southbound — u-rochester.md

Spring 2027 · #38 of 150

University of Rochester

Formal leaveReasons: Any personal reasonUniversity-wide policy (all schools)

92BRB

What we could find, not finalRules differ by college and by student, and can change. Confirm with your registrar, dean’s office, financial aid office and (for visa holders) international student office before you act. For tuition, refund and financial-aid deadlines, ask your bursar and financial aid office.

in their words — from the school’s own pages

In their words

What Rochester says

Exact quotes from Rochester’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.

How to step away

At the conclusion of a semester, students may request to take a University Leave of Absence to suspend their studies prior to the start of the upcoming semester.

— rochester.edu ↗

When to ask

Requests for University Leave of Absence received prior to the conclusion of the add/drop period … will result in all coursework being dropped (expunged) from the student record.

— rochester.edu ↗

How long you can be away

A University Leave of Absence may not exceed three (3) consecutive semesters, including summer.

— rochester.edu ↗

Coming back

The Return from University Leave of Absence form should be received by March 1 for the fall semester or October 1 for the spring semester.

— rochester.edu ↗

Reasons accepted

A University Leave of Absence is a temporary separation from the University initiated by the student.

— rochester.edu ↗

summary — ai

✦ AI summary

Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.

Appears to work through a formal University Leave of Absence, requested with your advisor or registrar.
Requests before add/drop ends on Feb 12 seem to wipe spring courses; later ones look like W grades.
Leave seems capped at three consecutive semesters including summer; ask your registrar or advising office about spring classes.
Reasons accepted: any personal reason (The policy lists no qualifying reasons; the student starts the leave with their advisor).
Time away allowed: Up to 3 terms incl. summer.
Classes start Jan 19.

checklist — before you decide

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

campus — 7 builder groups

Hackathon

DandyHacks ↗University of Rochester's student-run hackathon; DandyHacks '26 is set for November 20-22.
The Heist Hackathon (Ain Center) ↗Ain Center hackathon open to Rochester students in teams of two or more; runs each fall.

Student founder community

Ain Foundry Program ↗Student pre-accelerator with mentors, customer discovery and Foundry Fridays (fall 2026 schedule posted).

Entrepreneurship center

Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation ↗Runs pitch and business-model competitions, the e5 program, Foundry Fridays and startup internships.

Hard-tech team

UR Robotics ↗Student robotics club; projects include a NASA Lunabotics rover team and a MATE ROV team.
UR Rocketry ↗Student rocketry club working on rocket design, recovery systems and launches.
UR Baja SAE (Yellowjacket Racing) ↗Student team that designs and races an off-road car for Baja SAE; newsletters through late 2025.

index — score breakdown

BRB Score

Why 92

Leave route30/35

Time to decide20/20

Reasons accepted15/15

Published clearly15/15

Pages kept current5/5

Builder scene7/10

How the BRB Score works

apply

Spend the winter building. Southbound runs Jan 11 to Apr 11, 2027 in Miami. Acceptance is rolling.

Apply to Southbound

sources — official pages we read

http://www.rochester.edu/registrar/assets/forms/frequently-asked-questions-uloa-uw.pdf https://brand.rochester.edu/visual-identity/color-system/https://www.rochester.edu/registrar/assets/pdf/university-of-rochester-2026-2027-sas-and-hajim-academic-calendar.pdf https://www.rochester.edu/registrar/assets/pdf/university-of-rochester-leave-of-absence-and-withdrawal-policy.pdf https://www.rochester.edu/registrar/students/leave-of-absence-and-withdrawal.html

Checked by Focal

Oct 22, 2026

Source pages

Current

Newest source change

Oct 2026

Oldest source change

Dec 2025

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.