I can't fathom dropping out of MIT with only a year left. Maybe he won't ever ne...

jakarta · on April 10, 2011

Many top schools have a policy which allows students who drop out to come back and finish up their degree if they want. So it is not a risky decision.

snikolov · on April 10, 2011

As an MIT student, I can confirm this. I know someone who came back after 5 years to finish his last semester, and one of my TAs this term joined the military and came back after 10 years.

gamble · on April 10, 2011

The reason they do this is because dropouts hurt their ranking, while indefinite leaves of absence don't.

mattdeboard · on April 10, 2011

Ah that makes a lot more sense then. Thanks for the clarification.