Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the program cost?
$14,000, which includes program costs, room and board, transportation between cities, equipment and supplies. Your only other costs will be transportation to Vermont, transportation from New Orleans, and spending money.
Is financial aid available?
Please contact us by phone or by e-mail if you are in need of financial aid.
Is college credit available?
The short answer to that is “maybe.” We are currently exploring relations with a college that would grant credit for the program. However, we want that credit to be useful. You should know that just because a program grants college credit does not mean that the college your child attends will accept those credits. If your child knows what college they are going to, you should explore with that college’s registrar’s office what credits they will accept. Many colleges do grant credit for external learning on a case-by-case basis, and we will help a student put together a portfolio to petition for that credit. The fact that students can present the documentaries they have created makes that process easier.
Why should I pay for this program in addition to college?
While a college education is an important investment in a child’s education and future, it is an investment that is often squandered. Too many students sleepwalk through college getting very little out of it or else they simply drop out. This program is designed to maximize what students get out of college, to give them perspective on the value of college and to give them the self-confidence and independence to make the most of it. People who are interested in this question might look at some of the articles listed in our Resources section or may want to pick up "The Gap Year Advantage" by Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson or "Taking Time Off" by Colin Hall and Rob Lieber.
If my child takes time off from college will they ever go back?
Yes. While specific research on the question is not finished, anecdotal evidence suggests that people who take time off are more likely to finish college than those who don’t. Working in the outside world teaches people the value of further education, both as a way of understanding that world and as a credential for the desirable jobs they see around them. This is why Harvard’s acceptance letter encourages students to take time off. If you go to college because that is what is expected of you, you are less likely to appreciate it than if you go having a sense of what your post-college life could be.
How supervised will my child be?
One of the key goals of the program is to foster responsible independence. That means allowing the participants freedom but being in close contact about how they are using that freedom. Because of the small size of the community, the resident directors will have a good sense of what participants are doing and part of their job is to help participants make good choices. In many ways, this program is the opposite of college life. In college students have their needs attended to—meals are cooked for them, dishes washed, public spaces cleaned—while they are essentially left alone to make choices. Stories of binge drinking and other campus craziness make clear that many of those choices are very bad. This seems like an odd way to ready people for adult responsibility. In our program, we start by making sure people are responsible for their daily lives with cooking and cleaning. We then expect them to take on outside responsibilities both through internships or community service and through documentary production. We expect people to be out on their own, living independently in a city, but the staff will also be keeping an eye out for them, giving them advice and helping them when they stumble. It is an apprenticeship for independent adulthood.
How safe will my child be?
There are risks in living in a city (or anywhere), and the program cannot eliminate risks inherent in daily life. We are training people to live independently and they cannot do that without them being on their own, which is risky. Given that, the staff of the program will see it as a central part of their job to train people in how to avoid unnecessary risks. With that training, they will be better off in the future when they find themselves living independently. El Paso, while a poor city, is a relatively safe one, with the third lowest crime rate of any U.S. city with a population over 500,000. Juarez is a different story, and people will learn how to maximize their safety while there. New Orleans also has a high crime rate, although much of the crime is either gang- or drug-related. The houses where participants live will be in safe neighborhoods, and we will do all we can to make sure that your child does not choose unnecessarily risky behavior.
If my child wants to take time off after high school, should they apply to college anyway?
Yes. Most colleges will defer an acceptance for a year or two if the applicant has a thoughtful plan for the year. It is much easier to go through the application process while still in high school. Having a plan for the next year also reduces the anxiety of going off into the world for a gap year. There may be cases where students do not get into the college of their dreams and wish to reapply during their gap year. In this case, we would recommend accepting and deferring the best college offer they did receive. Afterwards, they can still reapply to their top college, and it’s possible that their work experience and documentaries will improve their chances of acceptance. For students who wish to go this route, we have experienced college counselors who can help them with their new application.