I agree…thinking that Amherst admin and trustees are going to have a barrage of calls and emails this week. I also think a greater proportion than expected of incoming frosh could request gap years based on this info too. I don’t see the downside to letting more than 50 seniors live off campus…seems like far greater downside to pursue their forced double and triple strategy.
@RosePetal35 Do we know if students in forced triples and doubles will pay the same housing prices?
@Mwfan1921 They don’t change room and board based on type of room. Everyone pays same cost for room and board.
I think that’s probably a mistake too, one they are going to hear about this week as I’m assuming the forced triples and doubles would be pretty cozy, if not downright uncomfortable.
I just doubt Amherst can just send out a letter like that (I read it) and not expect a ton of calls from unhappy parents. No way I would pay the same room and board to be squashed into a room. What does this mean for class registration too? If the fix is as easy as allowing for more off campus students, why wouldn’t they do that? I would be calling that dean today and flat out asking. Changing up the housing is much more work for them. They hardly need the room and board money of 50 extra kids and could allow 100 instead of 50 (or even more) to live off campus. Maybe they are concerned about Covid? Amherst the town seemed very concerned this last school year so maybe there’s pushback from the town on more kids living off campus?
I think Amherst is thinking about money. All schools have lost money these past 12+ months. I also find the speed and willingness to switch from de-densifying rooms to doubling and tripling up rooms pretty amazing within the same timeframe.
How can Amherst not provide a remote learning option? The pandemic is still raging in many parts of the world, particularly in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Do they expect all their international students to show up in the fall? Remote learning is suboptimal, but for some of these students, it may be their only option.
Bowdoin isn’t providing a remote learning option either.
And quite a few schools in the South. But Amherst has a larger proportion of international students, I presume.
Purdue isn’t providing a remote learning option for the Fall either.
Purdue has a large presence of international students. Accoding to this document,
It had 3,250 Chinese students and 2,156 Indian students in the fall of 2019. Most Chinese students should be able to make their expensive (about $4k one-way in economy) trips to the US this fall, but Indian students don’t even have that option as almost all countries have banned flights from India.
Usually triples are cheaper per student than doubles. Are you sure they’re not changing the price of the room.
Michigan just announced that they’re allowing triples and quads after all. So after saying they were only going to be 80% for dorm capacity next year that’s a change. I think it has more to do with them possibly over enrolling than suddenly being ok with more kids in the dorms just because they’re vaccinated because as of now they’re still sticking to their highly restrictive rules if you live in a dorm which is contradictory to everything else. A lot of parents are so upset they’re now putting their freshmen in apartments which is stupid. The restrictions aren’t that big of a deal even if they don’t relax them which I think they will and are just something on the housing site that haven’t been updated yet but who knows? Truly not a big deal.
In other news as my son gets ready to register there all his classes show in person and both my daughters have registered at their schools and all classes are in person! I haven’t heard if either are offering remote options. So happy things are looking up, although I went to visit my daughter in Texas and help her pack up and I was a little taken aback at just how many people didn’t wear masks. That took some getting used to and I was just happy I had mine all the time. Happy to see that many stores and restaurants though were requiring them.
Some colleges (not just Amherst) charge the same rate for all rooms for reasons of equity.
I wouldn’t exactly call that equitable. Putting 3 people in a room vs others having 2 or even 1 is not equitable and hence people shouldn’t pay the same price for it.
None of my kids schools do that - private or public.
Besides Amherst what schools do that?
Will Michigan be charging less for triples/quads? I heard of forced triples at Occidental and Scripps (I’m sure there are lots elsewhere as well) but you pay the same as if they were doubles.
The crisis in India might be different in Aug.
Equity here means getting a better room isn’t based on whether a student’s family can afford to pay more.
Maybe, but that still may not leave enough time to open US consulates and for all students to get visas.
It will likely be too late even if the crisis there subsides by August. Students have to apply for visa, which is a time consuming process. I suspect relevant US consulate staff have all left that country.
Notre Dame.
All NESCACs as far as I know. All charge the same for any room. Very common for LACs. Check out any “total cost” for them and you just find one cost. Most also require the same board plan at least for freshman year.