Many students decide to take a break before attending college to explore the world, do volunteer work or just experience some new venture.  These breaks are known as gap years because they usually last a year.  Now the traditional gap year has an alternative: the snap year.

Gap year organizers have reported a sharp rise in this truncated break, with young people forced to restrict themselves to just a couple of months off after finishing school. The increase in those opting for the snap year, or mini-gap year, comes as record numbers failed to get into colleges this year, as youth unemployment rates soar and as financing a year-long venture becomes too difficult for many people.

Overall, gap year organizers say that there has been a 28% increase in students taking a snap year, while traditional year-long gap years has risen 35%.