Washington University in St. Louis
What WashU says
Exact quotes from WashU’s official pages, checked word for word on Oct 22, 2026.
If you are completing the current semester courses and requesting leave for a future semester, please select “Future Term.”
— artsci.washu.edu ↗Students who do not request and receive approval for reinstatement within two years will have their records withdrawn and will need to complete the Re-Enter Application…
— artsci.washu.edu ↗…August 1, 2027 for Fall 2027 return
— artsci.washu.edu ↗Students may step away from Washington University for academic, personal, military, or medical reasons.
— artsci.washu.edu ↗Written by AI from the quotes and pages we read. It may be incomplete or wrong; the school’s own pages win.
- WashU appears to use a Leave of Absence request, selecting a future term if needed.
- The spring 2027 deadline isn't posted yet; ask your Arts & Sciences adviser.
- Returning seems to need an approved Request to Return within two years.
- Reasons accepted: any personal reason (Arts & Sciences).
- Time away allowed: Two 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
- HackWashU ↗Student hackathon group: Skandalaris x HackWashU Hackathon (Fall 2025) and AI Build Challenge (Spring 2026)
Student founder community
- Student Entrepreneurial Program (StEP) ↗Undergraduates own and run real on-campus businesses
Entrepreneurship center
- Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship ↗WashU's entrepreneurship home: IdeaBounce and the Skandalaris Venture Competition (Fall 2026 semifinalists announced)
Hard-tech team
- WURocketry ↗Rocket design team in NASA Student Launch
- WashU Racing (Formula SAE) ↗Formula SAE team
- WashU Robotics Club ↗Student robotics projects
- WashU Satellite ↗Student-built satellites, open to all majors
CS club
- Google Developer Group WashU (DSC) ↗Student developer community building projects
Why 87
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.