Ill student at Princeton: How long before the year is shot?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Ill freshman at Princeton (fell ill in the past week -- unable to do sport that was recruited to play -- condition serious enough to require hospitalization -- beyond scope of infirmary care -- unknown duration at this point). Obviously missing classes and expected to miss more for quite some time. </p>

<p>Does anyone know the policy in terms of ... how much grace period does the student have to get well before he has to postpone the semester? Also, does Princeton enable a student to postpone just a semester, or do they have to postpone a year? Many thanks in advance - not able to find policy easily on Princeton site.</p>

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<p>I’m so sorry this is happening to your kiddo. No knowledge of Princeton, but sending virtual chicken soup and hugs.</p>

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<p>Thanks - not my kid, but a close relative.</p>

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<p>[Academic</a> Standing and Regulations - Undergraduate Announcement](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/pub/ua/standing/]Academic”>http://www.princeton.edu/pub/ua/standing/)</p>

<p>^I tried searching their website and this is what I found regarding attendance. Has the student contacted his/her professors? Perhaps you could suggest contacting the Dean of Students.</p>

<p>Hope your relative gets better soon.</p>

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<p>That’s a very helpful link I will pass on. Thank you very much.</p>

<p>Is the Princeton Medical Center known to be any good? Any other hospitals in the area that have a good / better rep?</p>

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<p>Princeton Medical Center is an excellent hospital; my D2 had ear surgery there back in the 90’s. The community of Princeton expects high level care. If there is an exceptional medical situation and you feel that he needs more specialized or higher level care, then I’d look into Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick. They are affiliated with Rutgers.</p>

<p>Here’s some info I found: University Medical Center at Princeton has been named a 2009 Top Hospital (one of only 37 in the country) by Leapfrog Group – the second consecutive year it has earned this honor.</p>

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<p>And about RWJUH (which is affiliated with University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ UMDNJ not technically Rutgers): One of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital provides state-of-the-art care across the full range of health care services. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has ranked among U.S. News and World Report’s "America’s Best Hospitals for four consecutive years. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has ranked among U.S. News and World Report’s "America’s Best Hospitals for four consecutive years. RWJUH is the principal teaching hospital of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. </p>

<p>Also, University Medical Center at Princeton is a University Hospital Affiliate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School so they work together. It’s only about 20 minutes away.</p>

<p>I just remembered that my nephew was born at Princeton 3 years ago. He had issues @ 24 hours old that ended up having him transferred to CHOPS in Philly for unexpected & uncommon surgery & Princeton handled the whole situation really well.</p>

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<p>Very much appreciated, thank you.</p>

<p>My relative is being told that if he has to withdraw from classes (because he’s missed quite a few so far and will miss more due to this illness and at this point, probably can’t reasonably catch up), he can’t withdraw for a semester? He has to withdraw for the entire school year?</p>

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<p>Are incompletes a possibility if he works with the professors? I’m assuming that he or a family member are keeping individual professors, advisors & some type of Dean in the loop with this? I’d also add the head person of whatever sport he was recruited for.</p>

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<p>Sorry to hear about the health problem. The information is surprisingly hard to find on the Princeton web site. However, I did find this:</p>

<p>http:/…/Files/FeesAndExpenses/UndergraduatePaymentofFeesandExpensesBooklet2010_2011.pdf</p>

<p>This covers financial obligations of students who are withdrawing from the university during a term (presumably that is just a semester), under I.E. on page 6. The tuition charges depend on the number of weeks into the term, with (for example) a 50% refund during weeks 6 and 7, and the full amount charged at weeks 9 and after. Room and board also seem to be charged by the term. There is not a refund for the room, but there is a refund for board on a pro-rata basis. So it looks to me as though the regulations cover the possibility of withdrawing for a semester only. However, there might be some special considerations of the program or scholarships that affect the situation. For example, if the student is in engineering, the second-semester courses may preponderantly have first-semester courses as pre-requisites, without a “trailer” sequence. </p>

<p>Hope things will all work out!</p>

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<p>Generally, it seems as if missing two weeks of classes is a limit at many colleges. Practically speaking, the stress of catching up for that period of time is tough for anyone recovering from an acute illness (or anyone suffering a continuing chronic illness). I do know of kids who had mono for that long, who stayed in school.</p>

<p>Some colleges require application for readmission after withdrawing for medical reasons. It looks as if Princeton is one of these. I find this incredible, frankly.</p>

<p>We have been through this at another Ivy League school. The dean is very important, and the dean should be communicating with all professors and coaches. Sometimes things can be waived or postponed, but at our child’s school, incompletes are not offered (Brown has them, maybe Princeton does).</p>

<p>Generally, at our child’s college, the question of whether students can return the following semester or needs to wait a whole year, depends on the timing of the withdrawal. If it is later in the semester, then the students need to wait longer.</p>

<p>For a chronic health issue, anyway, there were a lot of hoops to go through to return (and in our child’s college, it is not a matter of reapplying, either: a spot is held, as is housing), including an interview by the head of health services, documentation from doctors, and letter to the dean.</p>

<p>Originally, upon withdrawal from the semester, our child received a letter saying she would have to work full-time in a non-family business, on a full-time basis, for 6 months in order to prove she could return, but we protested and they said it was a form letter that did not fit her situation. So your relatives should be ready to advocate and get them to adjust the policy to fit the situation.</p>

<p>Calling this a temporary disability, and talking with the disabilities office, might yield something helpful. Depends on the illness and recovery, I suppose.</p>

<p>The bottom line is the health of the student. If withdrawing is better for health, then that is the right course of action, no matter what. If worrying about catching up now, and the actual catching up later, is not good for health, then withdrawal is the best course of action.</p>

<p>The dean could advise, but it looks like there is still time to reapply for admission for the spring term.</p>

<p>Colleges need to be more flexible about these things, in my opinion. Sorry they are going through this.</p>

<p>We face this possibility just about every semester, honestly, due to chronicity of problems. For a short-term, acute problem, I would think Princeton would work with the student and family to get him or her back asap. Also, don’t forget, they care about their graduation stats!</p>

<p>p.s. this is a pain in the neck for full-year courses, and upsets the proper sequence of courses for a major…but it can work out, and depts. are often flexible about prerequisites when the student returns
p.s.s. hope the family bought tuition refund insurance</p>

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<p>princeton only allows you to withdraw for a full year, because they only have graduation in the spring. I would talk to the dean of the college that the student is in. They can be extremely helpful and know how much rules can be bent. </p>

<p>Depending on the classes that he is taking, it might be possible to work something out. I had a friend who was sick for ~4-5 weeks or so several semesters, but was able to make up the work and didn’t end up taking any time off. She did manage to go to some classes during that time, but was mainly living in mccosh health center. They tend to try to work pretty hard with you to make it work, in my experience.</p>

<p>edit: she was in the sciences too. If you are taking mainly humanities type classes it would probably be even easier to try to keep up with the work.</p>

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<p>Princeton has most midterms next week (some already this week) and then the week-long fall recess. If he could be back and recovered by the time classes resume on Nov. 8, maybe he could try and work something out to take his exams right away then—(with the Honor Code, they have to trust him for that). Otherwise, I would think they would be flexible in adapting to his situation. After all, JFK dropped out of Princeton as a first semester freshman due to a severe intestinal illness, he went on to restart at Harvard the following year. I doubt Princeton wants to discourage and lose good students to health issues if they can avoid it.</p>

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<p>Make-up exams should be available. This may be good timing actually.</p>

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<p>Working through the dean is a good plan … but as the student is a recruited athlete, the coach will probably be a big help as well in navigating the university policies.</p>

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<p>Thank you all. I, too, was incredulous when I read that you’d have to reapply after withdrawing for medical reasons. This young man worked so hard to get into Princeton … Falling ill wasn’t his fault at all! It seems ridiculous. Luckily the parents are on top of things. </p>

<p>Appreciate everyone’s concern. The best-laid plans and all …</p>

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<p>Pizzagirl, if your student is in a residential college, he should notify the Director of Studies ASAP. Depending on his condition, he may be able to negotiate a way to finish the semester; the fact that final exams are after Christmas at Princeton means that students have a good few weeks after the end of classes to catch up. Even if this isn’t possible, the Director of Studies will be able to sort through his options with him. Don’t delay, though, or those options may start to shut down.</p>

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<p>So sorry to hear this. Princeton REALLY holds the kids’ hands. My son had a friend who had a brain tumor, she is back. This should all be manageable if the Dean and the right people understand what’s going on. Not good, not easy, but manageable. And if kids who have to take off due to Honor Code infractions get to come back, which has happened, then sick kids certainly should be allowed to return.</p>

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<p>Thank you. I am pleased to report that my relative has had a turn for the better in his condition, and his parents have been all over the Dean and relevant people to ensure that they are all up to date.</p>

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<p>Dr. House works in Princeton, right? He could have the guy patched up and ready to go in just one small 45-minute episode.</p>