<p>My D is a freshman at BoCo, loving it and doing really well in her classes. She’s in a dorm but next year she’ll be off campus (dorms are for freshmen only, generally). Apparently, the first week back to school in January, kids start booking apartments for the next year. It is frantic and pressured and we never really had the talk with our D about how to handle this very grown-up task. We have to come up with a tidy sum for deposits, too, and we didn’t expect to have to do this RIGHT NOW. Boston is a seriously expensive town!</p>
<p>So my advice to prospective BoCo parents is to BE PREPARED with an extra grand or two in late January, and if you can possibly accompany your kid back to the school to look at apartments, do it. This is a learning opportunity for my D, I know, but just BRACE YOURSELF.</p>
<p>wait so...if I could possibly be a freshman next year and I'm going to be living off campus..will I be able to find an apartment????
I'm 21, and have 59 completed college credits, but I'll be starting from scratch. But I will be able to live off campus. I wont know until march though, am I screwed?</p>
<p>They're not requiring you to live in a dorm? This is a toughie. You don't know anyone with whom you could share an apartment, and renting something on your own will be way expensive. It is likely that some kids who are now signing leases won't be back in September, so you maybe you can take over someone's share. Not ideal...but in a dorm you're rooming with strangers anyway.</p>
<p>Since I'm 21 and I have a certain amount of credits, its not required. My best friend goes to BoCo now, but his building is making him tell them if he will be renewing his lease, he has to tell them by next month. Since I wont know where I will be going until April-ish. He's out. I'm hoping to find a studio, I live in Westchester county, so I'm used to paying insane amounts of money to live now. Idealy, I'd like to be alone in a single, but I guess I will have to se how it plays out.</p>
<p>You're definitely not screwed. I'm a freshman BoCo MT now and was concerned with finding an apartment off campus in the beginning of March. I was originally planning to be an RA at school but the application process is extremely competitive and it's a heavy workload so I opted out of it. If I had gone through with the process, I would not have known if I were hired until mid- March. There are a large number of students taking this risk, preparing to find apartments later in March if necessary. Talk to Kim Russell, the housing director. She is fantastic and when I spoke with her about these concerns she assured me that a large majority of students are able to find housing after March for the coming school year. It is a common myth that you HAVE to sign a lease in January. I just signed mine and the realtor I went through told me that some of his best listings come out later in the year. Most of them come out in January, early Febuary, but you WILL be able to find a place. Don't stress too much!! </p>
<p>Also- you can live on campus after your Freshman year if you wish. It's just a matter of personal preference.</p>
<p>Hope this helped! :) Best of luck!</p>
<p>Talking to housing at the conservatory may reassure you. There is movement throughout the year with students leaving or finding job opportunities. My child also signed her renewable lease this January and was concerned if she has to leave due to the economy.The housing Dept is there to help and just make sure they know about you. They felt that while it is nerve wracking waiting till the last minute , people are often looking for new room mates. It seems that most shared apartments will cost you from $650 up including heat and this would be within walking distance of the college.</p>
<p>If you must find housing after the first year, then am I to assume the cost of BOCO goes up with the high cost of rent in Boston. So instead of $49,500 we will be looking at $53,000. Tell me it isn’t so!!!</p>
<p>One of the factors is where you want to be housed… if you want to be right around the corner from school then you are probably looking around $1000 a month per BR in a 2-3 BR apt so in that case the cost will go up over what BoCo charges for room and board… but you should be able to keep it the same by looking at other areas to live in…</p>
<p>I have a current junior who has spent $650 to $750 for apartment rentals, Sharing a bedroom once and currently in a two bed in a very nice apartment 5 min from BoCo. Rent includes heating however cable is an extra. Both apartments have been round the corner from the conservatory. The killer was paying 13 months of rent for a 12 month lease and that seems the norm.
Next year will be better with a three bed across the Fen for $600 a month because there is an existing lease.
We have kept our costs down since the Freshman Year because BoCo’s room and board was more expensive.
Hidden extra costs come from the travel to auditions in airfares and hotels mostly kids stay in hotels together ,Travel began in the Sophmore Year.
Trips to NYC are cheap on the $15 bus</p>
<p>Dieselbt, when I’m visiting BoCo I stay across the Fens on Park, but I won’t walk across the Fens after dark…the freshmen were warned against doing it. Taking the long way around the Fens is a hike and a half. I admit I am paying a premium for a place very close to the school, but given the late rehearsals and other events, I don’t want my D walking too far or taking the T late at night.</p>
<p>PS: My D started the apartment hunting as soon as she got back from winter break…we had no chance to discuss the fine points with her, like what’s included, what to look for, location, etc. Hence my warning to incoming parents to be prepared!</p>
<p>I hear you about the Fen it is a less than desirable place to be at the night . However having spent 3 years at BoCo making the decision to live across the bridge is based on having friends live there very succesfully.
Things are really changing at BoCo next year due to the remodel of the main stage and some classes will be taken across the Fen so our students will be going to different places instead of being so centralized.
There is a miriad of alley ways surrounding BoCo’s main campus too and that has always had us nervous but honestly there are students walking about all the time and they go together so we’ve had no problems .</p>
<p>I have to agree more with Skwidjymom and BwayRocks. Last year my D wanted an apartment near Symphony which we thought would be a safe environment. Being from a large law enforcement family I decided to do a little detective work and called the Boston Police Community Relations Officer. Not only did they not think it was a good idea, he also had an officer who patrolled the area regularly call me as well. Without going into too much detail, we killed the deal. Any apartment close to Boco is expensive (in the $1,000+ range). As parents we always lean towards the safe side (it’s our job). Students lean towards fearlessness.</p>
<p>Thanks for all this insight. If DS is accepted to BoCo next year this is something to consider and plan for. Practical advice such as this is invaluable!</p>
<p>Boston is an expensive city…landlords know that somewhere a parent is footing the bill and will pay for proximity and safety. Still, it is a WONDERFUL city, and my D is loving the school and loving exploring the city. And if I am going visit my kid at school for the next 4 years, at least it is a great place with terrific food and entertainment. Every time I drive to BoCo, I keep repeating to myself, “at least it isn’t Ithaca.” (No slight at Ithaca the school intended!)</p>
<p>JUST BACK from moving my sophomore into her first apartment, which she shares with two friends. Here’s what I learned: </p>
<p>*DON’T MOVE IN ON SEPTEMBER 1 if you can possibly avoid it. It is a madhouse. Picture a disaster movie where people are evacuating a large city in a panic. We waited until September 2 and it was very quiet.
*If your kid has picked out IKEA furniture, make sure they have second and third choices because the store outside Boston will be out of a lot of stuff. Two pieces my D had her heart set on were out of stock (you can check on line) so we bought them at an IKEA close to home and schlepped them along with everything else. One of her roomies had to drive all the down to New Haven to get what she wanted.
*If you are buying furniture, even at IKEA, get it delivered. I didn’t, and I wish I had…I should have saved my strength and patience for assembling the stuff and walking back to the car to re-feed the meter.
*I resisted the urge to buy kitchen stuff lo these many months and I am glad I did. Pots, pans, flatware, etc., just get passed down and around from grads to undergrads, and my D’s kitchen is already stocked.
*Bring a big old ugly keychain or hideous lanyard for the mailbox key. AND LOTS OF MONEY.</p>