GROWING

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grown-tasting-spanish-cook

‘I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my own ship.’  |  Louisa May Alcott

Why should I take a gap year?

Do you feel burned out from the pressure of having worked overtime in order to get into “the right college”? Would you enjoy a community service project because it’s a good thing to do and a valuable experience, rather than just another bullet point on your college app? Would you like to start college with a clearer idea of why you’re there and where you’re headed afterward? Would you like a break in order to pursue your goals in a different way, in a new and stimulating environment?
Consider a gap year!

why-el-casal

Why El Casal?

For 15 years, El Casal has offered an authentic gap year experience. By authentic we mean: we have just one, small, all-inclusive program, the one you’re reading about right now. We’re focused entirely on high school graduates who have been accepted to selective colleges. Taking a gap year means you’re about to take a giant step forward, one that will put you on the road to a better understanding of yourself and the wider world. El Casal helps you along that road.

why-el-casal

Why El Casal?

For 15 years, El Casal has offered an authentic gap year experience. By authentic we mean: we have just one, small, all-inclusive program, the one you’re reading about right now. We’re focused entirely on high school graduates who have been accepted to selective colleges. Taking a gap year means you’re about to take a giant step forward, one that will put you on the road to a better understanding of yourself and the wider world. El Casal helps you along that road.

Structure and freedom: where’s the balance?

At El Casal, we’re sure that we’ve struck the balance between structure and freedom. You’ll have ample time to explore and to travel on your own, within Spain or to other countries. You’ll be able to get out and make Spanish friends and to pursue your particular interests, such as music, fine arts, sports or service to others.

What students think of structure and freedom

The perfect break for me

I can’t believe it’s been almost 10 years since I participated in El Casal! I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was the perfect break for me between a rigorous high school curriculum and a challenging college experience because it gave me the opportunity to slow down the pace and learn so much about myself and what drives me. I learned to be independent as I wandered the streets of Barcelona and volunteered in a clinic housing adults with cerebral palsy.

Emily W., 2004Phillips Andover | Dartmouth College

A tremendous program

El Casal is a tremendous program. Not only does it give you the unique opportunity to live and learn in one of the greatest cities in the world, you learn responsibility and how to regulate your own life. I think this is an invaluable lesson, especially for a kid fresh out of high school about to go to college.

Davis H., 2005Episcopal HS | Yale University

An amazing experience

I just want to reach out to you to thank you for providing such an amazing experience for W… last spring. While he certainly came home with great stories, he also came home with more confidence, a stronger sense of who he is and what’s important to him and an understanding of the value of education and opportunity. We have enjoyed watching him operate since his return.

Julie R., mother of Walker R., 2016St. Andrew’s Sewanee | University of South Carolina
El Casal on the Camino de Santiago
El Casal. Making friends
El Casal. Discovering Barcelona
El Casal. Community service
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