School in the 2020-2021 Academic Year & Coronavirus (Part 1)

UNC system has already announced online orientation. If they can’t offer in person orientation with the availability to spread students out how can they hope to have the school open in the fall a few weeks later?

BC announced a hybrid approach with on line orientation sessions throughout the summer and a plan for students to return to campus for in person orientation in August. Although that is the announced plan, it is my opinion they are keeping an optimistic approach to limit deferral requests.

Our HS held a zoom meeting with the admissions director of a top 30 university. He was pretty open throughout the discussion. Schools are scrambling (my word, not his) to figure out what to do. He shared that he had attended a meeting that day to discuss how quickly they should be going to their waitlist to hedge against the loss of international students and the huge revenue hole that leaves. For the class of 2021 - It was his opinion that we may see schools trying to lock kids in early and he would not be surprised to see more schools move toward the rolling early decision model that Wake Forest uses.

Would you really want to have spent all this time social distancing and then have your child sit in a room of 100 people for 4-5 hours?

I had one (intelligent) friend post that she’d be really mad if people didn’t wear masks to a festival she was planning to go to in June. Really? Don’t go. Problem solved.

I don’t see the mayors and governors throwing open the doors to big public gatherings. It will be more outdoor activities will reopen, work places, doctors and dentists.

@twoinanddone really great point. I know CB is considering online SATs. That’s a more realistic option. D21 hates that idea. She needs to annotate and also draw on the math drawings. It may end up being the only safe option though.

Layoffs have already started.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/04/10/colleges-announce-furloughs-and-layoffs-financial-challenges-mount

If a number of schools can not handle their freshmen class on campus, and just their freshmen class for student orientation , you have your answer, if they do not feel safe with a 1/4 of the students there, how will they feel safe a month later with all students there. Also It would be pretty hard for a state flagship to open if the state gov’t is preaching social distancing and that assume we get out of stay at home orders from the same governors.

Colleges are making decisions about summer now in early April. That’s two or two and a half months in advance. For an mid-August start, they can wait until mid-June to make a decision, maybe even a little later. I, for one, hope they can wait as long as possible to make that final decision.

We all have no idea what the landscape will be in mid-June. That’s eight weeks away. Everything is so day to day. I don’t know that, just because summer things are cancelled, it necessarily means fall on campus is not in the cards.

@roycroftmom , what “residential” European universities did you read that about? With the exception of some places in Britain, it is not really von a concept in Europe.

I tend to focus on Oxbridge?

Most of the SAT testing sites are high schools. Our schools are closed and they aren’t going to reopen them this year. All activities are cancelled. I don’t think there are plans for the year round schools to reopen (most start the school year July 1) at this time. I’m not sure about public schools that have summer school.

I really think the last thing they are thinking about is hosting SAT/ACT tests. They are trying to get their kids back to school.

@silverpurple ya that’s a problem. Or if one of the food service workers tests positive for Covid-19. That would be really bad if there’s thousands of students on campus.

BU not opening til Jan 2021 per this article https://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/04/11/bu-coronavirus-2021-possible-reopening

That’s one possible alternative. Some other schools also have that type of calendar on their list as possible alternatives.

@jym626 that is not what the BU article says. It says they are considering the Jan option.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/covid-19-recovery-plan/

shared the earlier post from another reader. This may clarify.

Are schools like BU (high international) trying to delay opening to make sure they get the full paying students they need…and maybe not totally out of concern for this virus, that may be gone or under control by then?

maybe the enrollment numbers are taking a hit, and they need to wait? just a thought. it may make sen$e for them to wait?

@jym626 that second article says the same thing. January is an option that BU is considering. No final decisions yet.

It doesn’t sound like BU is trying to “delay opening”. They are looking at all options and a Jan opening is one of them. You guys, please try to stick with the facts.

Yes, thats why I posted it. Explained that the other person who I shared from misspoke… But for them to even suggest this at this time is foreboding. No one wants to deal with a second shutdown.

I think maybe waiting until Jan is to avoid a late fall resurgence of the virus. It also gives more time for science to catch up and figure out how better to treat the virus.

I think our S19 would be ok with a Jan start versus online fall. There are considerations though. How does it affect any summer work or internships? There would be none I assume. Seems to me that a college won’t consider Jan start if a lot of other schools actually have online class for fall. I think it’s to avoid another online experience.

I would expect BU to be online for fall. I doubt they would shutdown in the fall.