<p>S. is an incoming freshman in a forced triple. We received a letter from Tufts offering 'compensation' in the form of "priority in the room selection process in your choice of one of the next three years." This is where the request for advice comes in--</p>
<p>As we understand, housing is guaranteed for freshman and sophmore, but not junior and senior year. </p>
<p>S. is leaning towards using the offer for junior year, since he IS guaranteed housing (of some sort at least), next year. Is there any sophmore housing that's really that bad? Is it very hard to get space with friends, and do many end up in triples again?</p>
<p>Also, do most students tend to go abroad their sophmore or junior year? Am guessing it's the latter, but not sure. We're also assuming that by senior year a decent percentage move off campus (?) Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks</p>
<p>There's not very much truly bad housing, but there's only a little especially good housing. Don't expect to end up in another forced triple, I don't think that happens. I know some people who purposely picked a triple, but it's a room designed as such. </p>
<p>He should use it sophomore year.
1. That gets him into West.
2. Lots of people go abroad Junior year
3. Even if he isn't going abroad, lots of people live off-campus junior year and he might want to live with his friends.
4.If he can live on campus as a junior he'll have better rooms than any sophomore even if he doesn't use his "free pass" because Juniors pick first. Room for sophomores is reserved, but juniors get the first crack at rooms.</p>
<p>Really, though, you should just wait until November when you get your lottery numbers, and see when you should use it. If you get a good sophomore number anyway, don't waste it.</p>
<p>And now that you mention it, nowhere in the letter does it say he has to make the decision right now. If they can wait until the lottery, that would be great.</p>
<p>Yes, Tufts recently started giving out lottery numbers for all three years when you're a freshman, so you can plan accordingly. I agree with Jumbosox's advice to the letter, but would add another thing - </p>
<p>Some juniors choose voluntarily to live off campus because it's partly part of the college experience, getting a house with friends. But also, there are juniors who had good enough numbers to get housing on campus, and chose to live off campus anyway - either because none of their friends had good enough numbers to live on-campus, or because they didn't want to live on a hall with underclassmen.</p>
<p>That's interesting that they're letting you CHOOSE which year to have a high number. Our year, the freshmen in forced triples just had the highest lottery numbers for sophomore year. Because I mean, if you decide to choose a high number for senior year, you could live in Sophia Gordon. Unfortunately you'd probably want to live with friends, meaning they'd have to have high numbers too. But I mean, if you stay friends with the kids in your forced triple, you'll all have super high numbers, right? :)</p>