My son maybe getting admission from Stevens Institute of Technology within two weeks.
Pls tell me which dorm is the best choice if he is going to stay dorm till graduate!!
Looking for more facility space, outside space, etc.
Does your son want a community bathroom (down the hall) or a private bathroom in dorm room? My son chose private bathroom and dorming with 2 other boys this semester in Castle Point Hall (no elevator in building for move in or move out) Jonas has private bathroom in dorm room with an elevator.
Did you visit Stevens?
We visited SIT, and also my son attended summer pre-college program, but I did not enter many dorms.
I entered Davis and Humphreys.
I liked Humphreys where my son stayed during summer, but if possible for new and Freshman students, I like also Jonas “Double”, not a “Triple”?, or Palmer?
I think Jonas and Palmer are for upper-class student only?
Is your son a upper-class student?
I cannot advise on particular choices as my son lived in the dorms 5 years ago.
However, you should be aware that while freshman and sophomores are given priority for on campus housing, choices for upperclassmen are variable.
Stevens has a ‘strategic plan’ that includes increasing the student body each year. Meanwhile, there has not been any new construction of dorms in the campus area. Stevens looks to various apartment complexes outside of the campus to provide housing (Stevens leased housing), some of which are located in Hoboken, and some in Weehawkin (neighboring town). A shuttle bus provides service to get to campus.
Link to Stevens leased housing: https://www.stevens.edu/campus-life/residence-life/housing/stevens-leased-housing
Part of the appeal of Stevens (when we first visited) was that it was a small campus and everything was easily accessible. I do not feel this is the case anymore.
Some people may not mind, but it is good to know going in that it may not be possible to stay in “on-campus housing” (or even in Stevens leased housing in Hoboken) for the entire 4-5 years.
Living on your own, off campus: https://www.stevens.edu/campus-life/residence-life/housing/living-campus I would advise everyone to do a search of rental costs so that you know the facts going in.
The Stevens strategic plan includes replacing the current Jacobus and Hayden Halls with a new, multistory dorm that would have approximately three times the capacity of the existing Hayden Hall. The student center spaces that now are housed in Jacobus would be an annex of the proposed new building. While that doesn’t increase dorm space on campus at this moment, Stevens has recognized more on-campus dorms are needed and is working to meet that need. Nothing in Hoboken is more than 15 minutes, even walking, from campus. When I attended Stevens there was no shuttle service between the campus and the (then) one or two off campus leased spaces. The shuttle runs frequently enough that traveling between the off-campus apartments and the campus is really a non-issue.
The project has been delayed from its original time frame and so I can only comment on the current situation. Does anyone know when construction on the new dorms will begin? That would be good to know for students currently making their decisions.
Off-campus leased housing is something propsective students may not consider, and so may not be in line with their expectations, as I feel is the case with the OP.
Some people do not mind walking 15 minutes to get to class; some do. Some people may not mind a shuttle. Others may have expected to spend all four years in an on-campus dorm where they can roll out of bed 5 minutes before class.
And what about the requirement of a meal plan, even for students who live in apartments that are part of Stevens leased housing? In prior years, they have not required a meal plan for students living in apartments. Why is this a new requirement? https://www.stevens.edu/campus-life/residence-life/room-board-rates
I have known some upperclassmen to not get a space in the springtime lottery. They were eventually accommodated later, but some people would not like the feeling of not knowing where they will live until a later date.
Finding housing on one’s own is another option, but I would caution people to take a good look at current rental prices and even tour some of the available rentals to see what you get for the price. btw I would advise this for any prospective college applicant, but especially for Stevens, as Hoboken rents are high in general, Stevens housing is limited, and commuting into and out of Hoboken can be a chore.
**There is a shuttle that transports the Weehawken residents from their Stevens leased housing to campus and back but I think that runs every 30 minutes.
Not sure of the estimated construction date for the new dorm, but I will try to find out. I believe one of the Strategic Plan descriptions on Stevens’ website has this information. With respect to cost of housing, yes, by all means all prospective students should check out rentals in the area (regardless of the school). Rents in Hoboken are expensive, as they would be in any city that is in a vibrant economy. I agree with you on the meal plans, Stevens should not require them for off-campus residents, additionally, when I attended Stevens only freshmen were required to have a meal plan regardless of where they resided.
@engineer80 I do not know the reason for the meal plan requirement, but my guesses are 1) to encourage students to seek off-campus housing and take a bit of the burden off Stevens housing or 2) money grab.
The other point I forgot to mention is that when you are living in Stevens leased housing, it is not as convenient to pop over to the dining hall for meals as when you are on campus. Even Rutgers doesn’t require a meal plan for apartment dwellers and they have a dining hall on every campus.
There is so much cheap takeout available all over Hoboken that even dorm dwellers would do fine without a meal plan.
“Money grab” is amusing. I doubt that is the reason. Aside from fast food most of Hoboken’s restaurants aren’t exactly cheap. I think if one ate in restaurants three times a day the cost would be comparable to or greater than the meal plan. If one were to cook for themselves that is likely the least expensive option. Rutgers by the way charges an “athletic fee” to students (most of which goes to the football factory- if the football team brings in as much money as it claims they shouldn’t need an athletic fee, heck, why can’t those revenues help lower their tuition cost instead of paying a coach the better part of a million dollars a year and a house, car, etc?) whether they are involved in athletics or not. Money grab?
Yeah, I still think it’s one of my two guesses. Yes, there are sit down restaurants that charge a lot but there is a wide array of take out available that would match or beat the value of the meal plans in terms of nutrition and money. There are a wide array of delis, small food stores, large food stores, and various ethnic cuisines that are quite suitable for students and their budgets. I’ve eaten at Pierce a couple of times. It was nothing special, especially at the prices they charge.
The students tried to protest adding the meal plan requirement but I think the only thing Stevens did was make it easier to spend ‘duckbills’ in some of the local places.
So why do you think they are now requiring a meal plan for all students in Stevens housing, regardless of cooking facilities present in the units? (ie, kitchens)
OK, my son just got in to Mechanical Engineering.
Now, I need advice on Scholarship and Dorm Choice.
Pls give me information.
@Grom125. I would ask your questions on the new Early Admissions thread that just popped up.
As for the food situation if your student is in leased off-campus housing…, I taught at a private K-12 school which provided all students lunch through Sodexo (lunch was included in the tuition) and I learned that providing a food service was extremely expensive and the school actually lost money providing hot, healthy meals for its students. I’m thinking that since Stevens is smaller, they may be trying to keep food service costs down by making the pool of clients larger (more people to serve = bulk discounts while using same labor)
Our DD who is living in leased housing in The Madison has the Green plan for 45-48 swipes / semester. It’s worked well for her and she plans to eat on campus in advance (or on a whim) because she has the plan. This was the same last semester when she was on co-op. She is a vegan, BTW, and has no trouble finding choices in the dining hall.
milwaukeegirl interesting thought about the meal plan requirement for apartment dwellers, but they shouldn’t have to subsidize people who actually need a meal plan. Those people (dormers) are paying a lot less in housing costs (~4k vs ~7-8k per semester). Also, Pierce dining hall is already crowded at peak times; adding students will only worsen that, and they are adding more students each year under their strategic plan to double enrollment.
So even though that reason might be the most optimistic, it’s still not right to require apartment dwellers to purchase a meal plan. Especially since Stevens makes a big deal about being independent and living on your own.
Good to know that it is easy to find vegan choices at the dining hall.
I agree with the above. I was told by housing in December of ‘17 that my sophomore was ‘lucky to get a room on campus’ and that the chances for an on-campus spot as a junior are near zero. The classes are larger than ever, which is good, but the impact on schedules and housing is definitely a factor that parents should consider when looking at Stevens.
If you are a student there, could you tell me which dorm do you like between Humphreys and Jonas?
@Grom125 ask on the stevens forum on reddit
My daughter is a sophomore there now and really likes the school. Jonas and Humphreys are adjacent. My daughter says that Humphreys’ rooms are a bit nicer, but she likes the private bath they have in Jonas. You should know that Jonas is on a hill so two whole floors (out of 6 I think) are under ground level on one side and the floors have a ‘basement’ feel that I find very unsettling (Note: this does not bother my kid). BOTH dorms are maintenance-intensive. Jonas has flooded in big storms this year and, just last weekend, I saw that Humphreys was evacuated with what campus police described as a ‘high voltage line issue’. I had to navigate the police and fire cordon to drop my daughter off in Jonas after Spring break. Each incident has been responded to swiftly by the campus, but these are old buildings and things will happen.
Housing is the one big challenge for Stevens while construction moves slowly along on new dorms. My daughter loves it on campus but when I phoned housing and spoke to a staffer about my daughter staying on campus in third year, I was told, “She was lucky to be on campus as a sophomore, she can enter the lottery, but she is unlikely to get a room next year - plan to be off campus”. They were correct, she is to be across town (~ 15 minute walk) in a college-leased apartment next year and the cost will be significantly more. The building is nice and the area she is in is gentrified to an extent, but at night she should not walk unescorted. Some kids would love this - Hoboken is a great town. My daughter is very involved in on-campus activities that run at all hours, so she will have to pack a big bag and hang out at the library, or travel back and forth…or she will just have to drop some things. Not optimal, and with tremendous (student) growth and the housing limitations, I believe Stevens has some thinking to do.
@Blackavar thank you for posting that current assessment. It is in line from what I have seen/heard recently (my son is in his last year). All of your points are worth looking at for future students and their parents. My son also loves the town and it can be a great experience if you go in with appropriate expectations in regards to housing.
Thank you, Blackavar.
My son is thinking to choose Humphreys for 1st Choice, 2nd is Jonas, 3rd is Davis.
Davis maybe a good choice for 1st year student, but there is no hanging place inside or outside.
Jonas is good, but I don’t think that my son and roommate will take care of own bath room as clean everyday?
So he will choose Humphreys, and he liked to stay during Summer Class last year.
If anyone can say about other dorms, pls let us know.
My son just applied for housing, knowing that the school will open the applications on April 1st, tomorrow. There were several questions about what kind of things matter to him regarding the room/room mate - if early riser, avid gamer, light sleeper etc, but he was not given any dorm choice, as many on this thread have said. He is an athlete - not sure if that means Castle Point automatically. Will he be given the choice to pick several dorm alternatives after tomorrow? Thanks.