Update on how the Coronavirus is impacting college campuses
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies
It does seem to get scarier every day. More cases, more deaths and the biggest danger, continued community spread. This has prompted the government, hospitals, companies, organizations as well as colleges across the US to create contingency plans and keep their own audiences informed about what they’re doing.
In the cases of colleges and universities, many institutions are cancelling live classes and taking instruction online, asking students to stay put in their dorm rooms. Some schools including Berea College in Kentucky have sent their students home for the remainder of the semester.
In addition to thinking about their current students, colleges and specifically their admissions offices, need to be thinking about their prospective students – high school students. Many of these seniors who have already been accepted, were excited to visit over Admitted Student Weekends to help them make a final decision. Equally important are the juniors who are finalizing their college lists and are planning spring break trips to visit multiple schools. Nothing will be “same old, same old” this spring, there is a new normal due to the concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Programming Changes at Colleges and Universities
In response to coronavirus concerns, many colleges and universities across the US have announced cancellations or modifications to regular admissions events. Every school will determine its own protocol and so it’s important to check with each school you’re considering visiting to learn how you’re likely to be impacted by closures and cancellations.
Two industry powerhouses: College Kickstart (www.collegekickstart.com) and IvyWise (www.ivywise.com) have researched and compiled lists that will help you determine your future plans. Please make certain to check each college’s website for updated details:
College Kickstart LLC
| Institution | Campus Visit Status (as of 3/10/20) | |
|---|---|---|
| American University | Available except for campus tours between 3/18-4/6 | |
| Amherst College | Canceled until at least 5/1 | |
| Barnard College | Canceled until end of March | |
| Bates College | Available | |
| Boston College | Available; visitors arriving from CDC Level 2 and 3 countries must self-quarantine for at least 14 days prior to arrival | |
| Boston University | Available | |
| Bowdoin College | Available | |
| Brandeis University | Available | |
| Brown University | Canceled effective 3/11 and at least until mid-April | |
| Bryn Mawr College | Available | |
| Bucknell University | Available | |
| Caltech | As of 3/6, all on-campus visit programs canceled | |
| Carleton College | Available | |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Available; visitors to countries under a Level 3 CDC travel warning within the last 14 days must self-isolate before arriving on campus | |
| Case Western Reserve University | Available | |
| Claremont McKenna College | No overnight stays, campus tours and info sessions suspended from 3/16-4/17 | |
| Colby College | Available | |
| Colgate University | Available | |
| College of William & Mary | Available | |
| Colorado College | Available | |
| Columbia University | Canceled until further notice | |
| Connecticut College | Available with exception of individuals returning from countries designated as CDC Warning Level 3 | |
| Cornell University | Canceled until 4/15 | |
| Dartmouth College | Canceled through 4/18 | |
| Davidson College | Available | |
| Duke University | As of 3/3 registration capped for all information sessions and campus tours through May | |
| Emory Universtiy | Available; visitors from a CDC Level 3 country in the past 14 days may not attend | |
| Franklin & Marshall College | Available | |
| George Washington University | Available | |
| Georgetown University | Available | |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Available | |
| Grinnell College | Canceled through May | |
| Hamilton College | Available | |
| Harvard University | Effective 3/10, all public and private tours canceled until further notice | |
| Harvey Mudd College | Canceled for remainder of semester | |
| Haverford College | Available | |
| Johns Hopkins University | Available | |
| Kenyon College | Canceled through 4/4 | |
| Lafayette College | Available; visitors how have traveled to a CDC Level 3 country should reschedule | |
| Lehigh University | Available; visitors who have been to any country the CDC has identified as Alert Level 2 (e.g. Japan) or Warning Level 3 (e.g. China, Iran, Italy, South Korea) must be symptom-free for at least 14 days before visiting campus | |
| Macalester College | Available | |
| Middlebury College | Canceled until further notice | |
| MIT | Canceled through 5/15 | |
| Mount Holyoke College | Available but “limited” | |
| NYU | Canceled 3/11 through 5/1 | |
| Northeastern University | Available; visitors from CDC Level 3 country must self-quarantine away from campus for 14 days prior to visit | |
| Northwestern University | Canceled through 5/1 | |
| Oberlin College | Available | |
| Occidental College | Available | |
| Pitzer College | Available | |
| Pomona College | Beginning 3/10, all canceled until 4/30 with exception of info sessions scheduled 3/10-13 | |
| Princeton University | Canceled | |
| Rice University | Canceled until 4/30 | |
| Santa Clara University | Available | |
| Scripps College | Effective 3/11, all visits canceled indefinitely | |
| Smith College | Currently available but under review; visitors who have traveled to CDC Alert Level 3 countries not permitted on campus unless sympton-free for at least 14 days | |
| Stanford University | Canceled at least through 4/15 | |
| Swarthmore College | Available | |
| Trinity College | Available except for visitors who have been in a CDC Warning Level 3 area within the past 14 days or who have been in a U.S. location in the past 14 days where a state of emergency or public health emergency has been declared | |
| Tufts University | Available | |
| Tulane University | Available | |
| UC Berkeley | Campus tours available, admission presentations appear highly limited through 4/16 | |
| UCLA | Available | |
| University of Michigan | Available | |
| University of Notre Dame | Available | |
| University of Pennsylvania | Effective 3/16, all campus visit programming canceled through end of spring semester | |
| University of Richmond | Available; visitors who have been in China, Iran, Italy, South Korea or other country on the CDC Level 3 travel advisory list to schedule a visit date at least 14 days after leaving that country | |
| University of Southern California | Available | |
| UT Austin | Available | |
| Vanderbilt University | Canceled through 5/10 | |
| Vassar College | Available | |
| Villanova University | Available but residence hall room shows discontinued | |
| Washington University in St. Louis | Available for all except visitors from locations with elevated risk (Mainland China, Iran, Italy, South Korea) | |
| Wellesley College | Available; visitors from CDC Level 3 country must self-quarantine away from campus for 14 days prior to visit | |
| Wesleyan University | Campus tours and information sessions not available for visitors from declared emergency areas (currently CA, FL, KY, MD, NY, OR, UT, WA and outside the US) | |
| Williams College | Canceled through 4/30 | |
| Yale University | Canceled through 4/15 |
IvyWise has updated their own list (as of Monday March 9th) of some of the admission event cancellations and updates.
- Amherst College: Suspending most public on-campus events until at least May 1. As a result, they will not be holding any on-campus tours or information sessions until further notice.
- Brown University: All “A Day on College Hill” admission events for April are canceled.
- California Institute of Technology: Caltech cancels campus events including all campus-visiting programs indefinitely.
- Columbia University: All spring admissions events canceled including admitted students weekend, information sessions, and campus tours.
- Cornell University: Visitors who have been in an affected country within the past 14 days are not allowed to visit campus.
- Dartmouth College: As of March 4, 2020, all visitors traveling from or transiting through countries with a CDC Travel Health Notice of Level 2 or 3 will need to self-quarantine for 14 days before arriving to campus.
- Emory University: If you have been in a Level 3 travel country in the last 14 days, they are asking you not to attend your campus visit, including the Atlanta campus and Oxford campus.
- Georgetown University: Suspended ALL university-sponsored or related non-essential international travel through May 15, 2020
- Harvard University: Admitted students weekend canceled – will hold virtual events instead
- Harvey Mudd College: All campus events are currently proceeding as scheduled.
- MIT: Campus Preview Weekend canceled as well as all information sessions and tours between now and May 15
- Northwestern University: All visitors to campus (non-employee, non-student) for short- or long-term periods who meet the CDC criteria are expected to follow the same 14-day self-isolation requirement.
- Pomona College: Pomona College has cancelled tours and info sessions, as well as Admitted Students Weekend. They will reassess in April, but, as of now, admissions is closed to visitors until April 30.
- Princeton University: Campus tours and information sessions are canceled beginning Tuesday, March 10 until further notice.
- Stanford University: All on-campus tours and information sessions, including admitted students weekend, for prospective students will be canceled through April 15.
- Tufts University: Undergraduate admissions information sessions and campus tours are proceeding as scheduled.
- University of Chicago: The university has temporarily closed its Center in Beijing and Yuen Campus in Hong Kong, and strongly discourages travel to any country with a CDC travel health notice of Level 3.
- University of Michigan: At this time, there is no university recommendation to cancel upcoming large gatherings.
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill: The University is closely monitoring the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. At this time, they are operating on a normal schedule.
- University of Pennsylvania: Quakers Day events canceled – will hold virtual events instead
- Washington University in St Louis: All regularly scheduled daily visit events and on- and off-campus events are proceeding as scheduled.
- Williams College: Williams remains open to the public, but is closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
- Yale University: All tours, information sessions, and forums at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions have been canceled through April 15 in response to the COVID 19 outbreak.
Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte. Send questions to: lee@collegeadmissionsstrategies.com; www.collegeadmissionsstrategies.com