Massachusetts Institute of Technology
What MIT says
Exact quotes from MIT’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
Students must meet with their S3 dean to discuss their plans before submitting an LOA request.
— studentlife.mit.edu ↗LOA requests may be made up to ten days following the first day of classes of the semester.
— studentlife.mit.edu ↗Students may take one leave of absence, for a duration of one to four semesters, during their undergraduate career.
— studentlife.mit.edu ↗Please complete the form below to request a return from a Leave of Absence during the following request periods: Fall Return: June 1 – June 15 Spring Return: November 1 – November 15
— studentlife.mit.edu ↗Students must meet with their S3 dean to discuss their plans before submitting an LOA request.
— studentlife.mit.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- MIT appears to require a formal Leave of Absence request after meeting with an S3 dean.
- Requests look possible up to ten days after the first day of classes.
- Good academic standing seems required, and returning isn't automatic.
- Reasons accepted: any personal reason (No reasons limit; one LOA per career, good standing).
- Time away allowed: 1-4 semesters (one LOA).
- Classes start Feb 1.
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
Entrepreneurship center
- StartMIT (Martin Trust Center, IAP) ↗January (IAP) entrepreneurship program for MIT students; part of the Trust Center, which is already listed.
- MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund ↗
- MIT Venture Mentoring Service ↗
- Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship ↗
Hard-tech team
- MIT Motorsports (Formula SAE Electric) ↗Edgerton Center team that designs and races an electric Formula SAE car; site fsae.mit.edu.
- MIT RoboTeam ↗Edgerton Center student robotics competition team.
- MIT Rocket Team ↗Edgerton Center team that designs, builds and flies high-power rockets; team site rocketry.mit.edu.
- MIT Satellite Team ↗Edgerton Center team; MIT's main undergraduate-led satellite (CubeSat) team.
- MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team ↗Edgerton Center team building solar race cars for the American Solar Challenge.
Why 95
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.