Carnegie Mellon University
What Carnegie Mellon says
Exact quotes from Carnegie Mellon’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
A Leave of Absence Form must be completed by all students requesting a leave of absence.
— cmu.edu ↗Undergraduates may return within their same academic department within two years.
— cmu.edu ↗Students planning to return from a leave of absence should initiate the return process by July 15 for a Fall return, November 15 for a Spring return, or March 15 for a Summer return.
— cmu.edu ↗Whatever their reason is for taking a leave, CMU staff and academic advisors are available to help guide students
— cmu.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- CMU appears to require a Leave of Absence Form after talking with your advisor.
- No request deadline is stated on the pages we found.
- Returning isn't automatic; it looks like a petition to return is required.
- Reasons accepted: any personal reason (Form asks for reasons; advisor/department/dean sign).
- Time away allowed: Up to 2 years.
- Classes start Jan 19.
Before you decide
Check on the following…
- Will my spot be held?Check how long your school keeps your place and whether you have to apply to come back.Ask: Registrar
- Will I graduate later?A term off can push back your graduation. Ask which required classes only run in the spring.Ask: Academic advisor
- Is there a deadline to ask?Some schools want your leave request before January. Find out the exact date and the form.Ask: Dean’s office or registrar
- What happens to my scholarships and aid?Ask whether your scholarships and grants pause while you’re away or end, and what you need to do to get them back.Ask: Financial aid office
- When would I have to start repaying loans?Student loans usually stop being deferred when you’re not enrolled. After a short grace period, often six months, payments can start.Ask: Financial aid office
- Will I still have health insurance?A student health plan usually needs you to be enrolled. Make sure you’re covered from January to April.Ask: Student health office
- What about my housing?Ask whether you can leave your housing contract without a penalty and whether you’ll get housing when you come back.Ask: Housing office
- I’m on a student visa. Does this affect it?For F-1 students, not enrolling usually ends your visa status. Talk to this office before anything else.Ask: International student office
Hackathon
Student founder community
- Graduate Entrepreneurship Club (GEC) ↗Swartz Center-listed club for grad student founders: lunches, tours and competitions.
- Scottie Ventures ↗Student investment group teaching venture capital; listed on the Swartz Center student clubs page.
- Project Olympus Incubator Program (Swartz Center) ↗
- Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Association (UEA) ↗
Entrepreneurship center
Hard-tech team
- Carnegie Mellon Racing ↗Student team that designs and builds Formula SAE (electric) race cars.
- Carnegie Mellon Robotics Club (Roboclub) ↗Long-running student robotics club with shop space and projects.
- Carnegie Mellon Rocket Command (CMRC) ↗Student rocketry team that competes in NASA Student Launch; URL is a 2024 CMU News story (no team site verified).
CS club
Why 89
Spend the winter building. Southbound runs Jan 11 to Apr 11, 2027 in Miami. Acceptance is rolling.
What we could find (checked Oct 22, 2026). Not final: confirm dates and aid with your school before you act. Source pages look current for 2026–27. We date pages from server timestamps, page metadata, “last updated” text, PDF dates and the Wayback Machine.