Later that year, Hughes took a semester off from Harvard in an attempt to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics. She specifically noted she wanted to qualify for the 2010 games so she could experience the opening ceremony, something she missed in 2006 since she was a late replacement to the team. In January 2010, she placed 9th at the 2010 U.S. Championships, which meant that she did not receive one of the two available Olympic spots.