Freshman overcrowding?

<p>What is the housing situation like during the first semester for freshmen? I heard from one student that last year there were overcrowding problems at the beginning of the year. I'm wondering what freshman can expect this year. Can anyone share some information about this? Thanks.</p>

<p>Last year Clemson accepted more students than normal because they thought with the financial situation, less students would come to Clemson because of the high tuition costs. However they were wrong and they ended up with too many students than they could handle. As a result, freshman were placed randomly in upperclassmen housing (wherever they could fit them) and some were placed in converted-study rooms/closets in the high rises.</p>

<p>This year they have accepted slightly fewer students and expect to yield a freshman class that is around what they normally have. In addition, they have opened up Clemson House as a freshman-only dorm which adds room for 400 additional students. I would highly doubt that there will be many housing problems this year after opening up Clemson House and admitting fewer students.</p>

<p>I have concerns on this subject also…
I questioned Admissions on this very fact (last year’s overcrowding) during a visit and was told they would be a) trying to accept less than last year and b) opening Clemson House.
However, I just read that Clemson’s President indicated there was an increase of 4% of applicants AND 4% increase in acceptances.<br>
This concerns me. As I had indicated to Admissions, I’d have a very hard time paying OOS to have my kid in a closet…or with upperclassmen. This is not an appropriate situation for any of them…</p>

<p>at the state of the university address, President Barker told us that they expected that the number of students in the freshman class would not increase any more so hopefully he wasn’t lying about that.</p>

<p>Quote from President Barker from the student newspaper:
"Since June 30, 2008, our state budget has been cut by $53.2 million, I never thought I would say those words, Barker said. We must assume that there will be no additional financial help that will be coming from Columbia next year, I hate to tell you that, but thats the reality.</p>

<p>Barker further said that there were 17,000 applications for the freshman class next year and that the University is concerned with overcrowding. Our plan for next year is a freshman class of 2,950, thats about 400 less than the class we had this year as freshmen, he said."</p>

<p>However, with opening up 400 new spots for freshman in Clemson House, I really doubt the housing situation will be bad this year.</p>

<p>On April 16…</p>

<p>“Provost Doris Helms gave an update on the admissions process. The university has received more than 16,600 applications, a four percent increase over same period last year and the largest number of applications in university history. Approximately 9,000 students have been accepted, also a four percent increase over the previous year.”</p>

<p>Barker and Helms should probably get on the same page, number-wise…</p>

<p>At any rate, 400 less freshman than last year , and Clemson house opening up and adding 400 more FRESHMAN rooms sounds better, but still sounds to me that they are not adding any rooms, just reassigning. If Clemson house had previously been Soph/Jr/Sr housing, where do those students go this year?</p>

<p>I have to believe there will still be overcrowding…</p>

<p>There will now be more upperclassmen in Thornhill and Lighsty. For most of the upperclassmen on campus I know, these were their last choices for housing (and very few got their last choices). I don’t know the numbers, but I would imagine that there were apartments in Lightsy and Thornhill that were unoccupied.</p>

<p>Believe me housing selection for the upperclassmen was slightly more stressful this year without the option of Clemson House. My choices were Lightsey Bridge II, Calhoun Courts, Lightsey Bridge I, and Thornhill Village was last. I’m currently in Thornhill Village next year since when I showed up to sign up for housing at 7 AM on sign-up day, there were already 450+ groups in line. A lot of people after going through the process were not happy with their placement and decided to move off-campus and some people saw the line and didn’t even bother lining up for housing. A lot of people also apparently change their mind over the summer and either move off-campus or leave on-campus housing for some reason so there will be housing spots open in the fall when school opens up.</p>

<p>I’m definitely happy with my placement though after thinking about it. Thornhill Village is nice, it’s a 2-person apartment and as a result I get my own room. But I’ll probably move off-campus next year because there is cheaper housing off-campus and I don’t have to deal with choosing housing again if it’s the same process as this year.</p>

<p>Overcrowding will not be an issue this year. If you got your request for housing in before May 1st, you will be good to go.</p>

<p>Do you think it’s better to get 2 or 4 person apartments? There seems
to be pros and cons to each just wanted to get your oppinion… It would be nice to have my own room but I don’t want it to seem like I’m not friendly or things like that. I’m pretty much worried about not being able to meet enough people to feel comfortable and at home
Thanks</p>

<p>I’m getting a 2-person bedroom. It was nice to meet people in your apartment but after a while (especially if your roommate is messy or you can’t stand him), it’s probably better in the long-run to get a 2-person apartment. You can meet people outside of your apartment.</p>

<p>If you’re worried about meeting people, you should prob. stay away from the apartment areas… why not live in a traditional high-rise or in the Clemson House, where you’ll be surrounded by others? Students who live in apartments tend to have more difficulty meeting new people. Pierre is an exception to that rule.</p>

<p>NoFrowning, kyleram is a transfer student so he is pretty much limited to living in Lightsey Bridge I/II, Calhoun Courts and Thornhill Village.</p>

<p>From <a href=“http://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/housing/application/newstudent-advice.html[/url]”>http://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/housing/application/newstudent-advice.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>"Transfer Students</p>

<p>Transfer students are housed on campus as space permits. Most vacancies are in the apartment areas. So while transfer students may request other upperclass areas (like the Suites and the Clemson House), most will be housed in the apartments.</p>

<p>TIGER Den is a collaborative educational and residential program that supports new transfer students in their transition to Clemson University. The purpose of TIGER Den is to house new transfer students together in a residential community that offers both educational and social programming specific to the unique needs of transfer students. Promoting academic success, connecting new transfer students to the academic and social resources at Clemson and enhancing their academic and social integration into the Clemson community are the primary goals of the TIGER Den program. Providing academic workshops and community development programming through University Housing and the Office of Undergraduate Studies will help new transfer students be successful academically and socially and to become members of the Clemson family.</p>

<p>Therefore, we recommend that transfer students focus their housing choices primarily on the apartment areas. These include Calhoun Courts, Lightsey Bridge I and II, and Thornhill Village.</p>

<p>Choose wisely, and it will increase your chances of getting what you want without wasting choices."</p>

<p>I signed up for:
TIGER DEN as choice one
lightsey 2 person apartment
then a 4 person apartment
then suite…</p>

<p>so hopefully i can get the tiger den… sounds pretty cool</p>

<p>cool, what apartment complex is Tiger Den at?</p>

<p>I have no idea, hopefully something nice and cheap… I applied pretty early so hopefully I get it… do you know anything else about it? Do a lot of people do it?</p>

<p>I’ve never heard of it but then again I’m not a transfer student so I probably wouldn’t know much about it anyways. Sounds like a good program though, hopefully housing will work out well for you!</p>