School of the New York Times - NYC - Gap Year

Gap Year is a program for ambitious high school graduates seeking a transformative intellectual adventure in New York City.

Students are mentored by Times experts—some of the world’s greatest thinkers on topics ranging from politics, culture, business, technology and more. This semester-long program gives students the opportunity to explore their passions and grapple with complex subjects while sharpening important life skills such as effective communication, critical thinking, information literacy, leadership and ethics. As a school, we embrace three “Timesian” traits that are fundamental to the ethos of The New York Times: exploring the world with passion and curiosity; analyzing topics and events rigorously through unbiased eyes; and adhering to strong ethics, authenticity of character and the idea that transparency in sharing ideas and information is the foundation of good citizenship. In our Gap Year program, these traits are infused throughout the semester-long experience—from the courses we offer to the networking opportunities provided.

Students will emerge from the program with a strong sense of self, imbued with a framework of deepened understanding about what drives their passions, issues that are meaningful to them and where they stand in relation to those issues. Students will walk away with important attributes that are in short supply in both the work force and academic communities—such as strong communication, research and analytical skills. Gap Year students will develop the confidence to self-direct the production of good, ethical work in order to contribute to the path they choose to pursue.

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