<p>After a student's sophomore year, most of those students who live off campus do so by choice. I only knew one group of three students who were left without on-campus housing when they really wanted it. They ended up getting a place off-campus and had no complaints. Or, at least, they didn't complain to me.</p>
<p>When I was a student there, I managed to get on-campus housing easily for all four years. Granted, the housing was done differently back then (they use a lottery system now), but the number of available beds has increased since the Village was built.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that the university is planning on building new dorms in the near future. I'm not sure of an expected completion date, but those students who will enter as freshmen in the Fall of 2007, they may have even less to worry about when they enter their junior year.</p>
<p>If a current rising junior is reading this and they want advice, here's what I'll offer - don't have your heart set on one particular dorm. Be mindful of wanting to live on campus, and have a prioritized list of where you want to live. That way, if your first and even second choices are full, you have options and back-up plans. </p>
<p>I would also suggest visiting a site like Craigslist and getting an idea of the apartments around the area; size, price, location, parking situation, etc. Most of the apartments listed on Craigslist for the Waltham area are done by owners/occupants and not realtors (meaning no fees and no annoying sales weasels breathing down your neck). If you see a place that piques your interest, swing by for a visit. That way if you're locked out of housing for the coming year, you a) have a plan of where to live off-campus, b) have a contact that can help you find a place, c) have a budget and a price range for what you want to spend, d) have an idea what's available and what the apartment will feel like, and d) have a list of the features you want and need to make a final decision.</p>
<p>To give you an example - I recently moved across the country and had little idea as to the apartment situation I'd be moving in to. I found a place online that I liked, but they wanted me to sign the paperwork before I even left Boston. I refused to sign anything until I saw it, and I swear, that even with starting a new job, even moving 3000 miles away from the only home I've ever known, even leaving all of my friends and family behind - the apartment situation was the one that stressed me out the most. It wasn't until I got there and saw the place that I was able to relax and actually enjoy it.</p>
<p>That was far longer than it needed to be.</p>