Officially committed to Columbia after receiving the $40k Heilbrunn Scholarship! Has anybody that has committed to Columbia received any email about next steps in enrollment (if there are any)?
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I haven't recieved any further information from them after paying the deposit
Lol same. I haven't seen an FB group either :/
Here is a facebook page I found for the whole public health class (MPH, MS, etc.) but I haven't found one specifically for MPH students :/
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allmymoons
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Did anyone who was previously on the waitlist for Yale just get an email about acceptance? On April 15th, I told them to take me off the waitlist since I accepted elsewhere so i think this may have been in error since the deadline has passed?
Here is a facebook page I found for the whole public health class (MPH, MS, etc.) but I haven't found one specifically for MPH students :/
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I just saw that they updated the portal: Check out the "Important information" tab. there's a link to the fb group
FB Group here
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Let me split it into two perspectives: Why NOT medicine and WHY public health. Disclaimer: this is part of my reason and may not be applicable to anyone else. Take it with a grain of salt.
Quitting Medicine:
-I had an experience shadowing and realized immediately that I wasn't interested in this work.
-Became more and more sensitive to graphic content
-I realized that I'm very empathetic and during my volunteering and shadowing, I'd be haunted by the cases I had seen that day or week. I remember watching my first patient die. I couldn't go back into work for over a week. I know is something they teach you to deal with in medical school and healthcare facilities/groups provide support, but it was crippling to me.
-The lifestyle doesn't agree with me
-Fell into a pit of depression and anxiety while pursuing medicine. I stopped taking care of myself.
-I literally woke up one morning and said "I don't want to be a doctor anymore".
Why Public Health:
-That same morning, I realized that the culmination of all my experiences (personal & professional) had primed me for a career in public health. There's a particular experience I remember while attending a doctors appointment with my mother. We're a Vietnamese family who transferred from San Jose (lot's of Vietnamese community) to a city in Northern California (predominantly white). Her doctor told her to completely cut out rice as a means to treat her diabetes. I'm sorry, but you don't tell a Vietnamese immigrant to stop eating rice. I was in health education for nutrition for a while and there are so many different ways to approach this. Culturally incompetent. There's tons of more experiences, but that had such a huge impact on me growing up.
-My research and health education put me out in the field doing public health work provided a whole different perspective. I could see the value and strengths in being a public health practitioner. There's a certain impact you can make beyond being a medical provider.
-I am genuinely happy. I was able to take care of my own health (and lose a lot of weight), manage my stress, and take the steps to cope with anxiety and depression.
-Continuing on that happy note, I was happy getting up at 5AM, taking public transit, and conducting research for days in a row at PRIDE in SF. I had no problem sitting at the computer making health education materials or doing analysis for my research project.
-Epidemiology and Biostats in particular because I've realized with time that I have a innate skill set and ability to do this work. I excelled in my epidemiology classes and could actually put it into practice (at the undergraduate level). I'm in data analytics now with no formal background in it and I've been doing pretty darn well. Also, I love the practice of epidemiology and what it stands for.
-There's much morebto it (and I could have been much more cohesive about how I presented this), but to summarize, it was a mixture of lived experiences and intuition/feeling.
My advice to most people is to follow your gut and do what seems right. If you want to get into public health, do so. If, during your career as a public health practitioner, you realize that you're still interested in medicine, pursue that as well. I know LOADS of people who went that route. There are also tons of people in their MPH programs now who are also applying to medical school. I was part of a lot of organizations and a post-baccalaureate program so I know a lot of non-traditional students who have teeter-tottered that line. I'm just one of the ones that decided to go into public health. Hope this helps. Feel free to message me if you'd like to continue this conversation in private.
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It is likely that Massachusetts will close a lot, if not all, schools for the upcoming fall, this may well be the deal with schools in New York as well, if that is the case then you're looking at taking these courses online, which most would assume means that students should be paying much less. Even without coronavirus, BU had trouble placing students in competitive externships and invented some new ones like working at senior care centers on nutrition that would be hard to do now with rules about gatherings and visitors. Also at BU, a lot of the classes rely on self-directed learning, basically students teaching students, which is going to be diminished with online classes. Definitely ask for a healthy discount from schools in the northeast.
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Thanks!! This was so so helpful! Have not heard back yet but fingers crossed for this week.
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Hi! I let them know that I had more funding from a top program and that I would be able to stay with family at the other school, eliminating a lot of cost of living expenses. I thanked them A LOT and told them that my decision would ultimately come down to financial responsibility since I hope to continue my education after the MPH. Not sure if this helps, but it never hurts to ask!
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Universities begin considering the possibility of canceling in-person classes until 2021
edition.cnn.com
Universities begin considering the possibility of canceling in-person classes until 2021 | CNN
A number of universities are beginning to consider the possibility that in-person classes may not resume until 2021.
Ugh also just got an email from a Harvard housing that they’re delaying the application cycle til Mid-May while they reevaluate.. sad the fall semester seems so complicatedUniversities begin considering the possibility of canceling in-person classes until 2021
Universities begin considering the possibility of canceling in-person classes until 2021 | CNN
A number of universities are beginning to consider the possibility that in-person classes may not resume until 2021.
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Universities begin considering the possibility of canceling in-person classes until 2021
Universities begin considering the possibility of canceling in-person classes until 2021 | CNN
A number of universities are beginning to consider the possibility that in-person classes may not resume until 2021.
I think that universities have been considering cancelling in-person classes for many weeks now, but I think they are resigned to the fact that schools, especially in heavy hit regions such as dense metropolitan areas, won't be open as usual in fall at all. It's not just the students, but the support staff and faculty who would be exposed, and peripheral services for students in college towns that would need to open up again. I think it would be optimistic even to think that in January of 2021 somehow magically schools are going to open up for classes on campuses. Lockdowns will be even more needed during the winter holiday months around December and January.
People runing public health schools should know better, but they obviously still want the tuition dollars, I think there is definitely a "bait and switch" going on here, asking students to commit with the possibility of being on campus to regular tuition, but knowing full well that that likely won't happen at all and that students should be given greatly reduced tuition for what they know will be online courses.
BU wasn't going to give refunds to students they asked to leave campus for housing and meal plans rendered worthless until they were called on it:
Boston University reverses stance, will issue housing refund for students forced to leave over coronavirus
Boston University says it will now refund room and board for students forced to leave residence halls amid the coronavirus crisis, after the school’s initial non-committal drew the ire of stu…
www.bostonherald.com
Harvard did the right thing because they sent their students home first and proactively talked about pro-rating housing and meal plans, but Harvard can afford to do that with their reputation and endowment, knowing that their students will be back after the crisis.
Also, BU has a controversial BSL-4 Lab located in a crowded neighborhood urban area, actually across the street from the public health school, where they are going to be playing around with live coronavirus! Colleges and universities with the space could hold classes 1 or 2 times per week with social distancing, maybe even outside to take advantage of UV which kills coronavirus and better air circulation, not a good option at BU at all.
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basalganglia_
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Question about appealing for more financial aid- would anyone help me out or give some input with doing so for Hopkins MHS? I got FWS but I'm nervous about not being in-person during the Fall semester and somehow that falling through.
ANSHUL SHAH
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Hello Everyone!
I am a dentist from India and I got accepted at the Tufts University’s MPH program. I chose the Health Management and Policy concentration because I am really interested in being an health administrator.
I applied fo the University of Colorado at Denver and got accepted for MBA in Healthcare Management.
Where should I go?
the fees in U of Colorado is 60k while that at Tufts is 75k.
Also, what are the job prospects? I feel U of C is not quite as reputed as Tufts.
I am a dentist from India and I got accepted at the Tufts University’s MPH program. I chose the Health Management and Policy concentration because I am really interested in being an health administrator.
I applied fo the University of Colorado at Denver and got accepted for MBA in Healthcare Management.
Where should I go?
the fees in U of Colorado is 60k while that at Tufts is 75k.
Also, what are the job prospects? I feel U of C is not quite as reputed as Tufts.
This might be a dumb question but should I submit my enrollment deposit before I get my financial aid package? I was supposed to receive it today and the deadline to submit my enrollment deposit is this Tuesday. I have contacted financial aid multiple times and they haven't been the most helpful. The person told me she awarded me an aid package while on the phone and said I would get an email about it today but I haven't yet. I just want to make sure I am guaranteed a spot. 
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Here's my take. Because you were accepted, you shouldn't worry about someone taking your spot. The university cannot un-accept you. Moreover, I believe that you are entitled to all information that affects your decision to attend (e.g. cost of attendance/tuition). If I were you, I would not pull the trigger until you get your financial aid package. You haven't done anything wrong, and it would be foolish of the university to hold that against you.This might be a dumb question but should I submit my enrollment deposit before I get my financial aid package? I was supposed to receive it today and the deadline to submit my enrollment deposit is this Tuesday. I have contacted financial aid multiple times and they haven't been the most helpful. The person told me she awarded me an aid package while on the phone and said I would get an email about it today but I haven't yet. I just want to make sure I am guaranteed a spot.
Hopefully, you receive your email today. If not there's still next Monday and Tuesday.
Thank you for the advice!! That makes a lot of sense. Clearly my anxiety about this is getting to me hahaha.
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What If Colleges Don’t Reopen Until 2021?
Millions of families face a question that was once unthinkable.
ANSHUL SHAH
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I do have an immigration visa process going on.
Please help me With the decision. Where and how much difference is between the two courses? Will both of these courses lead me to become a healthcare administrator? (Both the MPH in Healthcare Management and Policy & MBA in Healthcare Management)
MartinaPa
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Anyone applying/has been offered a place or has completed the Global Master of Public Health (online) at Imperial College? I got a place offered in January and looking for people that have either completed it or are gonna start in September. I've never done an online degree before so I'm getting a bit paranoid not knowing what to expect from it!
blondepremedd
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Do you have to have both a 3.75 and above 80th percentile? Or one of the two?
I'm not 100% sure, but from my understanding you should have both or be close to having both. In my case, I met the GPA cut-off but was slightly below the 80th percentile for one of my sections on the GRE. I was still offered $40k.
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Anybody else worrying about how bad the potential second wave of coronavirus could get after hearing Trump making suggestions about injecting disinfectant? I am an international student and I have already accepted my offer at Columbia for this fall. I considered deferring for a year but I really want to start studying this MPH as soon as possible, which is why I accepted the offer instead of deferring in the first place. However, after watching that briefing, I was just wondering whether I will be putting myself and my studies in danger by moving to NYC at this point in time...
vzr05
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If you have access to them, I would suggest watching Governor Cuomo’s briefings instead of Trump’s. Cuomo has a much better grip on reality and what is actually happening in NYS (this is coming from someone who lives in NY currently). The situation in NYC is going to have the greatest effect on your studies in the fall. I would keep an eye on the visa/immigration status through a reputable newspaper here in the US but otherwise try and avoid the Trump briefings, they’re not only a waste of time but they don’t give a clear picture of what’s going on in the US because he doesn’t have a clue.
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I don't think that Trump, by virtue of occupying the White House, necessarily has privileged or more detailed information about what is going to happen with coronavirus versus what you can conclude from what the CDC and researchers are saying, if you were implying that he secretly knows that an enormous second peak is coming? I don't think anybody knows exactly what will happen, and you don't need to read the tea leaves to know that life won't be completely normal for a while, but many of the enjoyable social aspects of life may trickle back into place. Trump had a reality show and it seems like he still has a need to be at the center of attention, maybe even to entertain people, I don't think there will be bags of "Lysol" hanging from IV poles in hospitals anytime soon.
I haven't watched a full Trump or Cuomo briefing, most of that information, if there is any new information, is condense in written form which can be more quickly read. I'll read on article on what Fauci or Birx said, rarely see a video clip of them talking.
There is a lot of information specific to NYC via the Cuomo briefings, but also remember that this is a fluid situation and a couple months ago people in NYC weren't sure how much of society to shutdown and there was even a big fight in NYC about if the public schools should be closed. Some points to consider:
1. There was a second peak to the 1918 flu pandemic which was worst than the first, and the computer models and common sense seems to indicate that if a majority of the susceptible population starts doing what they were doing in NYC before the coronavirus pandemic started, then yes, you'd probably have a lot more cases, people dying in higher numbers and hospitals clogged. So, while a second coronavirus peak could theoretically happen if we go back to life as normal, and be even more devastating, things won't be switched on like a light switch, you'll probably have certain areas open up slightly with big restrictions such as everybody wears a mask in public, physical (social) distancing, and other such measures and researchers will wait and see what happens and continuously analyze the data. So . . . even if Columbia is open in the fall, classes will be much different, probably won't be physical office hours, a portion of classes might be online, you might not have an internship with certain NGOs or the health department depending on what is going on.
2. Coronavirus spread like wild-fire because we're all super interconnected, more so than in 1918, I think going forward there will be an emphasis on limiting physical interactions to what is necessary, if you are in school, maybe you go to 1-2 in-person classes per week, but the rest of the time you are mostly in your apartment, you aren't participating in other social activities as much in NYC, you might have to walk versus ride the subway, you might meet up with friends for study groups online, so if coronavirus spreads into the Columbia school population, it spreads much less slowly into other social circles such as nursing homes or first responders in NYC. I could see Columbia partially re-starting some classes, doing an online/in-person hybrid only to have a cluster of coronavirus cases and deciding to shutdown again in November.
3. Nobody is 100% sure why coronavirus is so severe in NYC, there have been a higher absolute number of cases at this point in time, and there are still cases trickling in. Maybe in California there were less than a dozen initial cases imported from China, whereas in New York there were maybe hundreds coming from Europe, so possibly more infection chains were started simultaneously in New York, less likely possibility is that the mutations in the different COVID-19 strains actually make the Italian strain somehow slightly more contagious or virulent? NYC is a super dense metropolis, and isolation of very sick patients from contact with others might be harder than in California just due to physical crowding. It was thought that the 1918 flu pandemic second peak was much worse as the very sick soldiers were transported from the frontlines of world war 1 and came into contact with more people, such as healthcare providers, versus the mildly sick who pretty much stayed home, so a more virulent/deadly 1918 flu strain passed around the world in the second peak. If so, having adequate PPE for healthcare workers in NYC is critical not just for saving their lives, but also recognizing that hospitals concentrate the sickest coronavirus patients and that infection can bounce back between the hospital and the community several times, there are huge populations in NYC, as wells as dozens of hospital overflowing with coronavirus patients, it is a positive feedback loop that can only be stopped by getting population immunity through a vaccine or herd immunity or social distancing, one is a longterm proposition, one (social distancing) can be implemented quickly as we've seen.
4. If coronavirus infections continue in NYC in the coming months, and certain sectors of the economy open up and the cases don't dramatically fall-off, which looks like it might happen, then I don't think Columbia will have in-person classes. Even if Cuomo eventually opens public schools a couple days a week, if the subways are down and there are other issues with students at Columbia they might decide to shift things online. If there is a cheap coronavirus test Columbia might combine that with a health questionnaire every month to monitor the student population, but NYC might not be there yet as so many people have had the virus and it is still passing around the community. Nobody knows if you can get coronavirus within a couple of weeks or months of having had it, or if a second infection with coronavirus is worse, as happens with dengue, probably not, but this disease has surprised a lot of people.
5. Who knows if there are going to be sufficient public health jobs in two years, it looks like we're going into a recession/depression, doubtlessly public health related jobs will be lost, not sure how many permanent positions would open up in two years, definitely pays to ask for lower tuition if classes aren't fully in-person, or if they are online.
6. There are some people in their 20s in NYC hospital ICUs who needed to be intubated, surprising doctors, chances for everybody of whatever age group that you'll survive infection, but still if Columbia reopens, they get 400 students in the fall and then that semester 1-2 of them die of coronavirus or are hospitalized, and it starts half a dozen community chains of infection in NYC anew and a dozen people are hospitalized, a lot of people would say that it isn't worth it to reopen school then.
7. Public health schools in the coming years no doubt with look at their curriculum and how well it and the school's focus meet the needs of society, currently you've got public health concentrations centered around global warming and all sorts of topics which might be less pressing at least in the next couple of years if people aren't driving as much. There is a resurgence of STIs like gonorrhea and chlamydia, malaria might resurge in Africa, in addition to obviously coronavirus which might become a chronic problem, but you've also got billions of people walking around with a smartphone in their pockets that has more computing power than computers from decades ago used in research institutions, hopefully governmental public health budgets will increase while obviously private institutions employing public health people will lay some people off.
8. The CDC made a lot of mistakes early on, that's OK, but they've (we've) got to learn from their mistakes. One was having the ability to test for emerging diseases in a scaleable fashion, that didn't happen, also getting tests ready befor the virus hits, instead of hoping they don't hit the US didn't happen, at least as far as I know. Simple facemasks might be able to reduce transmission by some percentage, not as perfect as an N95 or better, but reducing the spread of coronavirus early on would have saved thousands of lives without a doubt, having a standing national system for quickly getting the public to wear masks in case of a viral flare up would have bought us more time. I think people look at the pictures of people from 1918 wearing masks made of gauze and there is almost laughter as they look primitive, but even if something has a modest effect for a single person, it can have a big public health effect, especially if it pushes R naught below one. I think the CDC needs a new branch dealing with pandemic response and having resources in place ahead of time, I'm talking about warehouses with PPE, like masks, production areas for making tests and specialists in biological sciences they can mobilize like the National Guard. I've felt for a longtime that there needs to be a national center of vaccinology, dedicated to making vaccines to everything, even rare stuff, as you never know when you're going to need it, and also to study how vaccines work and why some vaccines fail. So, yes, the CDC messed up in their budgeting, for many years, at least a decade ago, the WHO's primary concern was that pandemic flu would return and kill hundreds of millions of people, CDC should focus on that (emerging viruses, flu, coronavirus) as well in terms of funding basic research and clinical trials.
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deleted1009686
Has anyone actually been awarded a graduate assistantships, research or TA position? How are we going to get these positions if schools aren’t open or are online only in the fall?
This was my only way of paying for school
This was my only way of paying for school
I have a hard time imagining that climate change isn't going to be a public health problem in a few years because of "driving." Emissions from cars represent only a fraction of global carbon emissions. The big polluters are companies, not individuals, who often take advantage of low income or disadvantaged communities by putting plants in low income areas. Climate change, and environmental justice, will continue to be huge public health issues for decades.
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deleted1009686
Thank you! This makes a lot of sense. I will defiantly talk to current students and professors!
Both is what they said during their financial aid virtual chats.
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Hello everyone! Congrats on your decisions on where you'll finally be attending! My question is intended for international students requiring F-1 visa to attend school in the US. Has any of you in here started the visa application process? Apparently, all US embassies have suspended routine visa services, with an exception of those ones with an urgent matters. I would like to know if any of you has managed to convince the embassy to interview them for an F-1 visa. In addition, is it true that Trump's executive order may affect International Students seeking student visa? Thank you in advance. Stay Safe!
nfrockwell
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finally rejected from UCLA five months after applying - i reached out to the admissions office at least seven times with no response so kind of a miserable experience overall "working" with them. regardless i'm thrilled that this is the end of the application process and to have gotten in anywhere. excited about going to columbia!
Nicolascorrea
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Can someone guide me?
I decided to go to Harvard but just a couple of days ago I recieved a full tuition + 15.000 fellowship from Emory.
My main concern right now is that in my country Emory is not a “known” school while everyone knows Harvard. Any suggestions?
I decided to go to Harvard but just a couple of days ago I recieved a full tuition + 15.000 fellowship from Emory.
My main concern right now is that in my country Emory is not a “known” school while everyone knows Harvard. Any suggestions?
I committed to Johns Hopkins MHS, which in all likelihood I am going to defer for next year. I also received offer from U of Mich and Columbia. My question is if I also accept offer from one of these schools and defer it for next year, is it considered unethical or wrong? The reason I am thinking to do this is because although I am 99.9999 percent sure I want to attend Hopkins, there is a small chance that something goes wrong and I might not be unable to do it, so just want to have a backup plan. Just wanted to know, is it considered wrong or would I lose anything ( apart from enrolment deposit) if I say yes to two schools?
Unless you plan to go back and Harvard gave you a ton of money, I'd go to Emory - great school and well known in the US and public health.
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By "deciding" do you mean "I submitted my enrollment deposit"? If you submitted your enrollment deposit, I would definitely ask Harvard about their withdrawal policies. I wouldn't expect a refund, however. Regarding Emory, it is definitely a reputed school in public health. Neighboring the CDC, they are playing a huge role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
If I were you, I would head to Emory. Nothing beats a full-tuition scholarship + additional benefits. You would save tens of thousands of dollars!
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What do you believe that "something" wrong is? In my opinion, I cannot see a reason why you would need to commit to more than one institution. You went through the tough process of weighing the pros and cons of each university and determined that JHU is your top choice, hence why you committed there. Therefore, by second-guessing your choice, you are, in a way, selling yourself short. Needless to say, you would be paying another enrollment deposit. It appears like a lose-lose to me. Save your money and spend it on essentials.
From my experience emailing JHU MPH Executive Board members, I can say with certainty that they are willing to work with every student and meet their unique needs. I am sure this sentiment is shared throughout the School of Public Health, including the MHS program. If you wish to defer, you can without repercussions (although they would likely advise against it in favor of taking a reduced course load online until on-campus classes reopen).
I hope this helps!
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I suggest you to go Emory if MPH is not the terminal/final degree you consider. But, if you have ton of money to spend, then go for Harvard. Besides, your field of interest is also need to consider. Emory is known for the works associated with CDC and mainly scientific research oriented.
Nicolascorrea
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I applied to health management. I Am planning to do -maybe- a MBA afterwards.
I'd choose Emory because both are great programs and you would be saving so much, especially because you're thinking about getting another degree afterwards. Emory is known and respected within public health so unless you want to work in your country or you want to work with a specific professor at Harvard, I'd accept Emory's offer.
Personally, I would follow the money - especially given the risk that classes will be all online. I feel like online classes will significantly reduce the benefits of the networking / research opportunities of somewhere like Harvard. I would also check the deferral policies for both (including deferral of funding)... I'm finding it hard to imagine that most campuses will open in fall - and it seems like universities will not process visa documentation if courses are online. Definitely a tough time for international students especially - I sympathise!
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UCLA has a program in Community Health Sciences, which may fit your needs.
I just got an email from Emory confirming that they plan to have their campus open in the fall. Maybe I'm overreacting a bit, but I'm getting annoyed because it seems obvious to me that they'll end up needing some type of alternative format in the fall, and we're just going through the motions to delay the inevitable at this point. Even at baseline in a best case scenario, large gatherings won't be possible, so big face to face lectures are out of the question. I think it's so irresponsible to keep students on the hook like this rather than make a decision well in advance and allow students maximum time to adjust to the situation. Having to switch gears at the last minute or during the actual semester will not be fun and is not the best decision for students. I'd rather they prepare for the best alternative format semester they could get rather than wait and sabotage it until it's certain they'll be required to move to close campus.
Sorry, rant over!
Sorry, rant over!
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I agree! I feel like campuses are being very over-optimistic because they don't want students to defer or decline... this is obviously in their financial interests, but its not in the best interests of students.
samiss1212
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Hello! This is my very first time posting on here but I would love to get some guidance! I am stuck between Emory and UMN for my MPH in EPI. On one hand, the University of Minnesota gave me a decent amount in scholarships (in-state grad tuition and 6,000 scholarship) and would be 4 hours from home, as well as it looks like there are tons of employment opportunities I can get in public health as a student. But on the other hand I also got into Emory's Global Epi program (15000 in incentive award, 3500 Americorps scholarship, 5000 real and 33k in loans) and would have the opportunity to network with some people down there, I'm still apprehensive about the debt coming out of it? And with COVID19 and moving to Atlanta, I'm worried that this wouldn't be a financially intelligent decision for me to make especially if we end up moving online for the fall? If anyone has any insight to ease my decision, that would be great!
I emailed to ask about this before today's email and they said they were currently working on on-campus classes with social distancing measures but do not have a final plan. The backup plan is online classes until it's safe to return to campus. They've said if it is delayed, they're "optimistic that it won't be the whole year."
Of course, they have financial interests in trying to keep classes on campus. But the reality is that it's hard to predict what the situation will be in three months. I assume they won't be able to tell us what's going on until the summer which makes it hard to plan anything.
Surely there are some classes that can't be held in person, though. Many large universities have rooms just big enough for the classes they hold. In undergrad, I had large lectures where there weren't enough seats in the first few weeks before people dropped. Those won't be possible to hold in-person with social distancing. I'm obviously not in on the discussions being had about how to adapt, but it seems like there isn't enough space nor enough instructors to space out physical distance and split classes into smaller sections. It's just so wild to me that schools are confidently reassuring students that they will have classes face to face, with no caveats provided yet.
It's also rather annoying because there are students who will undoubtedly be unable to attend in the fall, such as people with compromised immune systems, disabled students who may have COVID-19 related barriers, people who may need to take care of family closer to home, and international students who literally cannot enter the country. I am almost certain universities will accommodate individual cases like those, but I think the only safe and equitable way to do this for everyone is via alternative instruction methods, unfortunately.
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Atlanta is a hot spot right now, though the surrounding population density isn't nearly as high as other hot spots in the northeast like boston and new york city, Emory has a large physical campus and they might try the lectures in tents idea, they might like other universities have students sign a release saying that they know they are putting themselves at a small risk of contracting coronavirus in Atlanta, and of passing the virus on to their families, and that the students can't hold the university responsible. Schools like NYU and BU don't have physical campuses really, and they are in high population density centers and very much active coronavirus hotspots right now, Columbia might have physical room, University of Michigan might have some space, but they are in another hotspot and you've got crazy protesters against the governor with guns periodically visiting the state capitol and her home to protest. I think Californian schools look best right now in terms of staying open and having physical space for classes and ok weather for having some classes outside.
I think that in Cuomo's plan for "reopening" NYC the very last phase would be reopening schools.
Probably a lot of schools are waiting to see which school will be first to say, "We're not going to have physical classes, we're going to err on the side of caution.", everybody is afraid students will flock away to other schools. There is definitely the risk of a bait and switch where they string along students and as late as possible tell them that they're going online but that students need to pay higher tuition due to costs associated with coronavirus or schools open partially and then shutdown when a second wave hits in fall. With private schools without a physical campus, it is generally acknowledged that students are paying extremely high tuition for living in an urban city center like Boston or New York, take away that part of the 'experience', even with schools that are partially open, and it is a much different experience if large sections of an urban area are under quarantine and your experience is like being on house arrest paying for overprice meals and board. Some schools might require an antibody test to live in certain dorms, other students might be isolated away in a different location.
Also, Dr. Fauci says that there will be coronavirus in the fall, and new research seems to indicate that a new more contagious form of the virus has emerged (and is possibly more virulent and leads to a higher viral load), and some researchers are saying that getting infected with coronavirus now might make you more susceptible to a second infection in the future.
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