Our kid’s Claremont College is on-line. Some students are looking for housing in the area, but most are enrolling on-line. LA County is a hotspot, there are risks for both students and the community if a number of students choose to live off campus in the area. Our kid just learned he can extend his paid summer internship in his field of interest through the fall, so he will likely take a leave of absence and wait and see what spring brings. He’s a rising sophomore, so he’s at a point where a leave of absence makes sense, in terms of giving him more future terms on campus and potential more future study abroad options.
@nepdx22 S19 took a leave of absence as well. Hopefully just one semester but no more than two. I’m really surprised that more sophomores aren’t taking a break.
Yeah, we’re waiting to see what Spring will bring. Many of his high school friends had leases already for off-campus housing in Eugene, Corvallis, Belingham, etc, so even though most West Coast schools are on-line, his high school friends are moving back to their college towns. His high school friends in school in California are either deferring and taking a gap year because they are freshmen or going back on-line as sophomores. Also, a lot of his friends who graduated high school with him in 2019 already took a gap year. A couple of his friends from college are taking a leave of absence. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
I predict the 5Cs will fill classes with transfer students and students off waitlists this year and it will be even harder to get in next year. And they will really encourage students to study abroad to make room for next year’s surge of returning and gap year students. I’m not overly worried about them.
I think the problem for many is figuring out what to do with a break that makes losing a semester /year worthwhile- at least for D19 it is. No really viable alternatives that she could find (TJs and barista didn’t work for that…) She knows there’s a lot of uncertainty, but she wants to get stuff done. She got her first choice option of dorm (and has a single), and has 3/5 classes in person, and while it’s all going to be “less than”, it’s still a lot more than the alternatives. If she had a great internship offer or something, her calculation would likely be different.
There is obviously a lot of discussion on the parents page about decisions. There’s nothing that’s optimal for anyone under these circumstances, and no decision is “right” or “wrong”. Every student has a different personality, different circumstances at home, different academic options etc. For some going back is right, for some it’s going back but staying off campus, for some it’s online from home, and for others it’s a year spent doing something different.
@SJ2727 oh I agree. Everyone needs to make their own decision of course. It also depends on each college’s plans. I do doubt, though, that any classes planned in person will remain that way.
Just FYI, there are quite a few fall internships. Handshake is full of them. I know it’s complicated though. One of S19’s biggest concerns was being a semester behind his friends. Then two of his good friends decided to defer. And he found out that he would be allowed to walk at graduation in May 2023 if he just took one semester off. Then he can finish in the fall. That was also part of the calculation.
I don’t see spring being any better but I hope I’m wrong. If classes are remote again, he will have to evaluate once again. Not looking forward to that!
Also, if it’s a semester break, there are some students who would face issues with scholarships, or with course sequencing.
F’rex, if my D19 took fall semester off, she’d miss her opportunity to take the course that is the prereq to two courses she needs to take spring semester that let her take any of the advanced courses in her major (many of which are required for graduation) junior and senior years.
So as long as her university is offering that one course this fall, which means they’re vanishingly unlikely to offer it in the following spring, there’s no possibility of a one-semester leave of absence—and a one-year leave of absence with nothing really to do doesn’t seem a good idea.
^^ Might be a good idea to check with the college on eligibility for things like fall internships if considering a leave. Different schools might have different rules.
??
At least for S19, all internships through Handshake (even the Bowdoin preferred ones) are available for kids taking a leave. No full time student would even have time for them.
Maybe if you’re at a place like Northeastern that has co-ops then you couldn’t take a leave and do an internship through the university.
I get the sequencing thing but I guess S19 just lucked out. It does seem like engineering would be impossible to take just one semester off.
There is one class he really wanted to take this fall and it’s only offered every two years so he’ll have to wait until senior year. It would have been remote so it wouldn’t have been the same. It’s an astrophysics class and, with no in-person lab, it wouldn’t be great this fall anyway. He really has no issue with sequencing since he’s taken all prerequisites for both the math and physics majors already and now it’s just about electives in the majors.
Also, in S19’s case, sophomores weren’t even invited to be on campus for fall. And now I hear other schools changing their tune on inviting sophs too. He has a high school friend who goes to Georgetown and he just found out he’s not going back and class is all remote so he decided to defer just a couple of days ago. Same for a friend at Duke. Thought he was going back and Duke changed the plan so now he will be deferring as well.
Crazy times. I can’t wait to hear how fall goes at everyone’s schools!
^ @homerdog - that’s great that Bowdoin makes internship opportunities available for kids taking leave. Not all schools may offer that. Which is why it’s a good idea for those who are reading this site and considering a leave to see what they have access to during their leave. Just as internship programs will vary by school, so will the rules.
What Duke actually cut back was the number living in the res halls. If you live off campus you can still enroll in in-person classes and use the facilities. That’s quite different from several other Ivy+ universities that have barred those not invited to campus from access to campus facilities and classrooms even should they live nearby. Now, Duke tends to house a large majority of undergraduates on campus anyway, so perhaps those deferring are doing so due to a lack of college social life or “full college experience” - or maybe it’s just hard to find off-campus housing at this late date (Duke only changed its policy very recently). Nevertheless, those who were planning to live off campus anyway, or who can manage to get housing off-campus before school starts, shouldn’t have their academic progress stymied by the recent alteration.
Something like 90 percent of the kids live on campus at Duke. The boys we know are sophomores and were given housing but it was taken away last week. There’s no way to find an apartment now and they would only need it for first semester since they will supposedly be able to live on campus in the spring. Plus, all of these two boys’ classes were moved online.
As for Bowdoin and internships, the kids taking a leave aren’t taking fall internships away from enrolled students. I don’t see why a college wouldn’t give access to fall internships to their students on leave. It doesn’t affect those taking class. Once school starts, S19 will still have access to Handshake so that he can see summer 2020 internships and research opportunities. Those apps tend to open during first semester. That would be awful if the college said the kids couldn’t have access and it affected next summer. He was told that he only gets one phone call to the career center before school starts and no access to the counselors during the fall. He made a long list of questions and spoke to someone and she was super helpful. Offered to talk to him again before kids come to campus if he has any more questions. I think he got what he needed and has a plan for how to look for summer options now.
^ Duke says 85% so yeah, it’s a lot of kids who live on campus. My husband lived off-campus at Duke with no difficulty and said that the same ratios held back in his day so he was the exception. This virus creates an environment in which it’s better to be a bit more free-spirited, perhaps.
Even at those schools welcoming everyone back and offering in-person options, the large majority of courses will probably be taught remote this fall if not this entire academic year. For fall, I’m seeing 70/30 or 80/20 remote vs. in-person or hybrid at this point in the few universities I’ve looked at (our large state flagship and a few private uni’s). UChicago is about 80/20 overall with variation across course level, specialty, etc. My kids will likely get 3/4’s of their courses online even though both will be in Hyde Park this fall and are welcomed on campus (my daughter will continue to live in her off-campus apartment and my son will be back in the res hall). If the city of Chicago reverts back to Phase 3, I suppose it’s possible that 100% of their courses will be remote.
Internship programs and other employment opportunities will vary by school and, of course, will involve several components: availability, status (part vs. full time), course credit, length (how many hours), and funding are just the main ones. Degree of choice is very likely to correlate with proximity to a large urban area; however, this year has seen an increase in remote options as well. I’ve noticed that some career offices and employers have gotten pretty creative there. In any case, it’s actually a great time to think outside the box regardless of whether you are on-campus or off, because the lack of normal “college” activities (sports, clubs, music ensembles, etc.) might allow for extra time to pick up, say, a remote part-time internship somewhere w/o having to compromise the progress to degree. That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure all those same opportunities are available should one opt for a leave of absence. Here are a couple of examples:
Harvard College:
“Some employers may require that students receive course credit to be eligible for the internship they offer. Harvard College does not offer course credit for internships. As an alternative, students may work with their academic adviser during the following fall term to propose a course of independent study that will incorporate their previous summer internship experience into an academic program. Any sophomore, junior, or senior in Harvard College who participates in a summer internship and whose previous academic record is satisfactory may be eligible to work with a faculty adviser to undertake an independent study for course credit during the next term in which they are enrolled in the College. Unfortunately the College is not able to provide letters about future independent study credit for students on leave during the Fall or Spring term. Students wishing to earn credit for a term-time internship may be able to enroll in a for-credit internship course at a community college or state university.”
The College at UChicago:
“Student Employment at UChicago provides students with meaningful opportunities to advance their academic and professional goals. Student Employment offers a wide variety of on-campus jobs, internships and research positions as well as several opportunities with local off-campus organizations . . . Undergraduates on a leave of absence, in general, are not eligible for employment positions that are only open to students. All students on leave of absence, regardless of the reason for their leave, are not eligible for Federal Work Study positions.”
Note that most universities probably make career services generally available to those on leave; however, employers might have their own requirements (that you be full time enrolled, etc.). It’s really good to check with your undergraduate dean or relevant administrator to understand what restrictions might apply if you take a leave. Many might be very surprised to find out that a “leave of absence” this fall won’t be treated any differently from any other year, even if the reasons seem unique.
If you are lucky enough to receive internal grant funding for an unpaid internship or have a program at your school that automatically funds certain internships, then it’s prudent to understand what the rules are for receiving those funds. For example, Metcalf internships at UChicago are “available to all current undergraduate students in the College.” Well, what does that mean exactly? Does that include someone taking a leave from the College?
A word about Work Study: many of those positions are actually excellent professional training, in our experience, akin to an internship. My daughter, for instance, worked for a non-profit with connections to her university while attending school as a 2nd and 3rd year, and she really enjoyed the experience and professional development. That position was only available to those receiving Federal Work Study. And Federal Work Study is off limits to those taking a leave of absence since it qualifies as financial aid.
Anyway, it’s not just a matter of “why a college wouldn’t give access to fall internships to students on leave.” They might - or they might not. Best to check.
^Even for those not taking a leave, Vassar said that those students studying remotely would not be eligible for work study funds unless they are living somewhere in New York. This is different from the spring when many schools scrambled to continue paying students after they were sent home. The rules have changed for fall, maybe not at all colleges.
S19 still planning on heading back to school in the Fall. He doesn’t want to miss out and he and his roommate think they can be safe.
I’m more convinced that many people in our area have already been exposed to it and survived. I know it’s not a hoax. My dad recently had it, and he had nothing but mild symptoms. I know several people in town that have had it and they’ve been OK. No weird repercussions. S19 is fortunate that he is young and healthy, no meds, no issues. I feel pretty confident that he would do OK if he contracted the virus, but it’s no guarantee. But there’s no guarantee you aren’t going to get hit by the bus crossing the street, or getting some other kind of illness. His school has a good plan in place so we feel comfortable sending him back. He’s a short car ride away, so no need for quarantine and we can get to him if he’s sick.
He has enjoyed his time home since March, but he really wants to get back to something like normal. It will be weird and stressful but I think they’ll get thru it and come Spring semester things might be a bit more normal.
Not this year. Only Freshman and Sophomore guaranteed 1st semester housing on campus. While they haven’t specially said it, looks like all residential students will have to move out by Thanksgiving. For spring, Juniors and Seniors will have on-campus housing priority. I’m pretty sure 90%+ of the classes will be remote anyways and limited access to buildings and facilities. This was the last straw for my gap D21 for not attending this year and will instead take a gap year.
^@socaldad2002 - that’s disappointing. At least prior to the new residential plan, it appeared that Duke was doing a better job of offering in-person courses than was UChicago. I wonder if that’ll change now. Chronicle reports that many juniors and seniors have been scrambling to look for and secure off-campus housing, but others are staying at home and/or considering a gap year. Can’t imagine what it must be like trying to nail down your housing in just three weeks!
There was some criticism that Duke should have been able to make this decision a lot earlier - not sure that’s fair. However, I am surprised that they hadn’t been planning to de-densify their res halls by that 30% factor already, given the number of top infectious disease and epidemiology resources they have access to.
D19’s college has acquired hotel space in the area (will be entire hotels for student use only) to continue to offer guaranteed housing while reducing dorm density. All courses will be offered online too to those who want. I don’t see what more they could do, but of course… there are still complaints. People find the oddest things to complain about too (example those who choose off campus housing then complain the college hasn’t given them on campus accommodation for quarantine before school starts… Huh? )
Seeing this sentiment expressed about a number of colleges, usually by those who seem to think everyone had perfect foresight a month or two ago.
Well, to be honest, the writing was on the wall. Still is. Bowdoin announced all remote classes on June 22. Freshmen on campus for fall and, hopefully, more kids on campus for spring. They weren’t the only ones who called it early.
I want places like Duke to make it work and be successful. That would be a good sign for everyone. But we see high schools with kids testing positive on the first day. And frat parties at big unis that caused big break outs in Colorado and in South Carolina. I don’t see this going well. That being said, I do agree that most cases will be mild but that won’t stop colleges from moving to all remote class and closing any buildings that start as open. A case is a case and it could cause someone else to get really, really sick.
Another UofSC town hall last night. Plan is still to have students return starting next week. Per normal, about 20% will be in on-campus housing (S19 included, in an apartment), rest off campus. Some classes virtual, some hybrid. Masks and spacing at all indoor venues, strict limits on size of gatherings.
“The Plan” has been tested this summer with returning athletes and nursing/med students. Over the summer, about 7-10 positives per day. Most cases have been attributed to bars, restaurants, and apartment parties, but a couple to study groups that decided masks weren’t necessary. Also, in pre-arrival testing, a positive rate of 1.5 to 5%. Requiring pre-arrival tests for those living on campus, but legally not allowed to require for those living off campus - just strongly requesting. Will be monitoring various wastewater streams to get a sense of community infection.
The quarantine/isolation dorm can accommodate 280. Seems like with the summer numbers, that could fill quickly.
^ Yeah, it’ll fill with those numbers: 27,000 UG * .2 in dorms * .05 positivity rate = 270.
I could be wrong but I think Bowdoin has 100 quarantine rooms for 550 kids on campus. These larger universities are maybe hoping the on-campus kids are less likely to catch the virus and they are definitely planning off campus kids to quarantine off campus. But @JBStillFlying I agree. USCar is going to fill up those beds pretty fast if they truly track and find kids with the virus. Maybe that’s the other part? With so little testing, they won’t even find the kids. Many will have mild symptoms or be asymptomatic so won’t volunteer for a test.