Covid and Fall Enrollment at BS

Prep School Admissions Prep School Parents
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@CateCAParent Well, I really feel for you a lot having lived through this in MA. In MA, an early case of an international business meeting spread Covid in the Boston area and in a specific county where many of the Biotech folks lived. It then spread from there. If you were within driving distance, it was spreading and beyond normal commuting distance, it really wasn’t. It came in a couple of waves, so first the area near Boston then over the course of several weeks, out from the center.

It could be the prison you mentioned or a specific company with a superspreader. Once the cases get pretty bad, it’s hard to control. I am happy you live in an area with people who wear masks. It took a while here for people to consent and SIP. Even then, there were many who frequently went to home depot, target and the supermarkets. I think it would have helped a lot if those places had been closed and open only to curbside pickup.

Now that it’s Summer people are starting to wear masks less (sigh). I noticed it today at an outdoor shopping area. About 20% were without masks.

Best of luck to CA. I really hope they can get it under control before school starts in the Fall.

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Regarding teaching in the classroom while online - my kid’s math and science teachers actually did this in the spring. They went into the classroom, set their cameras facing them and the board, and taught the traditional way. It worked really well and those were some of the most successful classes he took.

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@Scruffylexi It’s indeed a crazy year and I think none of us can really tell what might happen. The fact that Choate is accepting late applications for their waitlist due to covid uncertainty tells me that it may not be over for WL’ed students, especially if FP. I would think that any waitlist movement due to covid melt might happen at the very last minute, or at minimum, after the deposits are all due. (Andover has moved their deadline several times and it’s now July 24th).

I remember we had a conversation before where I suggested applying to other schools because many take late applications, so I don’t mean to beat a dead horse. But just wanted to bring up the option again, in case it feels more appealing to you and your son as the summer is marching on. You had a pretty small list of schools and they were all really selective, so I think the problem was simply a question of numbers. I don’t think it has to be over unless you want it to be. Some ideas: You could be strategically communicating with your WL schools, or you could apply to some other terrific schools out there.

In any case, I feel for your son. He sounds like a great kid who just wants a chance to join the BS world!

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Thanks @Calliemomofgirls !

Who do you suggest I communicate with regarding the status? My son has sent emails - which 50% of the time get a casual response. Should I call or send an email? Who should I ask to speak with? I know this sounds crazy!

I am surprised about Choate accepting late applications. We need aid - so we are not FP - maybe that is one of the reasons. Even if he had to be online all year and start in person next fall or January - he really just wants to be part of the community.

I think it is a little late to apply to other schools - plus he has his heart set on the four that he applied too.

If we have to do this again next year - will our chances be any better? Good to know that Andover is now July 24th! There is still hope!

Thanks for the support!

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@Scruffylexi, does your son want “nothing more then to have the boarding school experience” or does he want to attend a boarding school with a super competitive admissions process? If the latter, I fear that ship may have sailed for this academic year. If the former, take @Calliemomofgirls’s advice and have him “apply to some other terrific schools out there.” Believe her–and all the other posters who repeatedly say the same two things–1. cast a wide net, and 2. there are so so many boarding schools that are never mentioned on this board where children receive excellent educations and have a wonderful high school experience.

I wish your son the best of luck, and no matter where he ends up I hope he’ll have a very happy high school experience.

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I agree with @janehoya comments. I don’t want to get too far away from the purpose of this thread, so I’ll (try to) be brief, and hope that this might be helpful for others in the WL situation during this weird Covid time.
None of us knows what the WL activity will be. I’ll bet even schools might not know.
However –
I do know that human nature says that we all want solutions to our problems; an aspirin right there in front of my face for my headache.

So what can we perhaps imagine the “problems” are facing BS admissions folks between now and August?

And what can YOU do to be the aspirin for that problem?

Unfortunately for you, a problem we can guess with a fair amount of certainty that they have is: money.

Covid is costing them a ton of money. If you were FP, and could be an easy aspirin to that headache, then it would make a lot of sense to keep yourself top of mind to your AO, in a way that makes you still likable and a solution (not yet another headache with lots of phone calls and emails).

If you need FA, it becomes harder to guess which problem you can solve for them.

Notice I’m NOT talking at all about “how much your son wants to join the community.” That solves no problems for them frankly, because everyone going to a BS wants to be in the community, presumably. (in other words: Andover AO is not likely sitting there at his desk thinking “oh if ONLY we had someone on our waitlist who wants to join us!!” There are probably hundreds.)
What’s even harder, frankly, in Covid, is that you need to solve the problem for them so uniquely and so thoroughly that they are willing to make their other (big) problem (money) worse.
It’s a tough sell.
But you can’t change what you can’t change, so let’s look at your best chance.

I would give some real thought to: what problem does your son solve for each school? (and to make it more complicated, you may not have the same answer for each school). And then communicate that (subtly, naturally, compellingly) in your communications with AO.

They may not need to have that problem solved. Fine. In fact, they probably do not need that problem solved given the Covid situation. BUT IF THEY DO, they will think immediately of your son. That’s the goal here, in my opinion, and it’s probably the best chance you have. Again, a long shot, but sometimes the long shot wins. (Spoiler: it usually doesn’t so don’t feel as though you failed if you don’t win this one.)

Last thought, and I say this in love, not to hurt feelings: I will reiterate that it seems highly unlikely that only these specific, exact 4 schools could give your son what he is seeking, if he is truly interested in becoming a part of an enriching, wonderful BS experience. If you really believe this, then I would suggest that you haven’t really done your research. There are sometimes very valid reasons for limiting one’s BS search, but prestige/tough admissions (which is what I hear when someone says “having one’s heart set” on such a small subset of schools) isn’t one of them.

If you apply next year, I would strongly encourage a rethinking of this “only these few schools, or nothing” approach, only because I think it’s primary the reason your son is not heading to BS next month.

Feel free to DM if I can be of any more help or support. I am in your corner.

I was not brief. (But did we really expect me to be??)

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@Scruffylexi I know it must seem arbitrary for your son that they can’t just add one more kid. But behind the scenes, the kids still all have an advisor, activities and class sizes which are very small. So the resources are fixed. The schools admit knowing this and usually the numbers stay the same from year to year. If your son wants the BS experience, it’s likely there are many schools which either have rolling admissions or are still taking applications. If he’s going for a specific school that’s a different thing altogether.
No one really know what his chances will be next year. If Covid continues they might keep classes on the smaller side to accomodate Covid needs, or they might need more $ and accept more students. I don’t think being full pay or being on FA matters absolutely. If someone who is a FA applicant drops off the list then they can fill with someone similar and vice versa. Most upper classmen we have seen are athletic recruits. But I think that varies by school. Most of those kids are Juniors ( and most repeat). Kids coming in for Sophomore year are a mix ( super students/super athletes). If it’s his dream, I’d just broaden your list. Hope it works out for him.

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So we just got a brief outline of DS’s school return which will be supplemented with a Zoom “Town Hall” next week.

Basically the plan is very similar to everything we’ve seen from other posters thus far.
Here’s some highlights:
-Students who live within 30 mile radius are being asked to commute as day students, unless they are dorm prefects or student leaders (monitors).
-Day students will be subject to random testing/health checks
-Returning students from outside 6 state area (ME,MA,NH, RI, CT, NY) will have to quarantine for 14 days within one of those states and be driven by private vehicle to campus. A block of rooms at a nearby hotel have been reserved for students who have no family/friends with which they could quarantine. In addition, a negative test result within 5 days of school starting is required.
-Students will move in by “house groups”, which they allude to being dorm floors… The house group returns will be staggered…it seems within the house group, to allow distancing upon move-ins. All dorm rooms are singles. These groups will socialize (dine together, etc ) until isolation period on campus is complete. (2 weeks). Dorms will be assigned at start of year, so it sounds like the house lottery results just flew out the window.
-Athletics will continue to practice in small groups. There will be no fall preseason training, however.
-DL from Thanksgiving-January. Tuition and board will be adjusted to reflect this.
-DL offered to all international students
-Course load stays same but class times may vary to accomodate DL students. Also class sizes reduced so more offerings of a class (what was one class may split in two OR alternate lectures/projects between groups within a class).

-Masks must be worn at all times. Students need to have a minimum of 7 washable masks
-Dining will be grab and go style of prepared meals in containers. Additionally, multiple dining room areas were created to allow for distancing while eating.

  • One way paths have been established on campus to allow for social distancing to/from classes. Classes have been modified to allow for distancing between desks. Harkness tables replaced by perimeter desks, although the method of teaching stays the same.

I’m trying to think of what I may have missed. There’s a ton of info that I’m sure I glossed over reading the first time.

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@buuzn03 Your child’s school must have a lot of singles!

Seems like a well thought out plan.

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Thanks for sharing @buuzn03 ! Have to say that I was a bit surprised to read that boarders who live within 30 miles have to commute. If I was in that situation, I think that would be a dealbreaker. That adds up to a lot of driving time each way every day if you are 20-30 miles away. I would think that adding more day students just adds more uncertainty about bringing the virus on campus each day, but I suppose each school has their rationale for their decisions. I do understand the desire to have more spacing in dorms.

We don’t have concrete answers on how dorm life will be at Mercersburg. As @hellomaisy outlined in a previous post, they did release a plan and are exploring options of block scheduling, etc for classes. But still waiting to hear if dorm / room assignments will change. There are town hall sessions scheduled for next week, so maybe that will be addressed.

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Yes. I was a day student from roughly 20 miles away for my first two years at a mostly-boarding prep school. Because of various transportation facts (including that many of the roads between home and school had quite low speed limits and/or frequent construction), I spent AT LEAST an hour and a half commuting every day, often more. It was a large part of why my family decided to switch to boarding for the next two years. Being a day student from any significant distance takes up a massive amount of time and energy and can be quite stressful, especially in the winter.

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I think SMS, unlike Mercersburg, has a good bit more of local boarders because of its location near Boston.
I understand the concern of students coming-going but I think that’s why they are going to have more stringent health checks.

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We sent our daughter’s tuition in today…we are now in this for the long haul, whatever may happen!! :slight_smile:

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Day students can often car pool also.
@Ravenclaw3 Wow, 1.5 hours for 20 miles is crazy. You could have biked faster.

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Just to clarify - that’s 45+ mins each way, for a total of 1.5+ hours – not driving 13 mph! :smile:
And 20 miles is as the crow flies, certainly not if you were to trace the path of the winding, hilly roads!

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Hmm, I’m unable to post the link here, but there is a petition going around from faculty members at several BSs asking that schools remain remote this fall…

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Wow @cityran - please send when you can find it!

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@Ravenclaw3 Wow, that’s a relief. I was thinking 13 MPH.

@cityran Which state is that school (s) in?

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I am not able to post the link or copy and paste (when I try, it says I need a moderators approval). It’s a google doc from anonymous faculty members who don’t feel it’s time to re-open schools. They believe the current re-opening plans lack clarity and concern for the boarding school experience as a whole. The signatures are anonymous but listed by school and often by department. The list of signatures has grown longer since yesterday. All but two GLADCHEMS are represented as well as 17 additional New England schools.

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@cityran Well, I would certainly believe there are teachers at every school who would worry. That said, I think there are also lots of others who want to move on and make things as normal as possible. The new normal for many is, not great- but better than lock down. For those who disagree, I respect your views also. Not looking to argue about a bad situation.

We have many family friends with kids in many BS. Not everyone is happy with each plan. Some have serious reservations, others just minor ones. Most of our friends are happy that kids are going back and will have classes. We don’t know of anyone not sending their kids back but we do know international kids who are planning to do virtual classes in the Fall and see what the Spring brings. We also know a couple of kids who are switching from boarding to day.

I thought nearly every school had an online option. Are there any schools which don’t have their classes online as well?