2020 Applicants

[ecogoth]

9 hours ago, WanYesOnly said:

Just realising how seriously unbelievable all this is. I'm an international student and literally just landed back in my country just before the madness of cancellations began. I'm so thankful I got to visit my schools but I'm also wondering, does anyone else wonder if the US and the world will have a handle on the coronavirus by Aug/Sept in time for fall semester or will the world plunge into chaos and we will forever remain the cohort that didn't make it to matriculation?

not to be too cynical, but i think the real selfish fear to be had in how this will affect academia is in how it might affect the future of teaching as a profession

a lot of campuses have shut down and made all their classes into online classes already, and i'm guessing many more will follow amidst this hysteria. once schools realize they can effectively get away with running everything online (if things are able to run smoothly enough along), then there might be more of a push toward online education, meaning less jobs! less pay! and, reportedly, less knowledge-retention for students! obviously online education is a much more nuanced thing itself, and it can be really positive in enabling nontraditional students to access higher education - however, the move toward total online education would not be great for the plight of the adjunct (understatement of the year)

 

and as has already been said here and elsewhere, the immunocompromised are the most likely to be seriously affected by the coronavirus. what's special about this virus is in how it can be spread so quickly without carriers ever even exhibiting symptoms (for around 14 days of incubation!). with this being the case, along with the absolute inadequacy (and moral corruption) of both our healthcare system and our social safety net in the united states, the virus is much more likely to be spread and much more likely to affect these individuals. i don't foresee the actual virus lasting long past the traditional flu season and into the summertime, but what i think and hope will be more lasting is the outrage it inspires toward these systems. im already on my soapbox, so if you all are looking for a reason to get politically involved, this it it! there couldn't be a more timely reason to join the fight for universal healthcare in the united states!

 

[WanYesOnly]

7 hours ago, ecogoth said:

not to be too cynical, but i think the real selfish fear to be had in how this will affect academia is in how it might affect the future of teaching as a profession

a lot of campuses have shut down and made all their classes into online classes already, and i'm guessing many more will follow amidst this hysteria. once schools realize they can effectively get away with running everything online (if things are able to run smoothly enough along), then there might be more of a push toward online education, meaning less jobs! less pay! and, reportedly, less knowledge-retention for students! obviously online education is a much more nuanced thing itself, and it can be really positive in enabling nontraditional students to access higher education - however, the move toward total online education would not be great for the plight of the adjunct (understatement of the year)

 

and as has already been said here and elsewhere, the immunocompromised are the most likely to be seriously affected by the coronavirus. what's special about this virus is in how it can be spread so quickly without carriers ever even exhibiting symptoms (for around 14 days of incubation!). with this being the case, along with the absolute inadequacy (and moral corruption) of both our healthcare system and our social safety net in the united states, the virus is much more likely to be spread and much more likely to affect these individuals. i don't foresee the actual virus lasting long past the traditional flu season and into the summertime, but what i think and hope will be more lasting is the outrage it inspires toward these systems. im already on my soapbox, so if you all are looking for a reason to get politically involved, this it it! there couldn't be a more timely reason to join the fight for universal healthcare in the united states!

 

 We have universal health care in my country (not talking about South Korea btw) and I've just never understood why the US doesn't. In any case, even with universal health care, we have a poor health sector and although the virus hasn't reached my country, we all know we would crumble if it did. Personally, this virus has exposed how vulnerable health systems are all over the world not to mention the vaccine won't be free if/when it's completed. I just don't know, there's loads to worry about and just when I finally got in somewhere and thought my anxiety would reduce. Anyway, good luck to those still waiting to hear from somewhere, I do hope you get in

[meghan_sparkle]

10 hours ago, mbooks said:

UM WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO ALL THOSE ADMITS?!

being married to a prince helped

[punctilious]

11 hours ago, ecogoth said:

there couldn't be a more timely reason to join the fight for universal healthcare in the united states!

SNAPS! Please go vote y'all!

[tinymica]

Just finished up UW's virtual visit. I'm excited and happy with my experience! Also, impressed that they impressed me even though it was webcam format the entire time. Now just waiting on more communication from BU re: visits of any kind...

[gooniesneversaydie]

I'm in Boston right now. It's a madhouse! Definitely not a ghost town here. We drove by BU and I cried on the inside. However, the campus I visited is really, really nice and colonial-esque. 

[hamnet in tights]

So I'm seeing on the news that a lot of the Ivies basically just told everyone to take their books and computers home and, effectively, plan NOT to return to campus after spring break. I'm in shock. Harvard and MIT were mentioned in specific. What is even HAPPENING??

[Rrandle101]

My school is debating on having everything taught online for the rest of the semester right now and I am shooketh to the core

[MundaneSoul]

Just got my first campus visit cancellation. I'm sure the next one will arrive soon. Hooray. I already knew which way I was leaning, but now I feel like I'm going to end up making a (huge) decision without all the information I thought I would have.

[The Hoosier Oxonian]

8 minutes ago, hamnet in tights said:

So I'm seeing on the news that a lot of the Ivies basically just told everyone to take their books and computers home and, effectively, plan NOT to return to campus after spring break. I'm in shock. Harvard and MIT were mentioned in specific. What is even HAPPENING??

My university (not an Ivy and in state that so far has fewer than 10 cases, none of them connected to the university) informed us all a few hours ago that we are to stay away for the two weeks after spring break (which starts Monday) - we'll be doing everything online until April 5. Frankly, I'm angry - I think this is a massive overreaction that is far from guaranteeing to stop people from getting the virus anyway (they're just sending everyone home and telling them to come back in three weeks; some people will be going home to harder-hit places than my area and the odds are someone will just bring it back with them!) and that will inevitably take a major toll on academic performance across the university.

[merry night wanderer]

I really fear the whole "accelerating the move toward online education" scenario. I think a few online classes here and there are fine, but largely, online education sucks. (I will also note that I've definitely made online classes for a paycheck before, lol.)

[tinymica]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-harvard-colleges-closed-184640323.html

Did everybody hear about this? Harvard students have 5 days to vacate their dorms and....not come back. Many students have nowhere to go, especially international students for whom it is not an option to return home. Wtf is the world right now?

[meghan_sparkle]

I'm all for prophylactic measures and think the current administration's resistance to widespread testing and quarantine procedures is bordering on criminal, however I have a sneaking suspicion that a big part of the reason schools are shutting unceremoniously—Harvard students have to attend classes this week and then be out by Monday, wtf?—is an attempt to avoid the possibility of future lawsuits. If a student contracted the virus through the classroom/campus interactions, I can just see overzealous parents involving lawyers and suing the university. I hope I'm wrong, but something smells fishy. Not about the decision to close and cancel gatherings (which I think it the right one considering how far students can travel in a short time over spring break before returning; it could make colleges hotbeds for the virus) but more specifically the speed of the decision, telling students (including ones who have nowhere to go or whose visa requires them to remain in the US) to vacate dorms—it just makes me irate.

[The Hoosier Oxonian]

38 minutes ago, tinymica said:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-harvard-colleges-closed-184640323.html

Did everybody hear about this? Harvard students have 5 days to vacate their dorms and....not come back. Many students have nowhere to go, especially international students for whom it is not an option to return home. Wtf is the world right now?

This is lunacy (not just Harvard - all the university closings in general). Students are just going to go home and get infected there anyway, and then have their academic/professional lives uprooted to boot. I don't know if there's a good way to deal with this crisis, but this is definitely not a sustainable solution. I mean, currently it looks like it will be 12-18 months until we have a vaccine - are we really just going to cancel normal life for the next year or so?

Edited March 11, 2020 by The Hoosier Oxonian

[Cryss]

1 hour ago, tinymica said:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-harvard-colleges-closed-184640323.html

Did everybody hear about this? Harvard students have 5 days to vacate their dorms and....not come back. Many students have nowhere to go, especially international students for whom it is not an option to return home. Wtf is the world right now?

This is insane. 5 days to move out?! That is irresponsible of them and tells me about about how much they don't empathize with international students. Are they paying for tickets, etc? This is unreasonable to ask, and borderline classist to assume everyone can afford to do it, especially with such short notice.

PS. I understand the extremity of the preventative measures, but still, seems like the empathy is lacking greatly. 

[caffeinated applicant]

Yeah, IMO Harvard in particular is handling this very poorly--short notice, short window to leave, and it appears from social media like the only surefire way to get someone's attention to get essential assistance from the university is to tweet about it and get replies from curious reporters the Boston Herald and WaPo. Compare Princeton and Yale's response, which has been to urge students to go home and remain home after spring break ends but, to the best of my knowledge, not require it or close facilities.

And that's before even considering if closing campus entirely and moving to online the right thing to do from an ethical or public health standpoint, which I'm not sure that it is if it includes sending European and Asian students back to outbreak zones, or even sending students back to the Bay Area, NYC, or Seattle. 

And that's even before considering the ethical quandaries related to the university's obligations to students who simply can't afford to up and leave, to professors being asked to move everything online on a dime, to employees of the university (including grad students, undergrad student workers, and hourly staff) who may or may not be paid in a closure.....

Even if on the second two levels, it was determined that this was the right thing to do, a bit of compassion on that first could go a long way... 

[punctilious]

I think it's a tough situation. I do think it's wrong of Harvard to kick people out of the dorms so quickly, though I hope they will be lenient in allowing those folks who have nowhere to go to stay, but at the same time, Massachusetts is seeing a pretty rapid outbreak, and what better place for the virus to spread than at a university where people are in close proximity all the time (in lecture halls, dining halls, dorms, etc)? It could be a real danger to the immunocompromised and older folks (hello professors) if we allowed this virus to spread through campus. We have a duty to protect each other, especially since our government will not protect us by providing medicare for all, required paid time off, etc. The United States is in a precarious situation--most other wealthy countries are substantially more prepared than we are for this kind of outbreak. It sucks--my husband is not excited about all of his classes going online,not getting to present at conferences and colloquiums, potentially having limited to no access to the library or other resources, but I understand why they made this decision.

[onerepublic96]

Kinda off-topic and kinda whiny, but is anyone else still waiting on BU?

[Emailchecker]

2 hours ago, onerepublic96 said:

Kinda off-topic and kinda whiny, but is anyone else still waiting on BU?

I think all the rejectees are. But they may be having bigger fish to fry atm. 

[onerepublic96]

4 minutes ago, Emailchecker said:

I think all the rejectees are. But they may be having bigger fish to fry atm. 

I get that, but ohh BU, please just put me out of my misery so I can move on, ya know... 

[meghan_sparkle]

3 hours ago, punctilious said:

I think it's a tough situation. I do think it's wrong of Harvard to kick people out of the dorms so quickly, though I hope they will be lenient in allowing those folks who have nowhere to go to stay, but at the same time, Massachusetts is seeing a pretty rapid outbreak, and what better place for the virus to spread than at a university where people are in close proximity all the time (in lecture halls, dining halls, dorms, etc)? It could be a real danger to the immunocompromised and older folks (hello professors) if we allowed this virus to spread through campus. We have a duty to protect each other, especially since our government will not protect us by providing medicare for all, required paid time off, etc. The United States is in a precarious situation--most other wealthy countries are substantially more prepared than we are for this kind of outbreak. It sucks--my husband is not excited about all of his classes going online,not getting to present at conferences and colloquiums, potentially having limited to no access to the library or other resources, but I understand why they made this decision.

totally agree with this! 

[hamnet in tights]

We've just had our first reported cases in my state and all universities have now closed through the end of the semester, with some places doing classes online. Mortifying. My guess is this means campus visits at schools here will be cancelled or suspended, too...

[gooniesneversaydie]

8 hours ago, onerepublic96 said:

Kinda off-topic and kinda whiny, but is anyone else still waiting on BU?

YUUUP. I shook my fist in anger towards the school on my way out of Boston (which was a HELLSCAPE to drive through).

[tinymica]

BU has been very quiet since I heard from them last week. No info about their situation on campus, visit days (which I assume are impossible about now), or details of the program. (The letter I received was very short and kind of vague.) I figured they’re probably dealing with a mess so I’ve not reached out, but....should I?

[gooniesneversaydie]

2 minutes ago, tinymica said:

BU has been very quiet since I heard from them last week. No info about their situation on campus, visit days (which I assume are impossible about now), or details of the program. (The letter I received was very short and kind of vague.) I figured they’re probably dealing with a mess so I’ve not reached out, but....should I?

I definitely would. I'd even suggest calling their grad admissions office and then emailing the Eng DGS. I'm sure it's because of the situation with all the schools closing/moving to online. If schools aren't going to extend the April deadline, it puts more pressure on admits to reach out for info.