Which colleges are open and doing well with COVID? Why are they succeeding?

[Anonymous]

Norwich University in Vermont. Military discipline = zero active cases. Norwich is relaxing some of the requirements on campus.

[Anonymous]

My kid’s a freshman at one of these SLACs. He’s really loves it. He’s super introverted. His school has all singles this year, which he loves. And all but one class is at least partially in person. A couple,e plus labs fully in person. He’s made a couple of friends from his orientation group. The eat outside in big circles of up to 10, and playing music outdoors and playing socially distant games in the stadium. He’s also enjoying checking out the town. Direct Qote: I love it here and am praying we don’t end up having to leave early.

Several things going on. We really talked to him about managing expectations and whether he should do a gap year. So, he went in with the mindset that anything with more freedom than living in his old bedroom and learning in the back is a win. Second, he’s quiet and an introvert. Even if frat parties were safe, he’d be avoiding them. In fact, he sought out colleges that didn’t have frats.

And third, his college has done a great job with their COVOD planning. He knew kids before he arrived, was hooked up with older students, etc.

0 cases on surveillance testing this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tufts has undergraduates on campus, testing twice a week (both on-campus and off-campus students), lots of restrictions (masks everywhere except dorm room, no dining hall right now, gym needs reservations, etc), combination of online and in-person classes. Has isolation dorms for anyone testing positive.

So far they are doing well. Keeping my fingers crossed that this keeps up so my DC can stay for the whole semester.

Isn’t tufts using a sort of pod system where students are in assigned groups?

Yes, students are in what they are calling residential cohort groups. The theory being that contact tracing will be easier in case a student tests positive. The returning students had to identify their groups and the housing was re-done to have them closer to each other. I'm not sure how the new students were grouped, but I imagine the school did it in some way. So far, it's going well with the students following the rules for the most part. As time goes we'll see if they continue, but I do hope it goes well so the kids can stay on campus.

[Anonymous]

Mary Baldwin in Staunton has 1 case so far. It's a smaller college and has been really reaching out to the students to stay safe. Plus there is no greek system.

[Anonymous]

Beloit, a small liberal arts college in Wisconsin, is open. They have taken a lot of measures and planning to be open including changing the schedule for module so kids have fewer classes at a time and they seem to be doing it in a well thought out way

[Anonymous]

Mary Washington going well so far. They provided choices of online, hybrid or in person classes. Delayed opening by 3 weeks and started online. Move-in was staggered over 4 days. Random testing at move-in then surveillance testing 2x a week. Strict rules at school, which the president said, is not known for being a party school. My freshman is doing well so far. Has 2 in-person, 1 hybrid and 1 online class. Dashboard shows no positives found on tests so far. Isolation and Quarantine rooms are empty.

[Anonymous]

DC #1 is off campus in College Park. Having a blast living in an apartment with friends for the first time. Wishes more classes were in person but happy with in person lab. Finding outdoor activities to do in small groups (this is what DC likes anyways).

DC #2 is a freshman. Went in understanding exactly what things would look like. Also having a blast getting to know new kids. While it is harder, the kids seem kinder to one another and just so very happy to be out of their parents house. I believe they all feel part of something historic as well. DC #2 is most worried about getting out in isolation or quarantine.

I would not send a kid to in person college with a health problem or a mental health issue. This is anxiety inducing.

[Anonymous]

Most of the NESCAC schools are doing well. This professor is tracking all of them. My kid is at a NESCAC. Testing on entry, again three days later and then twice weekly. They are doing very well but just announced that they do not plan to lift any restrictions right now. The colder weather is coming and students will be indoors more. Not the time to lift restrictions.

https://twitter.com/prof_ajkennedy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the colleges in Amherst MA area

Not Smith. Such a disappointment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s a freshman at one of these SLACs. He’s really loves it. He’s super introverted. His school has all singles this year, which he loves. And all but one class is at least partially in person. A couple,e plus labs fully in person. He’s made a couple of friends from his orientation group. The eat outside in big circles of up to 10, and playing music outdoors and playing socially distant games in the stadium. He’s also enjoying checking out the town. Direct Qote: I love it here and am praying we don’t end up having to leave early.

Several things going on. We really talked to him about managing expectations and whether he should do a gap year. So, he went in with the mindset that anything with more freedom than living in his old bedroom and learning in the back is a win. Second, he’s quiet and an introvert. Even if frat parties were safe, he’d be avoiding them. In fact, he sought out colleges that didn’t have frats.

And third, his college has done a great job with their COVOD planning. He knew kids before he arrived, was hooked up with older students, etc.

0 cases on surveillance testing this week.

Great! Can I ask which school, not b/c of covid, but I have an introvert and looking fir good fit schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the colleges in Amherst MA area

Not Smith. Such a disappointment.

Smith parent. Agree,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U of Alabama and U South Carolina

They are on the if you can’t see it, it must not exist philosophy.

LOL.

Easy to laugh but some of the southern schools appear to have spiked and are dropping. Too soon to tell but it’s worth watching to see if they are our version of Sweden

Doubt there have been enough cases yet for herd immunity ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lehigh has only freshmen and a few exceptions on campus right now, but a month in with about 2500 students on campus, they have had zero cases on campus.

Yeah, but they have a lot of unhappy students living in single rooms - no roommate, no social life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC #1 is off campus in College Park. Having a blast living in an apartment with friends for the first time. Wishes more classes were in person but happy with in person lab. Finding outdoor activities to do in small groups (this is what DC likes anyways).

DC #2 is a freshman. Went in understanding exactly what things would look like. Also having a blast getting to know new kids. While it is harder, the kids seem kinder to one another and just so very happy to be out of their parents house. I believe they all feel part of something historic as well. DC #2 is most worried about getting out in isolation or quarantine.

I would not send a kid to in person college with a health problem or a mental health issue. This is anxiety inducing.

I have two friends with kids at College Park. Both have COVID. It sounds like a mess. One is supposedly just isolating in his dorm room with the assumption all the kids in the dorm will get it. How can this be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lehigh has only freshmen and a few exceptions on campus right now, but a month in with about 2500 students on campus, they have had zero cases on campus.

Yeah, but they have a lot of unhappy students living in single rooms - no roommate, no social life.

Do you have a freshmen there? Mine is having a blast and has made a great group of friends. Just because you are in a single room doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of students around to hang out with. They are having fun exploring the town, eating out, and other than the single rooms,masks, and distancing signs everywhere, it’s not that strange after all.