My D21 is interested. Anyone have a student there currently or visited this year? Would like to know how they are handling COVID. Also would just love some general impressions as we have not visited.
My son is a freshman at Sewanee. In my opinion they are doing everything right in regards to keeping the college open for in person classes and keeping the campus Covid free.
Move in in Aug was staggered and every student was required to be Covid tested upon arrival. Students testing positive were sent home for 14 days. Students are now saliva tested weekly for Covid. Students testing positive are sent home or quarantined on campus for 14 days. Masks are required at all times except when in your own room. No visiting other dorms. Students are not allowed to leave campus for any reason, not even to go to the McDonald’s in the neighboring town. Absolutely no visitors on campus including parents. Their mantra is “protect the bubble”! 3/4 of my son’s classes are virtual or hybrid and many classes meet outside in large tents.
Despite the restrictions my son is absolutely loving Sewanee. It’s a perfect fit for him. He and his suite mates are keeping busy camping, socializing outdoors (in masks and 6 feet apart), mountain biking and hiking. Professors who are teaching virtually have really tried to think outside the box to make online/zoom learning as interesting as possible. Student Activities brings in food trucks multiple times a week, they are doing spin classes outdoors, yoga under the stars on the football field, the theater classes are performing plays in the park.
The campus is closed to all visitors except prospective students who are high school seniors. I highly recommend a visit to see if Sewanee would be a good fit. It’s one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve ever been to (think Hogwarts) but if your student enjoys city life it’s not for them! The College is the town. Want to go dancing at a club, forget it there are about 3 restaurants in Sewanee. Shopping at the mall or even target/Walmart, nope. In normal times students can get to Nashville or Chattanooga in an hour or so. Until things return to normal it’s nothing but fraternity parties under the stars and all the nature you could ask for!
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Thank you for your reply! It sounds perfect for my D21! Now I know why she is super interested. We are
planning a visit. Can I ask what other schools your S20 considered? She has recently switched gears in her search and is more interested in LAC’s.
He applied to Rhodes and UT Knoxville. My husband went to Rhodes and I went to Dickinson College so we were very supportive of him considering LACs. We had a great visit/tour at Sewanee and a lukewarm tour at Rhodes. He liked the outdoor setting of Sewanee more than Memphis. I loved my time at Dickinson but he wouldn’t consider it. All three schools are very similar academically but with very different settings - big city vs small, north vs south.
Thanks! My D21 also did not like Rhodes at all- saw virtual. I also went to an LAC, not on her list ever either?, and was glad she switched gears to consider LAC’s. We are headed for a visit and will see! Thanks for your input.
The vice chancellor came from GW and he is a gem. if you read about Reuben Brigety you will see why. It was a big loss for GW and big gain for Sewanee
I am a current student at Sewanee, and let me just say it is VERY locked down. We cannot even leave to go get necessities from Walmart without the risk of being suspended.
Half of each student’s classes are being held in tents outside (with minimal technology) and half of them are online over Zoom. I am not very impressed with the quality of the classes and some of my professors do not seem to be putting in very much effort. Also, just the lack of technology, in general, is astounding for classes that have both remote and in-person students. I have complained to the school multiple times about this and they have done nothing. I was quarantined for 2 weeks because my roommate tested positive for covid, so I was forced to attend all my classes online. I could barely hear my professors or see the board because the only technology available to them was their laptops and the microphones on them.
We do have a make mandate on campus and we are required to get tested for Covid once a week. The problem for me is my fellow peers here have literally bullied people off the campus and turned them into administration for forgetting their masks.
To be honest, there is almost nothing to do unless you are into partying, drinking, and drugs. The school decided to enforce their zero-tolerance drug policy earlier this semester and the backlash from parents and students was astounding. The administration is so spineless that they go back on their promises as soon as the parents and alumni threaten to stop donating to the school over students being arrested and suspended for drug use.
I am not having the best time here and I will probably be transferring in the spring.
Don’t even get me started on how much I am paying for the quality of housing here…
Thanks @constellationed for the info. Can I ask what year are you? Where else did you consider and where might you transfer?
I am a freshman… it definitely does limit my scope because the only Sewanee I know is the Sewanee during Covid… which I am not a fan of… but many of the reasons I want to transfer are issues aside from Covid.
As a high school senior, I considered the Milwaukee School of Engineering and Tennessee State. I am now looking to transfer to Liberty University in Virginia. This is mainly due to the reason that I expected Sewanee to be a more Christian campus because it is technically an Episcopalian school, but boy I was wrong. Students do not really attend Sewanee for religious reasons. I do not think there is anything wrong with attending a non-Christian school, but for me, it is something I want to consider.
If you have any other questions, let me know!
Thank you for your response! It sounds like you are looking for a more conservative environment. Not sure what your major if but may I also suggest you look at Hillsdale in Michigan. My D 21 is looking at it for the unique environmental science program on the domain. She is aware of the social aspects there and is comfortable.
Good luck in your transfer search- COVID has definite made everything more complex.
I know the environmental science program at Sewanee is top-notch! Unfortunately, I signed up for a lot of the forestry and environmental classes and they did not give them to me, so I cannot account for it myself. 
I actually have a friend at Hillsdale and they love it. Personally, it is too far up North for me. I’m from the midwest so I wanted to escape the winters at college haha.
Wishing you guys the best college decision process! I know it can be very stressful.