
Decision for 2020-21 Academic Year - jbegley
https://www.fas.harvard.edu/fas-decision-2020-2021-academic-year
======
ralmidani
My understanding is a lot of universities are playing bait-and-switch,
announcing unrealistic plans to reopen in the Fall in order to get
deposits/tuition, but secretly knowing they'll be 'forced' to move everything
online again. I admire Harvard's transparency, although having a multi-
billion-dollar endowment does make this decision easier for them than it would
be for struggling institutions.

FWIW, I personally think distance learning is underrated, although I have been
doing it for years so I've had time to become accustomed to it. I can
understand why some students (including my wife) do not like it, and may never
like it.

From a strategic perspective, I can see universities like Harvard
strengthening their brand by opening up more of their classes to the general
public (and maybe even giving credit for a bigger chunk of them via the
Extension School). This might hurt a lot of the smaller institutions and lead
to consolidation, but I'm undecided on whether that would be a bad thing.

~~~
geophile
The pandemic is particularly challenging for a school like Harvard, as it
makes the implicit thing obvious: a prestige school like Harvard is about the
social connections _far_ more than the education. If you get one semester on
campus, maybe, then what’s the point? You can get an online education
anywhere, for far less money.

~~~
jedberg
Harvard is fairly cheap to attend, less than a state school for most, and free
if your parents make under $65K. They were forced to do that a few years ago
so the government wouldn't start taxing their endowment.

[https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-
finance/12301...](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-
finance/123014/what-harvard-actually-costs.asp)

~~~
kbenson
> free if your parents make under $65K

Which means that in the city I live in, if both parents work full time minimum
wage jobs, their child _might_ be able to go for free, since the minimum wage
here is $15. It would even be slightly harder if the parents worked in San
Francisco, since minimum wage is a few cents more there. I doubt anyone in
that situation feels like that minimum wage is making it easy to live in the
area.

Programs meant to accept people from across the nation that peg goals/limits
to specific income amounts don't seem to make all that much sense to me. :/

~~~
skrtskrt
I worked in a financial aid office for some time.

There are thresholds and guidelines, but in my experience financial aid
officers have a lot of flexibility and discretion. They look at the complete
picture, including assets, number of other siblings that are dependents/in
college, etc.

You can also appeal the financial aid decision, and just going to that trouble
will often get you a bit more aid if you have a decent reason.

The depressing part was how many people obviously lie and misrepresent their
financial situation to try to cheapen their student's aid cost. Not that I can
really blame them, even if you make enough money that your kids don't qualify
for aid, $70,000+ per year per child is just out of hand. And there's
basically no risk to trying, the aid officers just look at it and are like
"obvious lie, rejected" or "possible lie, ask for supporting
evidence/documents".

~~~
danans
> Not that I can really blame them, even if you make enough money that your
> kids don't qualify for aid, $70,000+ per year per child is just out of hand.

At a high enough income level, is it out of hand? If the parents' income is,
say 7 figures per year, why not charge even more, and in doing so increase the
assistance to those making closer to the median household income?

~~~
skrtskrt
Oh I definitely agree with you in principle.

I just think that

1) the price tag is inflated in the first place

2) at many income levels that are too high to qualify for aid, $70k per child
per year still _really_ stings and I can understand the reaction to try to cut
the corners a bit.

~~~
danans
> 1) the price tag is inflated in the first place

Inflated relative to what? The cost of providing the education? Or relative to
its perceived value? The latter ultimately dictates the price. Perhaps $70k is
the point after which really wealthy people say rebel and refuse to send their
children there, regardless of how small a portion of their wealth it is?

> 2) at many income levels that are too high to qualify for aid, $70k per
> child per year still really stings

I agree, which is why I wonder why the $70k limit for those well above the
income level where it stings.

Then again, a higher top-level tuition depends a lot on the distribution of
very wealthy parents whose kids attend Harvard vs the just upper middle class
(there is a large difference between the income/wealth those two groups after
all, bigger than between the middle and upper middle-class, given the
exponential shape of the wealth distribution curve).

And perhaps the very wealthy (let's say in today's terms net worth in the mid
10 millions and up) already make significant donations to the University, so
it would be meaningless to raise tuition to i.e. $90k in that case.

------
gringoDan
I left college for a semester, then re-enrolled and graduated. It's incredibly
easy to do.

If I were a current Harvard student, I'd drop out for the next year. Take some
community college courses, work, travel (in a COVID-responsible way...maybe
road trips only).

This is a unique opportunity to get off of the well-trodden path and far
preferable to sitting in front of a computer in your parents' house for a
year.

There is a huge safety net once you've gotten into an Ivy or other top school.
Best case scenario, you start a business and _no longer need Harvard_ , a la
Zuckerberg or Gates. Worst case scenario, you graduate broke at 23 (with some
great stories), rather than broke at 22 (without the stories).

The value of a college degree is:

1) Signaling/exclusivity (the diploma)

2) The connections you make

3) The subject matter that you learn

4) The social environment – all of the benefits of adulthood with none of the
responsibilities

Distance learning only hits #3 on that list. Harvard can get away with
charging full tuition for its classes because...it's Harvard. So it also hits
#1. But the majority of schools are in for a rude awakening when they realize
that students were paying for the social environment and aren't willing to, in
the words of Good Will Hunting, _" Waste $150,000 on an education you coulda
got for $1.50 in late fees at the public library."_

~~~
opportune
Unless you urgently need to start a business right now, I don’t see how this
has a higher expected value compared to doing the same after you graduate.

~~~
albntomat0
I'm not the original commenter, but I'd bet their logic is that the value of
being at Harvard for 2020-2021 is less than that of Harvard for 2021-2022.

The expected value of a startup (heavily dependent on what type of startup...)
is the same either this year or next, but the opportunity cost is less.

~~~
gringoDan
Original commenter, I endorse this reply :)

------
code4tee
COVID-19 will likely be a watershed moment for higher education in the US.
Many colleges and universities will likely never return to what they had
before. There will be immense pressure to rethink how the whole system works
and the cost structures therein.

At many schools the cost increases over the last few decades have very little
to do with increasing the quality of education and a lot to do with
unnecessary expenses and ever growing administrative bloat. It’s going to be
hard for schools to justify their cost when they’re running essentially an
online school and that’s the first step towards the whole house of cards
falling apart. Expect to see a lot of changes in the coming years. It will be
painful but for the best in the long term in getting schools back to basics of
providing education.

Schools like Harvard will be fine but outside the top tier it’s about to get
real ugly.

~~~
peruvian
I graduated from an expensive-but-not-elite private school (with a full
scholarship). By the time I graduated it was over half international students,
particularly in the MBA programs.

Not sure what they'll do now. I think these institutions have to massively
change their priorities in the coming ten years to survive.

That said, a friend of mine has a cousin that's an international student from
China. Apparently her school (large state school) is offering online classes
in China time!

~~~
Balgair
ICE's decision is going to radically impact this. In-person classes or bust. I
cannot imagine the migraines that sub-50 university presidents are having
today.

------
ryanSrich
Imagine paying the fee for a Harvard MBA and missing out on arguably the most
valuable aspect of it - nepotism and networking.

~~~
screye
I find it completely absurd that so many people are happy about remote
classrooms.

Online videos and assignments at most top universities have been available for
free for years now. Universities are entirely about the advantage of learning
in person, peer groups and signalling.

If the value of university when remote remains the same for your
major/university, then it is a scathing indictment of the in-classroom
experience the major/university offered.

If I found myself in such a situation, the first thing I would do is un-enroll
and reflect on the stupid financial decisions I've made.

I hope this is a wake up call for middling private universities and non-
lucrative majors that can be easily made remote. A $100k+ fee for something
that can be accessed online for free without any real loss in value is highway
robbery.

~~~
vkou
> Online videos and assignments at most top universities have been available
> for free for years now. Universities are entirely about the advantage of
> learning in person, peer groups and signalling.

If anyone seriously doubts this, consider that pretty much any young person in
America can just walk into a university lecture hall, and sit through all the
classes they could ever wish for, without paying a cent. [1] Nobody takes
attendance, and if you look like a student, nobody's going to notice that
you're not actually enrolled in the class.

And yet, _nobody actually does this_! Instead, millions of people pay hundreds
of thousands of dollars in tuition, so that their attendance will be
officially recorded.

Those people aren't stupid. They aren't paying for the education, they are
paying for everything besides the education.

[1] Okay, it may cost you a few hundred dollars per year to buy second-hand,
old-edition books, if you can't be arsed to study at the university library.
This is much less of a financial hurdle than having the luxury to devote 20-40
hours/week on attending classes, and doing classwork.

~~~
hansvm
> Universities are entirely about the advantage of learning in person, peer
> groups and signalling.

As long as "learning in person" includes one-on-one time with your professors
and access to a university library I agree with you 100%.

> without paying a cent

It's pretty easy to get into hot water with the university if you have any
legal ties to them (e.g. by having been a student). It's common to require
some fraction of ordinary tuition to sit in on classes.

> Nobody takes attendance, and if you look like a student, nobody's going to
> notice that you're not actually enrolled in the class.

Enough people do take attendance, or at least take a look at the roster ahead
of time (in smaller classes). I had a better success rate speaking with the
professor ahead of time and asking if they minded. It's also worth mentioning
that not all professors are willing to put in extra one-on-one time with an
unofficial student.

> nobody actually does this

Admittedly the slip of paper at the end was important to me, but I saved a
little money taking some of the classes I wanted unofficially, and I wasn't
the only person in my university peer group to do so. It was also a nice way
to sidestep some bureaucratic prerequisite issues for classes outside my
major.

~~~
vkou
Many university libraries don't check ID at the door, and many paying students
don't take advantage of 1:1 professor or TA office hours.

Yes, this sort of thing is discouraged - but my point is that anyone who
wanted to learn what is being taught in CALC 405, or what-have-you can
currently do so, under the table, for essentially free.

~~~
hansvm
I totally agree that anyone who wants to learn the contents of most courses
can do so for free, including the 1:1 interactions, networking, and library
access (many universities not only don't check ID but actively encourage the
broader community to visit and research).

My argument was a mild push-back, pointing out that it's more difficult in
some respects (e.g., you might not have access to some of your preferred
professors), and that it _does_ actually happen occasionally.

Do you have any insight into why more people don't take advantage of that
opportunity? Anecdotally, before I attended university I didn't value a
college education beyond the slip of paper at the end, and even if I had
wanted just the education without the degree I wouldn't have known that I
could just sit in on my classes.

~~~
vkou
> Do you have any insight into why more people don't take advantage of that
> opportunity?

Because they correctly value the learning to be worth ~$X,000, but the
accreditation to be worth ~$YZ,000.

When you put things that way, the 20-40 hours/week of time that goes into
getting an education becomes a lot less of a good investment, if the only
payoff is that you get to learn.

------
num3ric
Wise decision, but this renders the cost of education (in US universities)
even more unjustifiable.

~~~
wpasc
Agreed entirely, but the cost of a US college degree is often more about the
credential level signaling and showing that you were tenacious enough to win
the college entrance competition than it is about acquiring skills.

~~~
staycoolboy
Wow, that's wickedly cynical.

I don't know how I would have learned how to become an RF engineer if it
weren't for a four year BSEE that focused heavily on DiffEq, Complex Math,
Fields & Waves, and Discrete Systems... and access to patient and friendly
(mostly) professors for help during open office hours, which were a necessity
(for me, anyway).

I'm pretty sure I would not have been able to teach this to myself with
YouTube videos. But maybe you've had better luck?

~~~
p1esk
I'm pretty sure many people would be able to learn it much faster if they
didn't have to sit through countless boring lectures:

[https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/myprojects/mit-
challenge-2/](https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/myprojects/mit-challenge-2/)

~~~
sushisource
That is really amazing, but I'd just like to point out how amusing it is that
he looks _really tired_ in the thumbnail of that video.

~~~
p1esk
Yeah, it’s almost like if he was partying all night :)

------
pwthornton
Having taught a semester online, I think you can do really good teaching
online, but you need a few things:

1) Small class sizes. Mine was under 15. Otherwise, very little discussion
happens 2) A lot of work & learning assigned outside of class 3) Time each
class for sub-groups

I do think they will have to adjust the tuition. It is hard to justify paying
60k or whatever Harvard charges for online education. It is objectively much,
much cheaper to deliver.

Schools will need to invest in a lot more online tools and training, however.

I don't understand how larger class sizes will happen, unless they are going
completely lecture.

The other thing I did with my small class was set up a Slack channel. I was
available daily to chat about whatever and give feedback and work through
concepts.

I spent a tremendous amount of time chatting with students on Zoom and Slack
inbetween classes when I taught online last semester.

The idea that good online teaching is just like some free MOOC is not reality-
based. It needs to be very hands-on.

~~~
screye
My friend just did a full course load remote summer semester it was
significantly more taxing.

Group study is harder. Keeping attention in class is harder. Having your eyes
stuck to a screen the whole day is harder.

> The idea that good online teaching is just like some free MOOC is not
> reality-based. It needs to be very hands-on.

Kudos to you. From what I've seen, online courses continue to be MOOC-esque or
even worse. At least MOOCs have mature systems in place that facilitate
learning through their system, however inefficient.

------
the_svd_doctor
Interestingly, DHS just decided today that international students cannot
maintain their legal status with a 100% online education
[https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-
ex...](https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-
nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-
during?fbclid=IwAR1q6W8g6uikfadS8eZDZI8ocer-Pv-mxEg5RWGZIwmb6lCu58KRklAgoL8)

~~~
koheripbal
It's hard to argue with that.

~~~
bransonf
Well, there are some consequences we must consider.

Foreign student populations contribute a great deal of money to Universities.
It is typical at many private institutions that foreign students pay 100%
sticker price.

If that institution goes full online, many international students may be
unwilling to give up their immigration status and transfer. Likewise,
institutions with large immigrant cohorts may be pressured to remain in-person
to retain these financials (compounded by the fact that they are financially
struggling as is).

Similarly, access to broadband is often taken for granted in the United
States. You cannot guarantee in other countries that you will have sufficient
access to fast and free (as in unrestricted) internet access. At which point,
you simply cannot remain enrolled at your current institution. (Essentially
you would get deported, and lose a year of your education)

The social issue of immigration aside, I think in economic terms this could be
pressuring universities, and in perhaps the wrong way.

------
DebtDeflation
If I'm reading this correctly, all incoming Freshman will spend Fall semester
living on campus and all graduating Seniors will do likewise for Spring
semester, however all courses will be online only. I can't imagine doing
online coursework from the dorm and I'm not sure what kind of safety is being
gained by just avoiding the classroom while social interactions continue.

------
mahaganapati
I'm confused why there is still so much fear and abnormal life in the US when
the US CDC says the mortality rate is miniscule, e.g. [1]. We're not
completely back to normal yet in Vietnam, but a lot closer.

[1] [https://reason.com/2020/05/24/the-cdcs-new-best-estimate-
imp...](https://reason.com/2020/05/24/the-cdcs-new-best-estimate-implies-a-
covid-19-infection-fatality-rate-below-0-3/)

~~~
dharmab
Severe COVID cases cause permanent disability, ranging from permanent
respiratory disability to rendering the patient diabetic.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIJYfsOyO4M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIJYfsOyO4M)

~~~
umanwizard
Anecdotes exist, yes, but is there any data on what the probability of this
happening is?

~~~
dharmab
The link in my comment has no fewer than 13 peer-reviewed sources for you to
check out in the description pane.

------
legitster
I recently talked to someone who worked in higher ed administration, and they
said that Covid may sink hundreds of smaller private colleges across the
country that have quietly been on the financial brink this whole time. So they
are all focused on keeping as much revenue coming in as possible.

On the other side of all of this, I am imagining a world where higher
education is not nearly as important as we pretend it is now.

------
wycy
> plans to bring up to 40% of our undergraduates to campus, including all
> first-year students, for the fall semester. Assuming that we maintain 40%
> density in the spring semester, we would again bring back one class, and our
> priority at this time is to bring seniors to campus

I'm not sure what exactly is achieved by having 40% density if that decreased
density isn't evenly distributed. Unless I'm misreading, the incoming Freshman
classes will all be at 100% density.

~~~
ksml
Why would the density need to be distributed across classes? I think the idea
is to have fewer people in the dorms, so that e.g. no one shares a room, to
reduce potential for spread of disease.

~~~
Traster
You want to have fewer people in each class so that they don't have to be in
such close proximity to each other.

~~~
mennis16
I think the classes are going to remain mostly online though, the frosh coming
in person is more for orientation type stuff.

------
fireflux_
Apparently ICE won't let international students stay in the US in an "online
only" school [0]. Makes me realize that as convenient as it is to be able to
get education online, having fast internet speed is a privilege.

[0]:
[https://twitter.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/12802074875730698...](https://twitter.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1280207487573069827)

~~~
the_svd_doctor
You're correct. Original press release is
[https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-
ex...](https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-
nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-
during?fbclid=IwAR1q6W8g6uikfadS8eZDZI8ocer-Pv-mxEg5RWGZIwmb6lCu58KRklAgoL8)

------
otoburb
I hope they and other universities increase vision insurance/benefits. From
experience, staying glued to a Zoom screen for over >6hrs a day for an
extended period of time places tremendous strain on the eyes.

------
yingw787
I remember one inspiring story from a few years ago, a student who did janitor
work to pay family bills before going to Harvard:
[https://www.cnn.com/2012/06/07/us/from-janitor-to-
harvard/in...](https://www.cnn.com/2012/06/07/us/from-janitor-to-
harvard/index.html)

Hope colleges can prioritize students from underprivileged backgrounds. They
might even be safer on campus.

------
matthewfcarlson
I've been attending online courses this semester (I'm a part-time masters
student) and it has been interesting comparing them to my on-campus courses.
At first, I was glad to not have to make the trip down there after work since
the buses don't run often enough in the evening and it can be easy to be stuck
waiting in the cold. But as time went on, I began to be frustrated. I'm paying
frankly exorbitant amounts of money and getting basically, a live Udemy course
with 20-40 other people at the same time. Previously, a lot of the value was
the interaction with the professor and my peers. While I do think virtual
education, done right, is indeed highly undervalued but also rarely done well.
I don't think I should be paying the same amount for a frankly worse product.

I'm curious to see how universities adapt to this in the future.

------
slugiscool99
Here's Cornell's email to students if anyone was curious:

[https://www.scribd.com/document/468208772/Cornell-Mail-
Plans...](https://www.scribd.com/document/468208772/Cornell-Mail-Plans-to-
Reactivate-Ithaca-Campus-for-Fall-Semester)

------
annoyingnoob
I would hope that Harvard students could adapt pretty easily. The public
school my kids go to will only be open 2 days per week next year, mostly for
tech support. That is a real travesty for the kids, especially with Mom and
Dad going to work, the kids will be one their own often trying to get it done.
I'll be spending my evenings playing teacher after a full day of work. I
refuse to let me kids fall behind, its obvious that the government won't do
anything but send kids home and hope for the best. The kids need the classroom
and need to be social. Not looking for my family to get covid but we need to
do more to educate the next generation.

------
vmchale
Consequences of an utterly inept pandemic response.

~~~
nick_kline
What would be a good strategy? I think this makes sense for students and for
professors, think of vulnerable people, the cost of going there and then the
later canceling.

------
pjdemers
I have two children in college. One college announced a similar plan, half of
students on campus at a time. If the plan is followed through, then, the class
of 2022 will spend 17 straight months on campus, from January 2021 until
graduation in May 2022. The college held an online question and answer for
parents. The question of burn out for the class of 2022 came up. The school
president's answer was: That's a problem we would love to have. Basically, the
school thinks there will be several more complete shutdowns over the next few
years.

------
modzu
looking back at all of the things i most appreciated about going to
university, classes are near the bottom of the list. you cant put a price on
the relationships you form, the labs, the teams and companies that you spin
off, the hands on activities with tools and technology and artifacts you could
never access otherwise, even simply being away somewhere you didnt grow up.
you dont just put that on the internet anymore than you can expect cybersex to
yield offspring

------
paxys
It's crazy how much the entire country is outraged over Harvard's tuition
during COVID. Maybe worry about getting in first? Or even better, focus your
anger on your state university system's funding and tuition costs.

The majority of Harvard students receive financial aid anyways, and a fifth of
them pay nothing. Whether online classes are worth it or not remains to be
seen, but it's not a decision the country's masses have to make.

------
LatteLazy
With more companies going to WFH and distributed models (even before
coronavirus), I think its important for people to learn the skills needed. So
I don't see why more (high) schools and universities don't do WFH at least
some of the time.

Obviously there is more to university than logging in and watching a video
lecture etc. But given the new normal, airs not a bad thing to have to do that
sometimes...

------
gz5
So first year students can live on campus in the fall semester but not attend
classes in person.

I understand all classes having an online option, but am surprised they aren't
mixed modality so the students on campus can be in person.

Is it more difficult/expensive to make a classroom safe than the rest of the
campus? Or professors have pushed back on mixed modality (due to health and/or
logistics concerns)? Or something else?

------
ilyas121
Probably the first MA college that I've seen to say only freshman coming back.
Mine, (WPI) still has been telling every undergrad that everything is only
optionally online, and that they would just convert triples to doubles and the
usual covid guidelines. Freshman-only seems to me more realistic although
disheartening to hear as a rising senior.

~~~
MiroF
> Freshman-only seems to me more realistic although disheartening to hear as a
> rising senior.

I think that most schools will do most everything they can to ensure that the
senior class still has a senior spring.

------
amiga_500
So they are not deluding themselves about how transmissible covid is, nor how
serious it is.

Meanwhile the rest get told to get back to the office.

------
hpoe
So here's a question how are they going to prevent people from sharing the
online courses? Like is there anything that stops someone from sharing or
restreaming their classes?

I mean given what the value of a Harvard education is considered I would think
there would be a lot of people interested in getting access to these courses.

~~~
bmmayer1
I think most people would say the value of a Harvard education is in the name
on your degree, not the content of the courses.

That said, there's a quote from Good Will Hunting that seems appropriate here:
"You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for $1.50 in late fees at
the public library."

~~~
qntty
Most of the value is the friends you make and the informal relationships you
develop with professors and other people at the university. For someone who
already has friends to talk about academic things with, and who doesn't need
the structure of a curriculum, Will is right.

------
mvkel
This move will unveil the commoditization of education.

The value any school provides is campus connection. These campuses become part
of a student’s identity, and drive strong loyalty for life. What happens when
they’re no longer on campus? How does that connection happen?

------
omot
I personally think the value of a Harvard education is not necessarily what
you learn, but who you meet. That's why it's critical for majority of the
student body to be in close proximity to one another. I wonder if they could
crack the challenges of building rapport between students remotely.

------
chanmad29
With the new ICE Directive, I wonder how much of “this is the right thing to
do” will change. From a physical well being perspective, remote is right. But
with International student visa statuses at risk, the onus is now on Harvard
to enable in person classes for those at risk?

~~~
the_svd_doctor
It seems so. If they want to have international students attending (from the
US), it cannot be 100% online.

------
TeeMassive
Now that most courses can be taught online I've always wondered why not more
companies would offer certified examination.

I mean, you follow a course, you get graded in a certified grading facility;
what else remains to justify those absurd tuition fees?

------
aphextron
I love seeing all of these random meaningless "safe limit" numbers with
regards to reopening things. Yeah, 40%, that sounds good right? Sure why not!
Is this based on anything at all but an arbitrary bureaucratic decision? Nope!

~~~
kolbe
Well, it was going to be a minimum 25% to allow all the first-year students
in, because Harvard saw that they were going to defer in droves if they
couldn't go on-campus.

------
Digory
Athletics are going to be reeling.

No announcement yet, but this effectively kills football, no?

------
fullstop
Archive link since the site is hammered:
[https://archive.is/ACRGl](https://archive.is/ACRGl)

------
augustt
Finally, now the rest of us can wait for our administrations to copy them (at
least MIT has been following their every move).

~~~
perpetualpatzer
MIT announced roughly the same plan 2 weeks earlier.

[0] [https://covid19.mit.edu/initial-decisions-about-fall-at-
mit](https://covid19.mit.edu/initial-decisions-about-fall-at-mit)

------
crb002
The only barrier is making cafeterias safe with acrylic barriers and
decentralizing them. Masking works.

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rurban
Preferring seniors to attend the campus and all you fees to stay at home and
learn remote is illogical. Seniors can finalize their exams much easier from
home than juniors who do need the campus and direct contact with many. Seniors
only need their advisor.

But I never thought that Harvard can think logically.

~~~
MiroF
This will be Senior's last impression of the school before they become alumni
(and donors).

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zekrioca
It would be good to emphasize this applies to the Faculty of Arts and
Sciences.

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mlthoughts2018
> “ Tuition will remain as announced for the 2020-21 academic year.”

jfc

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sriram_sun
The brand must go on.

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ManBlanket
Aren't healthy young adults for the most part isolated to a single area sort
of a decent path toward herd immunity while minimizing the death rate of
Covid-19? Wait, but Harvard, they're rich. I forgot it was poor and minorities
charged with face risks for white upper class. Oh, sorry I meant, "essential"
people.

~~~
dragonwriter
> Aren't healthy young adults for the most part isolated to a single area sort
> of a decent path toward herd immunity while minimizing the death rate of
> Covid-19?

No, there’s no such thing. “Herd immunity by infection” is a failure endgame,
not a success goal, and the people involved in in-person instructivo aren’t
categorically young (especially not the instructors) or healthy, much less
exclusively in the intersection of those two sets.

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kolbe
You want to know why people are having difficulty trusting science? Because
the institutions that guide science in the United States seem to frequently
come to self-serving decisions.

In this case, Harvard is not allowing all first years to come to campus
because it's safer; they're doing it because first years are more likely to
defer if they couldn't go to campus.

If scientists want people to listen to them, start helping them. Don't lie
about mask efficiency, because you want the masks for yourselves. Don't make
other people lose their jobs, while continuing to collect your own paycheck.
Don't admonish protests as being unsafe when they're conservative, but bless
them when they're liberal.

