<p>Is there enough housing after freshman year for everybody that wants it? If not, is there a lot of off campus housing available in the area near campus? Thanks in advance for the replies!</p>
<p>Yes, for freshman year, I think also for sophmore year for you guys(not for us, unfortunately).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, they use the weirdest process to assign housing after freshman year - it's a lottery system called R3. If you don't get a good number in R3 and/or don't have a friend you can room with who has a good number, then basically you might not be able to get a university-housing spot. In that case, there are several other options off campus. The most well-known ones are Conquest Student Housing (<a href="http://www.conquesthousing.com%5B/url%5D">www.conquesthousing.com</a>) and CDI, which doesn't have a website as far as I know.</p>
<p>There are many people who live in farther areas from campus (like Santa Monica, etc.) but obviously one would need a car to make living away from campus feasible.</p>
<p>In addition to the lottery there are a certain number of spots in special interest floors and freshmen designated buildings reserved for returning students, if you get one of these spots then you don't have to worry about the lottery process. Some of them require special applications, Parkside and Rainbow Floor are the two I can think of off the top of my head, regardless of whether or not you get this housing you'll end up with a lottery number, but you can't use it if you got the freshmen or special interest housing that you wanted.</p>
<p>So how many students end up with no housing that want university housing? Any idea?</p>
<p>No idea on that stat, sorry momofchris.</p>
<p>But I can add that the university is definitely working to ease its housing situation. Currently, a third building for the Parkside complex is under construction and slated for opening in Fall 2007. At the same time, they did take over another floor in the Radisson Hotel for student dorm use. I believe as owner of the hotel, USC has an agreement with Radisson to keep the hotel portion open until 2008 or 2009, and then they can close the hotel down and convert the entire bldg to dorms. It's something like that, I'm not sure as to the exact details.</p>
<p>How about the restrooms? I know that most of the dorms have community restrooms, so is it a problem when people want to shower or use the toilet?</p>
<p>Bathrooms aren't a problem. Only 2 times have I gone to shower and found 3/4 occupied (which meant I got the one w/ the crappy shower head, but no big).</p>
<p>Are there separate shower stalls? I noticed in high school we just have 1 long pole with holes for water to spray out.</p>
<p>Hahaha, this is college my friend. A college where you pay money to attend. Of course there are separate shower stalls.</p>
<p>well put protokurios, no bathingsuit showers in college!</p>
<p>I was reading the r3 info online, and it mentions that they do have a wait list at the end of the process for students that end up with no housing. Does anybody know how many people end up on this list?</p>
<p>My concern is that it will be a real pain for my son to live off campus. He's coming all the way from Chicago, so he won't have a car and that it will be a hassle with furniture, etc.</p>
<p>they guarantee housing for freshman. ( and i believe it's on campus housing that they guarantee)</p>
<p>but if he's not a freshman, I've heard that off campus housing is awesome, and you really don't need a car... bike's work great!</p>
<p>R3 is the returning resident renewal process. It isn't for freshmen. Freshmen are guaranteed housing, as guidez89 said.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I've heard that off campus housing is awesome, and you really don't need a car
[/quote]
HAHA....omg, you are so wrong. Some of the off campus housing is ok (by no means awesome) but the problem is the surrounding area is not where you want to be by yourself at night. Especially north of campus, where most of the off-campus housing is, there are frequent robberies and other stuff like that.</p>
<p>momofchris, as proto said R3 is only for continuing USC students. It is not for Freshmen or transfers; they have to fill out the different application form instead. And freshmen are guaranteed housing; if they have more freshmen than anticipated, then they will expand rooming at the Radisson.</p>
<p>I know he will get housing for freshman year. My concern is about the other years.</p>
<p>Will concerns for non-freshman year housing play a large part in the decision to come to USC? If not, then I say it's better to leave sophomore, junior, and senior year for their proper times and focus on freshman year. But I suppose we can address those concerns.</p>
<p>When I was choosing a school, I thought I wanted to go to one where all students lived on-campus (or could live on-campus) for all for years. Now that I have been here for almost a year, I do not have a problem with the idea of living off-campus... Although my friends and I will be in U-Housing next year (got a really good R3 number), I would not be opposed to living off (its not as scary as it sounds!)...</p>
<p>I have another question about housing. Is Birnkrant Residential College different from just Birnkrant? I am confused.</p>
<p>As far as I know, there is only one Birnkrant... I dont know anybody that lives there though...</p>