I have always wondered about this rationale too. Aren’t kids typically going abroad during both semesters?
Reading a story with direct quotations from January admits, such as that posted above, seems to represent a form of “[listening] to the kids who have done this.”
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Yes but it’s manicured.
That’s the point.
It might be great - but I’d want independent feedback. Not school advertising.
Not sure why it wouldn’t make sense - other bed-constrained schools do this. Northeastern perhaps most famously. Middlebury. Others too.
Dartmouth does it too in a way. There’s no ‘delayed start’ option but a big part of the original rationale for the so-called D plan, including mandatory sophomore summer enrollment, was to get kids off campus during the fall/winter/spring trimesters in order to increase bed availability.
Now, you can argue that schools shouldn’t accept more kids than they have beds for, but there are tons of schools that don’t guarantee on-campus housing even if they haven’t yet resorted to sending kids elsewhere to partially address this.
These schools are businesses. These plans allow them to accept more kids. By accepting more kids they are increasing revenues.
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My dd was not jan but has a good friend from her orientation trip who was in London first semester and just started a few weeks ago. She had a fantastic time in London, and made some great friends and is now blending in seamlessly. She’s very happy.
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My daughter was a Fall 2022 Jan in the Arcadia program and wrote the recent article for the school highlighting the experiences of the Fall 2023 Jans. She was also an orientation leader for the Fall 2023 Jans. I understand the concern and hesitation about a non-traditional start to college, but as a parent I will say that it was the most wonderful experience for her. While the Arcadia classes are not as rigorous as Hamilton, she learned so much more than she ever would have on campus. She developed independence, a self-reliant spirit, and confidence. There were definitely challenges - homesickness, the tube, cooking for herself, etc. Her friend group from London is still tight-knit - they have that shared experience of being on their own together for the first time, and travel adventures exploring London and other countries. Since her return to campus, she’s easily made other friends and gotten involved in activities. London gave her a tremendous once in a lifetime experience that really helped her grow - I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m sure she would be happy to speak to any student considering the program.
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What did your dd decide re Ed 2?