"So where are you going to college?" You've barely gotten your pictures back from junior prom, and already teachers, friends, and your annoying Uncle Bill want to know where you'll be heading for your freshman year of college. But you're not sure where you're going to enroll-or if college is even your next step. You're not alone, and some self-reflection (and alternative experience) may even put you ahead of the curve.

It's easy to get locked into thinking your high school diploma is like a "Go to College" card: go directly to college, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. But this is your life, not a board game. If you're hesitant about choosing a university program or itching for something out of the ordinary before you start college, you have options. Whether you want to catch a high-powered internship or a military scholarship, there's an alternative for every personality type.

The Adventurer
If you're someone who does things in unexpected ways, loves new experiences, and isn't afraid of a challenge, consider entering a program like City Year. This is an opportunity to travel, meet new people, do some serious good, and rack up experience for your college admissions application or resume at the same time. City Year, an affiliate of AmeriCorps, is a youth-oriented service program operating in 15 cities across the United States. Unlike AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps, which strongly favor college grads or those with three or more years of work experience, City Year volunteers must be between 17 and 24 years old and are only required to have completed their high school diploma or its equivalent.

City Year members pledge a year or more to work on projects promoting youth education, mentorship, leadership development, democracy, diversity, domestic violence prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness, and more. Members may also be involved in large-scale, community-strengthening events, or in the planning and implementation of Camp City Year, a children's day camp based on City Year's ideals of service and diversity. Members receive training, a living stipend, health coverage and, upon completion of the program, a $4,725 education award to be applied toward college.

For more on City Year and other volunteer programs, check out these links:

City Year, a branch of AmeriCorps, is a youth-oriented, national, civic-service "action tank"-that's like a think tank with feet.

Green Volunteers is a self-proclaimed "world guide and information network to voluntary work in nature conservation."

Where You Headed? contains a database of ideas to make your time off from or before college meaningful, exciting and fun.

The Pragmatist
Maybe you're not ready for full-time college study, but you want to get some work experience. How about an internship? Internships are basically unpaid jobs that give you valuable, real-world experience in a particular field. They're not exactly like episodes of "The Apprentice," but internships—and practical work experience in general—are great ways to build your resume, make contacts, and gain perspective on potential fields of work or study. This could mean a year spent working for the family business, six months learning the ropes at a publishing house in New York, or something completely different. It's up to you.

In addition to The Princeton Review's Career & Internships listings, you can find more information about internships at:

Dynamy, Inc. is a not-for-profit experiential educational organization that offers an internship year mixing work, independent living, structure, and coaching.

InternWeb.com is a great source for available internships in the U.S., including stories of others' internship experiences.

InternshipPrograms.com has links to employers and career centers as well as a massive search engine.

Internabroad.com offers a search engine (and information overload) for seekers of overseas internship programs.

The Non-Traditional Student
Many students choose not to go straight into full-time study at a four-year university. Instead, they may start school part-time, perhaps in combination with work or an internship. Another option is to attend a two-year community college to get your general ed credits out of the way—and save tons of money with the more affordable junior college tuition!—before transferring to a four-year school to complete a degree.

These days, many colleges and universities also offer online- and distance-learning courses. These are good opportunities to start college while pursuing other interests, or sample courses from a curriculum without committing. To learn more, talk with your high school counselor or college admissions officer.

The Soldier
Don't be lured by glossy TV ads that compare the Marines to a game of chess—joining the armed forces involves hard work, obedience, and potential risk, and it's not for everyone. That said, the educational benefits are undeniably attractive: an active-duty Army recruit can earn up to $70,000 ($22,000 for Army Reserves) through the Montgomery GI Bill and Army College Fund to apply toward his or her education after service. Other options, like the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), the Coast Guard's College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) and the Air Force Tuition Assistance program, offer different educational benefits for varying levels of service. In addition, the military provides skills training in fields like medical assistance, computers, and mechanics—and many people make the military their career.

The Romantic
Travel is a fantastic way to find out who you are, what you want to do, and how you fit into the world.

A few centuries ago, exploration itself was a vocation; now, a winter vacation is the closest many people get to the romantic, age-old tradition of going out into the world to find themselves. If spring break in Cancun just isn't enough for you, get out there and see the world! If simply asking Mom and Dad to send you off to Paris for a year isn't financially feasible (and let's face it: for most of us, it's not) there are ways of working your way around the globe—literally. Some are suggested above—volunteer programs, internships, military service. Others can be found in Taking Time Off, Work Your Way Around the World by Susan Griffith, and scores of other books at your local library. There is international work to be had out there in the tourist industry, agriculture, teaching English, childcare, and more—it's up to you to find it, plan it, and reach out and grab it.

Some more resources that can help you do just that:

Idealist.org has exhaustive resources to get you doing what you really want to be doing and where you want to be doing it.

Transitions Abroad is a resource for (to name a few) teen travelers, seekers of short-term international work, budget travel, language study, and expatriates.

Dynamy, Inc. is a not-for-profit experiential educational organization for people aged 17 to 22 that offers an internship year mixing work, independent living, structure, and coaching.

A LeapYear offers a transitional year-abroad experience for people aged 17 to 20 that combines backpacking adventure, internship, skills training, and community service.

Don't Forget College
Of course, we're not saying you shouldn't go to college. On the contrary, college is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in life. (In fact, it's entirely possible—and a really good idea—to apply to schools, choose one, then ask to defer your enrollment for a year while you pursue one of the opportunities above.) But taking a year or more off before college, and perhaps participating in something totally eye-opening and unique, can be a huge boost to your self-awareness and perspective on life. And in the end, that can only be good for you—and your college career.