<p>I am a sophomore at Penn and love it. Unfortunately, the university does not have enough housing for students. This year 189 students were denied housing. I applied twice (two different programs) and was denied twice. Now I have no idea where I will end up and am not going to be able to live on campus next year. Most of the apartments in the area are already rented as well. </p>
<p>Just something for you all to think about. </p>
<p>P.S. They need to work on the food here too.</p>
<p>I also go to Penn, and must disagree with your assessment.</p>
<p>yes, there is a lack of university housing. however, people who are flexible with their room selections get housing.</p>
<p>proof: lots of freshman got housing for next year, even though sophomores have precedence over them. why? they probably put as their second or third choices "put me anywhere" (in the comment field).</p>
<p>1920 Commons food isn't great. I agree.</p>
<p>Considering that there are potentially 20 000 people who could be looking for housing (admittedly most grad students don't want to live in campus), that's really not a huge number. I'm sure you'll find an apartment or a house though - check the off campus housing website and craigslist, there's lots out there. Definitely consider going a bit further west too, especially if you have a bike or something to get around.</p>
<p>ETA: Oh, and I totally agree with you on the food thing. I haven't eaten at commons since my freshman year but I doubt it's improved.</p>
<p>only 189? i feel like its much higher than that.</p>
<p>I thought I read somewhere that almost all freshmen get on-campus housing and like 2/3 of other undergraduates do. I guess I must have heard wrong... so getting a room at one of Penn's "college couses" or whatnot is not easy?</p>
<p>Housing is not that difficult to get. Some people get left out because they are too picky about where they want to live (this happened to a friend who only put down 2 choices on her housing application, and those happened to be 2 of the most popular choices). Freshman will definitely get housing. Upperclassmen who apply for housing but do not receive any are put on a waitlist. Most will get off this waitlist eventually and get put into housing.</p>
<p>As a transfer last year, I called the housing office when I was put on the waitlist in June. I was (I believe) 91 on the waitlist at that time, and still received housing. I know of another transfer who did not receive housing, but the university put him in the Sheraton hotel until they could find him housing.</p>
<p>If you will be coming to Penn, don't worry too much about housing!</p>
<p>Housing only really sucks sophomore year. I'm fine though, got first choice.</p>
<p>Community living - denied
Regular housing - denied
Now I'm on the waitlist</p>
<p>abcfox, what year are you at Penn?</p>
<p>I thought the Housing office was pretty upfront about the fact that seniority and squatter's advantage makes it difficult for sophomores to get high rise apartments. If you're a rising sophomore and you don't live there already (and your potential housemates don't, either), you are at the VERY bottom of the list when they are handing out rooms (basically a 50/50 shot, or so I've heard). </p>
<p>I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for people who ***** and moan about this system cuz I think it's pretty fair. However, I do have a few friends who did this and also had a lot of not so popular back up options (like Gregory, Stouffer Mayer, instead of applying for high rise in regular housing) and still didn't get anything on campus. THAT is unacceptable... Penn really needs to build more dorms quickly, or hold off on increasing class sizes.</p>
<p>agreed, penn definitely needs to build more dorms. i have pretty good info that a dorm has already been planned, pretty much designed, etc, they're just finishing up securing funding for it. they haven't announced it yet because the place where they want to build it is going to cause an outrage... </p>
<p>the source i got it from is quite reliable, but there is always the slight possibility that it is untrue. i doubt it though.</p>
<p>I heard pieces of what you said, countrytoconcrete. But where are they planning to build the new buildings? I've heard a few rumors, but nothing reliable.</p>
<p>They're supposedly redeveloping the 3900 block of Walnut and creating apartments, but whether they'll be assigned like regular dorms or not I don't know.
And then, there's always the postal lands...</p>
<p>country_crazy talked about the squatter's advantage: since pretty much all freshmen get on-campus housing (right?), is on-campus housing only difficult for sophomores to get if they decide to change houses?</p>
<p>I don't really want to say where they're planning the new dorm yet, just because I don't want to say something I'm not completely sure about, and also because I don't want to say something when I was told not to release specifics on it. The source of my info is somebody closely tied to administration and the college house services, so I'm pretty sure it's reliable, but I also don't want to say anything quite yet.</p>
<p>It is supposed to be a 350 person new dorm I have heard. Also, I don't believe that the new apartments in the 3900 block will technically be dorm rooms. I believe that they will be leased like regular apartments from a landlord although Penn will own the property I believe.i</p>
<p>Doesn't Sansom still have some apartments? They're singles, yes, but I'm pretty sure they're still around.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I don't really want to say where they're planning the new dorm yet, just because I don't want to say something I'm not completely sure about, and also because I don't want to say something when I was told not to release specifics on it. The source of my info is somebody closely tied to administration and the college house services, so I'm pretty sure it's reliable, but I also don't want to say anything quite yet.</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Then why did you make the post?</p>
<p>countrytoconcrete, please don't tease. </p>
<p>Whatever happens, I hope Penn doesn't demolish the old Cinemagic cuz the Bridge is overpriced (but very nice!). </p>
<p>To elaborate on what I said previously: yes, basically all freshmen live on campus (is it a requirement? I'm not sure...). Sophomores pretty much get screwed no matter what since freshmen housing is done ahead of them, and upperclassmen housing also comes before due to seniority. VERY few of my friends (rising sophomores, mostly quad residents) who chose high rise living received their first choice for housing. I can't say for certain but I would imagine you have a reasonably good chance if you request anything other than a high rise as your first choice.</p>
<p>Also, HEY Jose! What's up, how's OPIM etc... :)</p>