Fall semester college suggestions...all ideas welcome (1 Viewer)

My daughter is going into her sophomore year at Miami University (outside Cincinatti, OH).  The semester start date was pulled forward two weeks in order to get students through the semester prior to Thanksgiving.  Today she learned that they will begin the year online for the first month (mid-August to mid-September).  This was not a surprise to me, nor will it be a surprise if she doesn't step foot onto campus this Fall.  As such, I suggested weeks ago that she rent a house with a few college friends who take Covid as seriously as we do.  As most of her friends are:

• from the Ohio area
  
• not wealthy
  
• (wrongly, IMO) think they will be back on campus soon
  

I suggested that they find a cool, mid-sized town within driving distance of Ohio, with decent hospitals (Covid, remember), good outdoor recreation activities, and people who take social distancing and mask-wearing seriously as we do and...rent a house for a month until they return to campus in mid-September*. 

The poll contains a few locations I came up with, but I am from the northeast and don't really know the midwest very well.  So, am open to ideas beyond what I provided...even crazy ideas.  If you were her/us, where would you begin the Fall semester of your sophomore year?

Have at it and thanks in advance!

*One month rental within driving distance of campus will provide options if they NEVER get back onto campus this Fall:

• Return home if grades aren't satisfactory
  
• Find a new location in a diff town if the group wants a change of scenery
  
• Drop the dead weight if one or more roommates (all known to her, but still...) turns out to be a nightmare
  
• Etc.
  

Are there many one month rentals available in places?  I am far from knowledgeable about the rental industry, but unless it was a vacation destination, I would think one month rentals of anything semi decent would be a difficult find.  

Meh, I'd prefer my kid to either be home or at school (preferably off campus). Why? At school, your kid can take advantage potentially of school extracurriculars. Plus if there are any questions about exposure to Covid you have school resources.

If she goes to a strange city and comes down with a fever do you want her going to some ER at a hospital she doesn't know?

Sounds like a really cool life experience for your daughter if you can swing the cost and are comfortable with the situation. I voted Nashville!

Galileo said:

Are there many one month rentals available in places?  I am far from knowledgeable about the rental industry, but unless it was a vacation destination, I would think one month rentals of anything semi decent would be a difficult find.  

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Great question, there are actually quite a few month-long opps in Asheville, Nasville and Chatanooga.  Haven't looked at other cities yet

JaxBill said:

Meh, I'd prefer my kid to either be home or at school (preferably off campus). Why? At school, your kid can take advantage potentially of school extracurriculars. Plus if there are any questions about exposure to Covid you have school resources.

If she goes to a strange city and comes down with a fever do you want her going to some ER at a hospital she doesn't know?

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I hear ya regarding the school resources and have considered that.  But ultimately have more concerns about school resources being over run in a town of 10000 and college of 15000 students than in a place like Nashville or Asheville

bigbottom said:

Sounds like a really cool life experience for your daughter if you can swing the cost and are comfortable with the situation. I voted Nashville!

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Thanks.  I, too think it could be a great experience. I just think that 3-4 friends who are acting responsibly is better for her development than another semester at home.  That is, I think she'll be safer in the small group than on campus with 15000 fellow students - while still having the experience of living away and socializing with others.

She's a mature near-20 year old, so trying to balance it all.  

My .02.  
 

One son lives in Nashville and does not feel like the area has taken COVID seriously enough or follow precautions well.
 

I live in PA and a different son still in college who lives with me was just tested.  Results pending. Fever, fatigue, tight chest but no trouble breathing at this time.  He’s a college athlete and in top shape.  No risk factors.  However I Still worry about him.  Wife and I have been taking turns checking on him during the night .  I would not be comfortable with him being hours away with friends if his test comes back positive or his symptoms get worse.  

Are you already locked into room (possibly board) at school thus this will be an additional cost?  Are in-person school resources even at your disposable?   I would think that if they're 100% online, that the campus is shutdown to students.   

I would be taking this opportunity to save money and figure out this odd situation together.  I am not opposed to my college junior (I am in basically the same situation) being on her own but I don't see the point of moving part way to college just to get out of the house.  Seems like in these odd times saving money and simplifying as much as possible is good for everyone.  

george said:

My .02.  
 

One son lives in Nashville and does not feel like the area has taken COVID seriously enough or follow precautions well.
 

I live in PA and a different son still in college who lives with me was just tested.  Results pending. Fever, fatigue, tight chest but no trouble breathing at this time.  He’s a college athlete and in top shape.  No risk factors.  However I Still worry about him.  Wife and I have been taking turns checking on him during the night .  I would not be comfortable with him being hours away with friends if his test comes back positive or his symptoms get worse.  

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Yeah...I would not put Nashville in one that is doing well with masks or distancing.

It improves some...but downtown and the push for bars and entertainment from the younger crowd is strong.

Buffalo is a 7 hour drive, has very few cases (around 25 new cases per day for the 1,000,000 people in the county), rent should be cheap, and we have very good grocery stores.  Weather usually won't get bad until November.  Hospitals are good.  We don't have great outdoor stuff, but there are some parks, etc.

But I would probably have her either stay home or go to Miami.

If heat isn't a must then the northern Michigan idea's an interesting one. Depending on what her and her friends are into, probably wouldn't want to stay beyond a month though. It cools off very quickly once fall hits. No clue about hospitals, but the outdoor activities are seemingly endless. 

If heat is a requirement then I'd need something very compelling to talk me off Asheville though. Even if it isn't it still may one-up northern Michigan. Friends of mine live there and have had generally positive things to say about how their community has handled the pandemic. They spend a lot of time outdoors though. And not much in the actual town since kids.

My daughter opted for something similar to this.  She and one her buddies are going to different schools, but they both ended up 100% online and decided to rent an apartment together just off campus from a third school.  Not what I would have chosen at her age, but it's reasonable under the circumstances.  

I voted for Michigan because I like the upper midwest, but you have a lot of good options on that list.

Sounds like a really cool life experience for your daughter if you can swing the cost and are comfortable with the situation. I voted Ashville!

Thanks all.  I suggested Asheville to her for all the reasons several of you mentioned (low case rate, seems like the kind of place that would take this seriously, great outdoor options, etc).  But I have only been there once and wanted to make sure I wasn't push my (50 year old version) of a great hang.

As for the money, it will be a wash for the room and board savings we will get from the school.  And anyway, this would have been her abroad year anyway so am saving money there already and also feeling like she has been SO good over past few months that she deserves better than more home schooling from our kitchen.  Again, provided she can do it smartly and safely...which is still TBD.

Morton Muffley said:

I hear ya regarding the school resources and have considered that.  But ultimately have more concerns about school resources being over run in a town of 10000 and college of 15000 students than in a place like Nashville or Asheville

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Morton Muffley said:

Thanks all.  I suggested Asheville to her for all the reasons several of you mentioned (low case rate, seems like the kind of place that would take this seriously, great outdoor options, etc).  But I have only been there once and wanted to make sure I wasn't push my (50 year old version) of a great hang.

As for the money, it will be a wash for the room and board savings we will get from the school.  And anyway, this would have been her abroad year anyway so am saving money there already and also feeling like she has been SO good over past few months that she deserves better than more home schooling from our kitchen.  Again, provided she can do it smartly and safely...which is still TBD.

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Asheville proper has very few vacation rentals as they are banned by the city in most cases.  Anything less than three months in NC will charge occupancy tax in the 10-15% range.  I would be shocked given the demand for long term rentals someone would rent short term.  I would be shocked that someone with a vacation rental that can get 300-400 a night in fall leaf season would tie up a place for a month.

BassNBrew said:

Asheville proper has very few vacation rentals as they are banned by the city in most cases.  Anything less than three months in NC will charge occupancy tax in the 10-15% range.  I would be shocked given the demand for long term rentals someone would rent short term.  I would be shocked that someone with a vacation rental that can get 300-400 a night in fall leaf season would tie up a place for a month.

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Good to know.  Most of the month-long rentals I am seeing are 15+ minutes from Asheville (i.e. 6 to 20 miles from the center).  I'd actually prefer her a bit out of town (fewer distractions).  Have seen several that are around $3500/month for 3 bedrooms.  Assuming 4-5 of them that's $700-900 each...which seems reasonable to me. Maybe Covid is scaring people away from travelling???

Morton Muffley said:

Good to know.  Most of the month-long rentals I am seeing are 15+ minutes from Asheville (i.e. 6 to 20 miles from the center).  I'd actually prefer her a bit out of town (fewer distractions).  Have seen several that are around $3500/month for 3 bedrooms.  Assuming 4-5 of them that's $700-900 each...which seems reasonable to me. Maybe Covid is scaring people away from travelling???

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Well if you are going to pay that amount, I'll have a 3 berm in West Asheville available September 1 within walking distance of plenty.  $3k a month and I'll cover the taxes and utilities.  I'll write you a 3 month lease with an "out" if a move is required do to school.

BassNBrew said:

Well if you are going to pay that amount, I'll have a 3 berm in West Asheville available September 1 within walking distance of plenty.  $3k a month and I'll cover the taxes and utilities.  I'll write you a 3 month lease with an "out" if a move is required do to school.

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Am interested.  Will DM you once I figure out how to do that.