LEAPYEAR Frequently Asked Questions
"I soon realized that no journey carries one far
unless, as it extends into the world around us,
it goes an equal
distance into the world within."
Lillian Smith
Some questions may be answered in the following articles:
- How do I pay for my LEAPYEAR?
- What can I (or my son/daughter) expect to get from LEAPYEAR?
- Why is LEAPYEAR needed?
- What colleges have LEAPYEAR students gone to, to complete their college education?
- Will my LEAPYEAR credits transfer to my next college?
- Who leads the group semesters in India and Latin America?
- How is the second semester internship chosen, and how much structure is provided?
Listen to a 20-minute Podcast about LEAPYEAR and hear LEAPNOW Founder, Sam Bull, interviewed about the program.
What colleges have LEAPYEAR students gone to, to complete their college education?
The great
majority of LEAPYEAR graduates (95%+) continue on to complete
college after LEAPYEAR. Graduates have gone on to the
following universities and colleges:
Wesleyan University
Mills College
Stanford University
University of Michigan
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Swarthmore College
University of Texas at Austin
Western Washington University
University of California - Santa Cruz
Hampshire College
McGill University - Montreal
University of Vermont
University of Arizona
Naropa University
Prescott College
Warren Wilson University
Antioch University
Global College - formerly known as Friends World Program of Long
Island University
Southern Oregon University
Evergreen State University
University of Washington
University of Redlands
Scripps College
Eugene Lang College
Guilford College
Clark College, and others.
The following are links to colleges whose philosophy or method of learning is in line with LEAPYEAR - i.e., that have and experiential, alternative, contemplative or international focus. Since LEAPYEAR students learn to direct their own learning, they tend to be happiest after LEAPYEAR when they attend a college whose learning style is student-directed and interdisciplinary.
- Global College (formerly Friends World Program ) - An internationally focused college with campuses in Costa Rica, China, India, Japan, South Africa, Australia and New York City.
- University of Redlands - Johnston Center for Integrative Studies - A residential community within the U. of Redlands within which students design their own majors and write contracts for courses. Located near Los Angeles.
- Fairhaven College at Western Washington University - an interdisciplinary college within Western Washington U. where students design their studies and evaluation process - focus on the development of leadership.
- Prescott College - an experiential and self-directed interdisciplinary curriculum in the Arizona desert.
- Warren Wilson College - A small college in Asheville, North Carolina focused on changing the world. Students find a balance between academics, service and work. Strong environmental and sustainability focus.
- Naropa University - The only Tibetan Buddhist inspired university in the U.S. Contemplative education - and a school where East meets West in Boulder, Colorado.
- The New School - a progressive university in NYC focused on social change - 8 colleges with diverse emphases - theater, social research, urban policy, design and music.
- Evergreen State College - A progressive state college in Olympia, Washington, with an emphasis on theory and practice, student centered learning, and public service.
- Eugene Lang College - A progressive interdisciplinary college in New York City - student-directed curriculum - part of the New School.
Some program graduates have continued working and traveling abroad prior to continuing their college studies. These students have studies with artists and artisans in Asia, have worked with a circus, lived and worked at intentional communities, and more.
Will my LEAPYEAR Credits transfer to my next college?
LEAPYEAR credits have transferred to the broad and representative range of colleges on the list above. The fall 2008 LEAPYEAR will be the seventh year of the program, and the curriculum has been thoroughly reviewed by various regionall accrediting institutions. That said, it is always at the discretion of the institution accepting you for admission whether they choose to accept these credits or not. If you are considering a college that is not on the list above, the only way to definitively know whether credits will be accepted, is to ask their admissions office. To support you in this inquiry, our office can provide you with LEAPYEAR course descriptions and syllabi, and you can have your desired college admissions office pre-review these materials to determine how many LEAPYEAR credits they will accept. In this way, you won't have any risk that your credits won't be accepted.
Who leads the group semesters in India and Latin America?
LEAPNOW hires leaders seasonally to lead the group travel in India and South America. We start our leader positions at a higher rate of pay than comparable U.S.-based organizations that run experiential semester abroad programs. As a result there is tremendous competition for our leader positions. We select 8 seasonal leaders from a pool of over 200 applicants each year. LEAPNOW shares leaders with our sister organization, Carpe Diem International, which runs 3-month semester programs in India, Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. We hire experienced leaders with a minimum age of 25. These include returned Peace Corps volunteers, AmeriCorps leaders, and people who have led for other organizations. Each of them has direct experience in the country and region we ask them to lead in, extensive group leading experience, and functional language fluency if needed. Each group leaders receives a very thorough and intensive three-week leader training from LEAPNOW to augment past experience and training.
How is the second semester internship chosen, and how much structure is provided?
Prior to starting LEAPYEAR, students are provided with a broad list of over 100 internship possibilities to get an idea of what is available to them. During the first week of the program, our internship coordinator introduces the range of internship possibilities in a group setting, followed by one-on-one meetings with each student. Our internship specialist then dialogues with each student during the fall semester to decide upon the specific internship that a student wants to do. We follow up as needed on a one-on-one basis during the second retreat and winter break to help those having trouble deciding between the myriad choices available in 126 countries.
LEAPNOW has been sending students abroad on an individual basis since 1994, and have made over 1000 internship placements - all of whom have come home safely. The solo internship is designed to be a structured educational experience, and as such students are placed with organizations doing social service, educational, environmental, arts and crafts, medical, outdoor recreation, and public health work. Each student communicates weekly with the LEAPNOW office and their group members by email, and relates directly in their country of choice with a program sponsor who is responsible for picking them up at the airport, getting them oriented, providing further training as needed, and looking out for their well-being during their three-month internship.
Download the LEAPYEAR Application and Information Packet