<p>How is the City College of New York? is housing in The Towers guaranteed for non-local students?, i have the impression this is a big commuter school.</p>
<p>You would be right; any CUNY college is a big commuter school. However, there is a program for all of them called the Macaulay Honors Program (average GPA of accepted students is a 93), and part of it includes guaranteed on-campus housing with all of the other students in the same program. Other perks include free tuition, a free laptop, and discounts in the city.
I don't know much about typical housing, though, sorry.</p>