I plan to live off campus from the start, and for some colleges, I can clearly state this in the Common App:
But at the same time, colleges also ask me to describe my community and what/how I can contribute to my community. I’ve read online guides on how to approach those topics, and they generally say the goal is for the AO to clearly imagine me on the school campus, attending activities, and being a part of the culture. The AOs should understand my personality and think, “that student will be great in that dorm!” because the personality matches with that culture.
Ok… None of that is going to happen if I live off campus, though. I can still attend clubs and activities, but there’ll be less engagement overall.
What are the AOs going to imagine?
Will selecting “Off-campus independently” automatically put me at a disadvantage?
The AOs want to know how I’ll contribute to the community, and I need to prove/show that in my essays. How can I do that while not contradicting the fact I’m not even living on campus?
It’s about what you’ll do on campus with the campus community. Do you plan to write for the paper? Play club sports? Organize music events?
I’d also venture that some schools that allow students to live off campus from the outset are a) happy that they are relieving pressure on campus housing and b) realistic about how they contribute.
With that said, they are also wanting to see that you too have given thought to how your experience can extend beyond the classroom. Schools that have small commuter populations have worked really hard to try to ensure that they are not a different class of student and will have the full student experience, as part of the commuter cohort as well as part of the student body in general.
Agree completely, although I think in the classroom is also relevant. Some students have a lot to contribute in the classroom - they have unique perspectives to add or experiences to share or are great collaborators in group projects or love to ask questions and engage in thoughtful discussion. I think that also contributes to the college community. But, yes, all of those qualities - leadership, collaboration, taking initiative, being kind and thoughtful - should go beyond the classroom to club participation, community service, maybe things like band or sports. You can take a look at the clubs available and talk about which specific ones you think you would join and make a contribution to through your time, energy, and enthusiasm. I think that is all the more important when you are commuter, so you can make a strong case for why you are motivated to join in activities.
What percentage of kids stay on campus? A dorm is part of the business cycle - so there’s revenue involved and schools tout that kids on campus do better academically. If 25% live on campus or 60%, likely not. If 98% of first year do - then yeah, it will - but then why would you want to attend that school where you’d be at a disadvantage from day one.
What and how you’ll contribute - you need to share. How will you contribute? You don’t need to live on campus to contribute. But regardless of where you sleep, you should be able to answer this question.
As long as the college allows students to live off campus I don’t expect it will be a negative in your application. People choose to live off campus for a number of reasons (including but not limited to personal preference, saving money, etc.).
You can certainly be an active member of the college community. If you so choose you may want to describe how you plan to be an involved commuter or off-campus student.
