Franklin & Marshall College

Spring Option students begin their college careers in January rather than September.

The program is a perfect fit for the independent student who wants to take a breather between high school and college, but who also sees that time as an opportunity to pursue a distinctive intellectual, civic or social experience before enrolling at F&M. Each year, 48 students enroll at F&M via Spring Option.

Here are some of the fall gap programs our students have participated in:

For-credit programs

Institute for American Universities
Aix-en-Provence, France

St. Andrews University
Scotland Freshman semester abroad

Thinking Beyond Borders
Gap semester in Ecuador

Not-for-credit programs

The School for Field Studies
Environmental study-abroad program

Rustic Pathways
Travel program focusing on community service, life skills, language and adventure

CIEE
Language immersion program during which student lives with a family abroad

Proyexto ASIS
Spanish language, cultural immersion and volunteer work with animals in Costa Rica

Oxford Program for Advanced Studies
Academic work in Oxford, England

Cross Cultural Solutions
Volunteer work abroad

Outward Bound
Wilderness expeditions

National Outdoor Leadership School
Wilderness expeditions

Additional information

You can read more about the program in The Diplomat, F&M’s online newsletter:

Education, Adventure for Spring Option Students

Exercising Their Spring Option

And from The New York Times:

An Argument for a Yearlong Breather

Questions?

For more information on our Spring Option, please or check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.