<p>This is probably a silly question, but how have you gone about researching housing? And when in this process do we start to worry about applying for housing?</p>
<p>Generally after you get admitted.</p>
<p>Ok. So some of the rolling admissions schools have already sent acceptances, and the regular decision schools we won't hear from until late March.</p>
<p>Does that mean we don't worry about housing until April?
And how do you go about researching housing?</p>
<p>Go to your schools website and look up housing there, that is where they will have the best info. Soon the schools you were admitted to will start asking for deposits for housing, sometimes they are refundable, if you change your mind about that school, but they at least guarantee you a spot in the dorms.</p>
<p>usually the school has a housing site on their website-they show pictures, give descriptions.Sometimes certain dorms are only for freshmen or certain dorms are not allowed for freshmen. Also, ask people. Go on the school site-even CC and ask. You will get alot of opinions, but you can educate yourself. However, I would start with the school site and search for housing and usually a site will come up with tons of info. Deposits are usually not due until April or May and you wont hear until the summer.</p>
<p>Check the school. I know our State U opens housing requests in August, before most kids have even done their apps. However, if you want to have any hope of housing if you are accepted, you MUST pay your deosit then, even if you haven't filed the app yet.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm remembering wrong but I thought that some of the schools my son was accepted at asked for housing deposits right away along with the acceptance letter. Most of them would then refund the deposit if they were notified before May 1. They all predicted dire consequences if you didn't deposit early. I know we thought of double depositing just to hold a dorm spot.</p>
<p>Just to summarize: It depends completely on the school. Look at the website and any other source of information you have. If the school guarantees (and/or requires) housing to all entering full-time students, it will usually say so. In that case, I think you wait to be admitted and follow the instructions they send you. Many public universities don't guarantee or require dorm residence, and that gives rise to the scramble others have described, where people often put down housing deposits before they even apply.</p>
<p>By and large, however, large public universities + inadequate dorm space usually = copious off-campus housing. Late-teens early-20s are notorious for changing their plans repeatedly during any 12-month period, and that means that people are always looking for roommates or sublets. In a pinch, you could probably find some kind of apartment sublet in a matter of days or weeks almost anywhere; you certainly don't need to be getting anxious about it now for next fall (except for deciding whether to put in an early housing deposit).</p>
<p>Then there's something that seems increasingly common, if you have a bunch of spare cash and good credit: buying a condo for your kid to live in (with or without roommates) during college. If you're thinking about that, you do probably want to wait until you know which college the kid will attend.</p>