Stanley2020, we are in similar positions. My son is an incoming freshman and has been assigned to live in West Quad. We are also from NJ and have decided to send our son to Ann Arbor. In addition, we know about 9 other incoming freshmen from out-of-state, and every one of them will be living on campus in Ann Arbor this fall. Not one has decided to either take classes from home or take a gap year.
While it makes me slightly ill to think about how much money I am paying for my son to take all of his classes online, there is a lot more to the college experience than classes. He will never have another chance to experience what it is like to be in a freshman dorm with all of his other incoming classmates. It is likely that at least some of the students he meets in the dorm will be become his friends for the remainder of his tenure at UM. In fact, two of the guys I met in the dorm during my first week of college are still my close friends 30+ years later.
Granted, life in a freshman dorm is going to be far from normal this year. It is inevitable that things will be much more restricted and possibly less fun. But despite that, I still think my son will grow far more as a person by living in the dorm than he ever would living at home. He was ready for college 9 months ago. It is time for him to start spreading his wings and begin to feel what it is like to be independent. To keep him home would only delay his growth and frustrate him thinking about what he is missing in Ann Arbor.
Everyone has to make the decision that is best for their child and their family. But, for us, the decision is clear.