<p>We just got back from visiting Rice and were very pleased. One thing that did bother me is the possibility of my D having to live off campus her last two years. My understanding is that athletes, those on boards and others are guaranteed housing. They said there is plenty of apartments near by, but I wonder about the extra expense.</p>
<p>Anyone have more information or can give me a better idea of the situation?</p>
<p>Glad you had a good visit. Here's a previous thread that addresses this topic:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/rice-university/327555-houston-housing.html?highlight=apartments%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/rice-university/327555-houston-housing.html?highlight=apartments</a></p>
<p>Most people who want housing all four years get it. At most, you will only be kicked off for a year. Each residential college has its own system for deciding who gets to stay on and who gets kicked off. It is always somewhat random. At my college (Lovett), we organize into suites of four, add up the point total of our suites (1 point for rising sophomores, 2 for juniors, 3 for seniors), then pick rooms in that order. Ties are settled by drawing cards. Really, the possibility of being pushed off campus shouldn't worry you too much. Also, off-campus housing is generally cheaper than on-campus.</p>
<p>My son, Brown 2007, "lost" the junior lottery, but was in a nice apartment off campus. For senior year, he and his buddies procrastinated signing up for housing, but the bunch of them rented a really decent house just off campus. For both years, he bought an off campus meal plan, but I know there were lots of stops at Chipotle and other such places.</p>
<p>Don't worry too much about it. Each residential college is a little different with respect to "prime" upperclass rooms. And some students do tire of the "dorm" life. The great thing about Rice is that your college is your college forever.</p>
<p>There is a lot of very safe, decent, not too expensive off campus housing.</p>
<p>with the new residential colleges mcmurtry and duncan opening up in fall 2009, i think it will take care of this problem. please correct me if i'm wrong, i'm just a freshman-to-be at Rice.</p>
<p>^^^ That won't take care of the problem because Rice is adding mcmurtry and duncan to increase the class size not to increase housing. </p>
<p>another question though- Is it generally more expensive to live on campus or off campus?</p>
<p>On campus is almost always more expensive, as far as I know.</p>
<p>We saved about two thousand dollars a year the years DD lived off-campus. (and just FYI, Rice financial aid department budgets the same for on and off campus living. DD is frugal!)She lived in 3 different places within 3-4 blocks of Rice, and they were fine. There are some big apartment complexes also that are cheaper than dorm living (if you get a roommate and a 2-bedroom and don't try to live by yourself), and that have a shuttle to the medical center (right next to Rice) so you don't have to have a car. The kids tend to "pass down" their apartments to other Rice students, as they graduate and move out. If you talk to kids on campus, you'll find that some of them are ready to move off campus by their junior/senior years and enjoy it. Rice has an online off-campus guide and also a print one that they print each year. The online is useful for little garage apartments/duplexes/etc, the print one for the bigger complexes. I remember being really worried about it when DD was making her decision to attend Rice; I even called some lady to ask about it. She said that if a kid REALLY wants to stay on-campus, there are ways to do it (be an officer in the college, be the college maintenance rep, pair with a person w/ more seniority, get on the waitlist etc.) but most kids prefer to group up with some other kids and get an apartment if they think they will get "jacked". It all works out; really! Rice kids have been living off campus for years, and the new res colleges will more than handle the increased population, eventually.</p>
<p>futurechemdad-
Here's another thread on this topic-- started yesterday <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/497217-rice-university-housing.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/497217-rice-university-housing.html</a></p>
<p>I was really nervous because at Hanszen it is the sophmores that are usually kicked off campus. But we talked to a lot of people and it seems to work out. And actualy DD has elected tomove off campus next year and did not even enter the room lottery. She has friends that made it on campus though even as sophmores so it really depends. I have looked at the apartments she wants to move into and it all seems fine and secure.</p>