This summer, Ivy League campuses are going to be quieter and emptier than ever before. Summer courses are being administered through virtual instruction, programs for incoming first-years and high school students have been canceled, and most research labs are closed until further notice. In-person campus tours that attract visitors from around the world have been moved online.
The coronavirus has upended all aspects of university life. Campuses that thrive on in-person interaction have been mostly deserted since March, and many of their futures still remain uncertain. And yet, while there may not be many people to see the campuses, their trees are still in full bloom and sunlight bathes their walkways. This is what Ivy League universities look like as summer begins during the pandemic.
University of Pennsylvania
A sign at the entrance of Locust Walk on 34th and Walnut Streets reminded people to "social distance," "wear mask," and "stay vigilant."
No visitors filled the Perelman Quadrangle, located just outside of the Undergraduate Admissions Visitor Center. Penn is the first Ivy League university to hold live, student-led, virtual tours.
Brown University
The Van Winkle Gates open three times a year: convocation, mid-year convocation, and commencement. In light of this year's virtual commencement, they only opened twice.
People worked on their laptops in front of the Campus Center, typically a hub for student activities.
Columbia University
A student posed for graduation pictures on the Sundial. Columbia has not yet announced when in-person commencement celebrations will be held.
A masked couple walked by the steps of Low Memorial Library as night fell on New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak.
Cornell University
Students still on campus spread out across Libe Slope in small groups.
Collegetown Bagels, a popular eatery just off Cornell's campus, is only open for take-out, curbside pick-up, and delivery.
Dartmouth College
The well-manicured lawns of the Dartmouth Green laid empty.
Dartmouth's Office of Admissions canceled all in-person programming and is offering virtual information sessions and campus tours until further notice.
Harvard University
A masked student walked around campus while video chatting, stopping at the statue of John Harvard.
Only a handful of people lined the Charles River in front of Dunster House, despite the sunny and warm weather.
Princeton University
After chatting on two separate benches on Cannon Green, a couple passed Nassau Hall while leaving campus.
The beautiful weather brought many people to appreciate Princeton's sprawling grounds and towering buildings. Some stopped to photograph Blair Hall.
Yale University
Aside from a few early morning joggers and local residents, Yale's campus was largely deserted.
Gates leading to Yale's 14 residential colleges, as well as the Old Campus Courtyard, were all closed.
