As much as every student anticipates four or more years of perfect health during their undergraduate studies, life happens. Luckily, illness or injuries don't need to mean an end to your academic journey, especially if you know the right way to take a pause. Amy and Mike invited college advisors Jennifer Stephan and Karen Flood to explain the process of taking a medical leave of absence from college.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

What is a medical leave of absence (MLOA), and how do colleges actually use medical leaves?
What is the typical timeline for a leave request?
How do you know when a medical leave is the right decision versus trying to push through?
How do students return from a medical leave, and what are colleges really looking for in that process?
What does a medical leave mean for a student's future?

MEET OUR GUESTS

Dr. Jennifer Stephan has held a variety of roles at top colleges and universities, including professor, academic dean, and board of admissions member, in addition to serving as a private college counselor, an alumni interviewer for Johns Hopkins University, and a parent of three. She holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, as well as an MS and a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jennifer is currently the Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies for the School of Engineering at Tufts University. Prior to joining Tufts in 2016, she spent over two decades serving as a dean and a professor of Computer Science at Wellesley College, where she collaborated with colleagues at MIT, Olin College of Engineering, and Babson College to support students pursuing engineering. While at Wellesley, Jennifer served on the College's Board of Admissions, reading and evaluating approximately one hundred transfer applications each year.

Jennifer is also the founder of Lantern College Counseling, a robust college counseling practice where she regularly draws on insights from her experience leading in higher education to help students develop their college lists and shape competitive, authentic applications. Jennifer specializes in STEM, computer science, engineering, undecided, and transfer students. She is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).

Jennifer appeared on the podcast in episode 620 to discuss ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS AN UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, in episode 541 to discuss NAVIGATING THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ADMISSIONS, and in episode 559 for an IEC Profile.

Find Jennifer at jennifer@lanterncollege.com or https://www.lanterncollegecounseling.com.

Dr. Karen Flood is the founder of Riverside College Coaching, LLC, which provides one-on-one support to help students thrive in college. With deep insider knowledge of universities, Karen supports students in their transition to college-level academics, helping them develop organizational and time-management skills and a stronger sense of self-efficacy.

Before founding Riverside College Coaching, Karen spent three decades at Harvard University as Associate Dean of the Harvard Summer School, a Resident Dean of Harvard College, Director of Undergraduate Studies, First-Year Adviser, and Lecturer. In these roles, she counseled hundreds of students navigating academic and personal difficulties.

Karen has a BA from Yale University and a PhD from Harvard University and has received multiple teaching distinctions at Harvard, including the Jan Thaddeus Teaching Prize.

Karen can be reached at karen@riversidecollegecoaching.com.

LINKS

Medical Leave of Absence in College: What Families Need to Know About Readiness, Documentation, and Return

Know Your Rights: Leave of Absence Policies in Higher Education

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ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.