Requesting a Return

As you are planning your return to campus, you may be feeling a mix of emotions. Let us offer you some reassurances about your return. First, you are not alone. Each semester approximately 45 students are approved to return. Secondly, we have your back. 

There are a number of processes and things to consider before your return. We are here to provide you with all the information and support you need to make a successful transition back to campus.

Do you have questions about returning? If you get stuck at any point contact returnrequest@mit.edu.

Graduate Students can learn more about the return process from the Office of Graduate Education (OGE).

Request Deadlines

To ensure that our office has the most up-to-date information about your time away, return requests are only accepted within a specific 15-day period each semester:

• Fall return: June 1 – June 15
• Spring return: November 1 – November 15

Deadlines are firm, and requests to extend the deadline or to accept late requests will not be considered.

If you are returning from a Personal, Medical, or Required Academic Leave, supplemental materials, such as a letter from your academic department or advisor, will be accepted until July 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Requests will not be reviewed until all materials are received and the request to return form is complete. 

Return requests are generally not processed for Independent Activities Periods (IAPs) or the Summer semester. 

Decisions will be emailed on or around August 10 for a fall return or January 10 for a spring return.

Return Request Checklist

Once you have submitted your formal request to return to campus, you should call or email our office to schedule an appointment with your dean (617-253-4861 or s3-support@mit.edu). Regardless of the type of leave you were on, there are several things to consider as you plan for your return.

If you are looking for additional insight about returning to campus or have insight of your own to offer another student, contact returnrequest@mit.edu. It can be helpful to connect with an alum or current returning student who took a leave during their time at MIT and hear a first-hand perspective

Personal, Medical, or Required Academic Leave Returns

To submit a return request for your personal, medical, or required academic leave, you must first create a login for the S3 SlideRoom website. 

Once logged in, you should find and complete the online Return Request that corresponds with your leave type. This will include submitting:

1. A personal statement
2. A chronologically-dated list of activities (e.g., classes, jobs, travel) conducted while away from MIT
3. A student-developed, department-approved academic plan for graduation that addresses completion of the General Institute Requirements(GIR) subjects and, in the case of students who have declared a major, the requirements for the major
4. A letter* commenting on the student’s suitability for return and the proposed academic plan from the academic department* or program to which the student would like to return**

*The letter from your academic department or academic advisor may be submitted separately and is due by July 1 for the fall term and December 1 for the spring term.

**In order for the department to write a letter you will need to provide them with your academic plan, and a current MIT transcript with a degree audit obtained from the Registrar’s Office. We encourage students to discuss the plan with the faculty advisor and/or academic department to determine if graduation requirements are being addressed. If you are thinking of switching majors you should be in touch with both your former and new department. These departments will coordinate who writes a letter on your behalf.

***In the case of first-year students or undesignated sophomores, a letter from the Office of the First Year. 

Supplementary Documentation

Depending on the circumstances of your leave, you may be required to submit supplementary items including.

• Letters of reference from employers or faculty of other universities attended
• Transcripts of coursework completed at other institutions* 
• A Medical Provider Report from physicians or clinicians with whom you received treatment 

*If the transcript will not be sent by the posted deadline, please ask your instructors/professors to send us an email (returnrequest@mit.edu) indicating your standing in the class around the time of the deadline. Once the official transcript becomes available, please have it emailed as soon as possible. The Committee on Academic Performance (CAP) also welcomes letters from instructors or professors who can comment more generally on your performance.

**Clinicians in MIT Health and MIT Student Mental Health and Counseling will review the medical information, and provide a recommendation in writing to the CAP to be included in the request. This report is critical in assisting the Committee to arrive at its decision. You will also need to submit an Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information. Both should go directly to MIT Health at MLOA-Returns@med.mit.edu or faxed to 877-932-6537.

Supplemental materials are due two weeks after the initial request deadline (July 1 for the fall term and December 1 for the spring term). 

If you have questions about the items needed for your request, please contact your dean or returnrequest@mit.edu.

Review Process

Your S³ Dean will advise you through the process of requesting return, however, the final decision rests with the CAP.

No requests to return to the undergraduate program will be considered from any student who has received a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from another institution or who is a candidate for such a degree at another institution. The return guidelines comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), a law designed to protect students who leave school for military service.

Returning students will be provided with a list of recommendations to help make the transition back to MIT successful. A student’s denied request will be provided with the reasons for the decision and a list of expectations that must be met before another request to return will be considered. You are encouraged to develop a contingency plan in the event that your request to return is denied.

If the CAP decides not to approve your request to return, the CAP will reconsider this decision only if substantial new information becomes available. A request for reconsideration, along with the new information, should be submitted to S³, and the Chair of the CAP will review the documentation. The Chair’s decision will be communicated to the student in writing and shall be final.

Events

Each semester S³ hosts several events for returning students. Programming is intended to help reorient you to the MIT Community and resources, in addition to providing an opportunity for you to get to know your fellow returning students.

The types of events include:

• Returning Student Luncheon
• S³ Pre-Add Date Open House
• S³ Pre-Drop Date Open House
• Game Night Study Break
• Career workshops
• Alumni gatherings
• End of the semester celebrations

Do you have an idea for a Returning Student event that you would like to see? Email returnrequest@mit.edu.

Important Resources

To help with your transition back, we have resources specifically for students who are returning to MIT after time away.

Returning Students Group

Students returning from time away from MIT often face unique challenges. These challenges can include concerns about academics, reconnecting with friends, discomfort explaining their time away, and feeling alone. The returning students group is a powerful community where students are able to discuss these concerns and obtain support from each other and from the group leaders. The group consists of students in their first term back at MIT and meets once a week for the duration of the semester. For more information contact returnrequest@mit.edu.