of graduates are underemployed one year after college
Federal Reserve Bank of New YorkParents
Launch your kid well
Grounded in faith. Equipped to lead. Clear on who they’re becoming.
The cost of guessing
The traditional path is failing students and costing families.
would choose a different major if they could do it again
Strada Education FoundationThe gap year works
That is why Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and hundreds of other schools have started recommending that admitted students take a gap year before coming to campus.
The status quo asks students to commit to a direction before they know who they are. They pick a major under pressure, spend years going through the motions, and can graduate with a degree but still have no clear direction.
Students who take an intentional gap year can move toward college or work with a reason, not just momentum. They have room to test possibilities, develop judgment, and choose their next step with greater confidence.
A fundamentally different approach
What your student will learn
LeapYear is a 9-month leadership accelerator for high school graduates in Austin, Texas. We focus on three integrated outcomes.
Explore the Program- 1
We help students test real career paths
Your student builds a portfolio through professional experiments and comes out the other side knowing which direction fits and why.
- 2
We develop leaders
Decision-making. Executive functioning. High standards and follow-through. We cultivate what you have been wanting to see in your kid through clear goals and real practice.
- 3
We ground everything in faith
Your student wrestles with the questions that matter most: Who am I? What is my life for? What is my role in God’s story? At the same time, they build practices that deepen faith and make it their own.
What they carry forward
What your student walks away with
- A calling statementtheir tested, self-determined answer to the question: What is my role in God’s mission?
- A portfolio of professional workevidence of initiative, reflection, and real contribution that opens doors.
- A method of discernmentnot just a direction, but a way to make decisions when the road shifts underneath them.
- A trusted networkcoaches, peers, mentors, and exemplars who know them and share your family’s values.
- The ability to lead and create communitypracticed in a structured environment with meaningful stakes.
One year from now
A stronger launch and a head start.
| Most college sophomores | Compared with | LeapYear graduates |
|---|---|---|
| More confused about what to study than when they started | Clear on who they want to become and why | |
| A friend group that came together mostly by proximity | A trusted network of peers, coaches, mentors, and professionals | |
| Shaped by whatever campus culture they landed in | Grounded in habits and practices that deepen their faith | |
| A few credits toward “undecided” | A portfolio of work that opens doors | |
| No framework for when the plan falls apart | A tested method of discernment for navigating uncertainty | |
| Hoping college will help them figure it out | Using college to go deeper in a tested direction | |
| Still searching for identity | A more grounded sense of who they are becoming |
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01 / 07
Most college sophomoresMore confused about what to study than when they started
LeapYear graduatesClear on who they want to become and why
-
02 / 07
Most college sophomoresA friend group that came together mostly by proximity
LeapYear graduatesA trusted network of peers, coaches, mentors, and professionals
-
03 / 07
Most college sophomoresShaped by whatever campus culture they landed in
LeapYear graduatesGrounded in habits and practices that deepen their faith
-
04 / 07
Most college sophomoresA few credits toward “undecided”
LeapYear graduatesA portfolio of work that opens doors
-
05 / 07
Most college sophomoresNo framework for when the plan falls apart
LeapYear graduatesA tested method of discernment for navigating uncertainty
-
06 / 07
Most college sophomoresHoping college will help them figure it out
LeapYear graduatesUsing college to go deeper in a tested direction
-
07 / 07
Most college sophomoresStill searching for identity
LeapYear graduatesA more grounded sense of who they are becoming
Swipe to see all seven comparisons
A partner for this season
You already know what your kid needs. You may not be the only voice they need to hear it from.
You can say the exact right thing at the exact right time, and it may not land the same way it does coming from someone else: a mentor, a coach, or a peer on the journey alongside them.
This is not a failure of your parenting. It is a reality of this developmental stage. Your student is wired to be influenced by other voices; you can help choose which voices will be present.
LeapYear surrounds students with trusted people who share your values and demonstrate that a life of faith and professional excellence belong together.
Talk with our team
Parent guide
How to Partner With Your Senior on Their Faith and Future
This 15-minute read is a practical guide for the season you’re in right now. We built it from everything we’ve learned: neuroscience, coaching, and years of sitting across the table from families in this exact moment. This guide will help you:
- Help shift your relationship
- Understand what your student actually needs
- How to have open conversations
- How to stay close
Talk with our team
Ready to explore whether LeapYear fits your student?
Bring your questions. We’ll help you think through whether LeapYear is the right next step for your student.