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Hudson's Son Defers College Second Semester

Oliver Hudson's son Wilder agreed to defer his second semester at the University of Colorado Boulder after a stressful freshman year.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in College Applications

Bold vector editorial illustration of a single wooden chair pulled from a table beside a closed door, in warm coral, mustard, and teal, evoking a pause in a personal path.
Oliver Hudson's son Wilder, 19, agreed to defer his second semester at the University of Colorado Boulder after a stressful freshman year, moving home to work and audition. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Actor Oliver Hudson's son Wilder, 19, is deferring his second semester at the University of Colorado Boulder. Wilder will live at home, get a job, work on auditions, and take a screenwriting class at Santa Monica College during the deferral.

Why it matters

Wilder has reported stress and depression during his freshman year and said he no longer felt he belonged at the college. The deferral reflects a family decision to step back from a standard college path while Wilder pursues acting work.

Wilder, 19, is deferring one semester, with a planned return for his sophomore year unless he gets an industry job. The extraction provides no broader enrollment or deferral statistics for comparison.

The players

Oliver Hudson

Oliver Hudson is an American actor and the father of Wilder, who made his acting debut alongside his father in the film A Merry Little Ex-Mas.

University of Colorado Boulder

The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, and the college Wilder attended as a freshman.

The details

Hudson said he and his wife Erinn decided on the deferral after discussing it with Wilder, with strict rules at home including no sleeping in, no daytime computer use, and no food delivery. Wilder had earlier returned home shortly after move-in to have his wisdom teeth removed, then asked his parents to stay longer during Parents' Weekend.

Timeline

  1. Wilder experienced stress during his freshman year at the University of Colorado Boulder.

  2. Shortly after move-in, Wilder returned home to have his wisdom teeth removed.

  3. During Parents' Weekend, Wilder asked his parents to stay longer and talked about his feelings at the college.

  4. Wilder's deferral begins with the second semester.

  5. At the end of the semester, Wilder returns to college for sophomore year unless he gets an industry job.

Culture Shift

Families increasingly treat a mid-college pause as a viable option when a student is struggling, and Hudson's account reflects that shift toward treating mental health and career timing as part of the college decision. The arrangement lets Wilder keep a path back to school while testing an acting career.

Students considering a deferral should check with their school about how a semester off affects enrollment status, housing, and return timelines. Families weighing a similar move can set clear home rules and a defined return date before the break begins.

The takeaway

A mid-college deferral can be a structured reset rather than a withdrawal, provided the student has clear expectations and a defined path back to school.

What happens next

Wilder is scheduled to return to the University of Colorado Boulder for his sophomore year at the end of the semester unless he gets an industry job.

Further reading

For more on the choices students weigh before and during college, see College Applications.

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Would you support your adult child taking a semester off college to pursue a career?