Gap Years and Duke

There are few opportunities in life where you can take a meaningful amount of time to pause, reflect, and explore. There are even fewer opportunities where you can do so knowing you have a truly exceptional opportunity waiting for you. A gap year is your opportunity to catch your breath, gain some perspective, make a difference in a community near or far, grow as a person, and be better prepared for all that Duke has to offer.

“My gap year gave me the time to think about where I’m going, but more importantly, to reflect on how I would get there.”

Makee Anderson

Class of 2024

All About Gap Years

Want to learn about gap year possibilities? Take a look at the resources below to see how you can spend your time before arriving at Duke.

Questions? Email Duke Gap Year at dukegapyear@duke.edu.

What is a gap year?

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We consider a gap year to be a break between high school and enrolling at Duke.

Gap years can include:

Travel
Volunteering and community service
Internships or paid work
Skill development
Military or religious service
And so much more!

Many future Duke students consider a gap year as an opportunity to broaden their horizons. Regardless of what you are involved in, you will have the opportunities to grow and learn more about yourself and the world.

There are some important questions you should ask yourself as you begin to plan your year:

What do I want to do?
How do I want to benefit?
How much will it cost?
What skills can I acquire?

The Gap Year Association is a great place to get started and can help you realize just how many opportunities are out there!

To hear directly from participants, you can read the Duke Gap Year Program blogs.

Gap Year Pathways

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Admitted students who choose Duke can request to defer their enrollment for one year* – their space in the class for the following year will be held for them.

*Two-year deferrals are awarded on a case-by-case basis, usually for required military or religious service requirements.

If you want to defer your enrollment, there are two pathways you can follow:

Independent Gap Year – Any admitted student who wishes to defer their enrollment can request their gap year through their Applicant Portal beginning in March.
Duke Gap Year Program – Those who are interested in joining a cohort of people who are taking intentional gap years, emphasizing civic engagement and personal discovery, may apply to join the Duke Gap Year Program. Funding may also be available.

Those who defer their enrollment are expected to enroll at Duke once the deferment period ends.

Gap Year Conditions

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If Participant’s request for a gap year is approved, Participant must agree to the following Terms and Conditions, and Participant’s parent/guardian must acknowledge that Participant has agreed to these Terms and Conditions and to support Participant in doing so:

Participant will not apply for admission as a degree-seeking student to any other college or university during the remainder of this year or during the coming year.
Participant will not enroll as a full-time student or degree-seeking student at another college or university during your gap year.
If Participant chooses to take any college courses for Duke credit, Participant understands and acknowledges that Duke will only recognize the credits in accordance with relevant Duke policies.
Participant will not enroll in a post-graduate program at a secondary school.
Participant will abide by the Conditions of Application that Participant agreed to when Participant applied to Duke and the conditions contained in Participant’s letter of admission to Duke.
Participant is required to maintain high standards of academic performance and personal behavior in and out of school, as mentioned in the letter of admission to Duke University. This includes abiding by our Community Standard.
If there is any change in the information Participant provided in Participant’s application to Duke—including any academic, personal, disciplinary, or legal matters—Participant agrees to contact the Duke admissions office within 48 hours.

Enrollment

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Gap year participants will receive an email from Duke Admissions in January of the year they intend to enroll, asking them to confirm their plans to matriculate in the fall. Participants should notify the Admissions Office of any changes to their contact information in order to receive this information in a timely manner.

Once their enrollment is confirmed, gap year participants will begin to receive email communication from other campus offices, including New Student and Family Programs, Housing, Visa Services, etc.

Financial Aid

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Gap year participants who applied for financial aid during the application process will need to reapply with updated financial aid information in order to receive their new package. Participants should connect with the Karsh Office of Undergraduate Financial Support with questions about this process.

Like all admitted students who choose Duke, winners of merit scholarships must request a gap year on their Duke Admissions Portal. Gap year participants who were awarded a merit scholarship via the Duke Office of University Scholars and Fellows (OUSF) will maintain that scholarship after their gap year but must also seek approval for their gap year from OUSF. Those who were awarded a Robertson Scholarship and wish to take a gap year must contact the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program to seek approval for their gap year and for more information.

The Duke Gap Year Program

Admitted students who want to take a gap year with an emphasis on civic engagement and self-discovery before enrolling at Duke can apply to join the Duke Gap Year Program (DGYP). This cohort of students will be connected to each other and to Duke throughout their gap year and during their time on campus. Prospective DGYP participants may also request funding to support eligible gap year activities.

Questions? Email dukegapyear@duke.edu.

Eligibility

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Those who are admitted to and commit to enrolling at Duke as first-year students are eligible to apply to the Duke Gap Year Program. The DGYP aims to support gap years emphasizing personal discovery and civic engagement.

Expectations

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If your application to the Duke Gap Year Program (DGYP) is accepted, you and your parent/guardian are required to sign a Participation Agreement, which will include the following and other expectations:

Follow Duke Gap Year Program blog and social media expectations.
Submit a mid-year and end-of-year report reflecting on your experiences.
Complete surveys for the Gap Year Research Consortium at Colorado College.
Engage with the DGYP community once you arrive on campus.

The Participation Agreement will be sent to DGYP applicants and their guardians via Adobe Sign. Please email dukegapyear@duke.edu for details.

Funding

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All DGYP applicants may request from $5,000 to $15,000 in funding. Those with financial need may be eligible for up to $25,000, with exact totals depending on level of financial need.
In most cases, funding will be distributed directly to the participant in two payments, one in July and one in January. The funding can be applied toward program costs, transportation, housing, equipment, and other expenses directly associated with their gap year program.
Funding will be considered reportable income for that tax year.

Applying to the DGYP

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The Duke Gap Year Program application will be available in March. Read more about the application process here.

Duke student pets two horses. — Skijler, a Duke Gap Year student backpacking in Auvillar, France.

Need ideas for planning your gap year?

Hear directly from our students!

Outdoor Experiences

Skijler Hiking the Camino de Santiago

“I walked 250 miles with nothing but myself and a backpack.”

Cate’s work with the Sierra Club

“I worked on restoring Idaho’s wild salmon populations to healthy, sustainable levels and learned so much more about running successful policy campaigns.”

Mack’s Prep School

“MSP is the academic nonprofit I founded with the mission of equipping under-resourced and economically disadvantaged high schoolers with all the necessary skills, knowledge and tools to take advantage of their education.”