[RyanGWU82]

Out of curiosity, is there a limit to the length of a Leave of Absence? Are there situations where a leave request would be denied?

Stanford used to have very liberal rules regarding Leaves of Absence, but restricted them a few years ago. The rumor is that they were losing too many people to Silicon Valley. Now you're only allowed to take one year off, and that still eats into the maximum time you're given to complete your degree. Plus, almost all students are prohibited from enrolling part-time, so it's not really feasible to pursue a degree while working (or working full-time on a venture).