Current student or parent opinions: lack of guaranteed housing?

<p>Daughter and I visited. Loved Emerson and think it's a great fit for daughter's interests. Noted that college housing is only guaranteed for the first and second years. As the mom, I'm worried about what happens after that! Are there safe, convenient, not-too-far-away, not-too-terribly-expensive housing options for juniors and seniors? I'm a bit concerned that after two years, my daughter would be cast adrift to face a hunt for housing in the middle of Boston.... long commutes, expensive rent, juggling neighborhood convenience and safety with rent costs.... I would appreciate hearing opinions from current Emerson students and parents. Thanks.</p>

<p>Hi, my D is a freshman at Emerson. Yes I know that housing is guaranteed for the first two years, but that is true for a lot of colleges. Very few colleges guarantee 4 years of housing. I would not worry too much about that. The college I went to actually limited housing so from junior year on you had to live off-campus. My S goes to the same college I did, and he will room with his friends at an apartment next year. It usually ends up being cheaper when you consider room and board. Obviously, you have to pick and choose but I believe that the experience of living off-campus really helps you become more mature. Living off-campus will become part of her learning experience. I do not think this should be the main reason for selecting the college your D will attend.</p>

<p>Thanks, newsdrms. Happy to receive your opinion and good advice.</p>

<p>It wasn’t a problem for me or anyone I knew.</p>

<p>Emerson has its own internal message board for finding roommates or housing. That’s how I found my roommate. They also have apartment listings. You can find this at the Off-Campus Student Services website, but you won’t be able to actually look at the listings unless you have an ECnet account, since it’s meant solely for students. </p>

<p>If you start looking early enough you can find a decent apartment but you can’t start looking in August to move in in September or most likely you will end up having to settle for something cheap and nasty or more expensive than you want. Some of the listings on Boston Craigslist right now (in April) are for apartments opening September 1st so it definitely pays to start looking early.</p>