At a school like Tufts, where everyone seems to have it all figured out, alternative paths are not always discussed, or at least not openly. It can seem like there is one ‘correct’ way to have a Tufts experience, and that is to complete all eight semesters consecutively, graduate and either enter the workforce or continue in higher education. Or, even better, graduate early! However, for some students, this is not a feasible plan, and that is why Tufts offers a variety of different paths toward degree completion, including the option to take a personal leave of absence.
It can be difficult to navigate a process that isn’t always spoken about. As a student who has been through this process, I often wished that there had been somewhere — or someone — to look to for a digestible, realistic outline of what to expect from this process. So, if you are a student who is considering taking a leave of absence for any reason, consider this your one-stop shop for understandable, relatable advice.
First, it is important to understand what, exactly, the Tufts policy says about taking a leave of absence. A quick Google search will reveal many pages of resources from the school about this process, but to break it down for you:
The Tufts website clearly states, “Undergraduates are allowed up to four semesters away from campus, total, in the course of completing their degrees.” This limit covers “personal leave, semesters of required withdrawal, or absences without formal leave” but does not include absence for the purpose of studying abroad or domestically, military and religious service or medical leave. These are covered under a different policy for which resources can also be found on a similar webpage.
Tufts does not require students taking a personal leave of absence to meet with a dean or any other staff member prior to doing so. Though this may seem like a strange policy (what do you mean I can just apply for a leave in SIS without talking to anyone first?!), it can actually prove very helpful for lowering barriers to this decision. The process of deciding to take time away can be daunting enough without meeting with your advising dean, and I believe it can be beneficial for students to have the option to make this decision on their own. This is not to say that there are not immense benefits to meeting with your dean. Advising deans are an invaluable resource in both navigating the process of taking a leave and figuring out what a return to Tufts would look like, and I do highly recommend making use of their expertise.
For students taking time off late in their Tufts career — for example, after completing eight semesters of their degree — my personal advice would be to meet with your dean before requesting a leave. Even if you don’t take the full four semesters, you may be required to petition for an extra semester or two to complete your degree, and knowing this ahead of time is very useful. For permanent leave types, of which there are two — personal withdrawal and transfer leave — students are required to meet with their advising dean before initiating the process in SIS. For all leave types, the process is initiated through the Student Living tab in SIS.
Though it is not required to meet with your advising dean prior to going on a temporary personal leave, it is required to return after “an absence of a semester or longer.” Deans will help you determine what needs to be done before you return to Tufts and can help illustrate what this return will look like. If you have any incomplete grades from previous semesters, your dean will also advise you on the best approach to your individual situation. Though the website covers general policies for addressing incomplete grades and coursework before returning to Tufts, it is my experience that, in practice, your dean might suggest a plan that is slightly different from the one that is provided.
The Tufts website also clearly states that students who have taken more than four semesters off — at any time throughout their Tufts experience, not just consecutively — “must apply for reinstatement.” Reinstatement can seem like a very scary word. Personally, upon reading this policy, my brain was flooded with thoughts of the college admissions process all over again, which, for some, might not be a deterrent, but I certainly could do without ever reliving that. Naturally, panic ensued. Fear not, because applying for reinstatement is nothing like completing the college admissions process all over again. From personal experience, the process of applying for reinstatement involves simply writing a letter detailing what you’ve done with your time away, how you will ensure success upon your return and a plan to get there.
On the matter of tuition, students are eligible for reimbursement of some percentage of their tuition up to the six week mark, with the percentage decreasing by week. If you leave after the sixth week of the semester, you will not receive any reimbursement. Taking a leave before the semester starts, or taking consecutive semesters off, will result in a full reimbursement of tuition, or not receiving a bill at all. The deadline for a 100% refund is “the day before the semester starts,” but other costs, like housing, follow a different schedule, so as soon as you have decided on taking a leave, you should submit the request.
For international and first-year students, the process can look a bit different. International students are required to coordinate with the International Center prior to taking a leave, and first-year students who decide to take a personal leave during their first semester at Tufts “will ordinarily be approved for return to Tufts the following fall semester,” not the spring.
The StAAR Center and CMHS are other — sometimes overlooked — resources that can assist in navigating a leave. They offer support groups for students who have returned from a leave and can help connect you with one-on-one counselling resources.
In my experience, it is easy to feel like taking a leave of absence is accepting defeat or succumbing to failure. This is absolutely not the case. It can feel so much easier to finish strong and take classes that truly cater to your interests after taking a leave. After all, we are all young and everyone is just figuring it out, even if it seems like they know everything.
In short, there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a leave of absence for any reason at all, whether it be because you are struggling and need to recentre or because you want to work or see the world. It is not a failure, and it is an option that should be discussed more. There are as many paths toward completing a degree as there are students in the world, and that is a wonderful thing.
