subjects beyond A levels, aligning with your university application.
How Highgrove Helps: Our termly electives, taught by expert teachers in small classes, are tailored to your interests. For example, Introduction to Investment prepares you for exams from the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments, giving your application a professional edge.
And finally….
5. Prepare for University Admissions Exams
A gap year is perfect for mastering admissions tests like LNAT, BMAT, or STEP for competitive courses like Medicine or other applications to Oxford, Cambrdige, Imperial college and other universities.
How Highgrove Helps: Our elective test-preparation courses, led by experienced teachers, provide targeted tuition to help you master access examinations.
Let Highgrove Education support you with your university application
Navigating university applications during a gap year can feel tricky without a school’s support. Highgrove Education can guide you through your application and help you navigate the whole process from university selection to interview, offering:
– University Choice: Our learning coaches can help you work through your choice of university and course, using tools like Unifrog to refine your university choices.
– Personal Statement Guidance: Our learning coaches help you craft a statement that weaves together your gap year experiences and academic achievements.
– Academic References: We provide tailored references based on your progress in courses like the EPQ or electives.
– Interview Support: We offer mock admissions interviews with subject specialists, ensuring you have ample practice and feedback prior to attending any interviews.
Still not convinced ?
Why Choose Highgrove?
Highgrove’s online model is ideal for gap year students. Our teachers deliver world-class education geared towards academically ambitious pupils who are keen to progress to top universities. Personalised coaching, a wide-ranging enrichment programme and global accessibility let you study from anywhere with an internet connection – whether that’s Dubai, London or a remote village on a Thai island. If you’re looking to make your gap year both productive and connected – we’re here for you.
“A gap year isn’t a break from learning — it’s a chance to learn in the world’s greatest classroom: life.”
