<p>So they called me today, basically told me you're not getting housing because you didn't submit the deposit by May 1st. Well, if I hadn't been accepted the LAST WEEK OF MAY I could have done that (I'm a transfer student and applied WAYYY back in February).</p>
<p>She told me your basically out of luck, and you will have to find housing. She proceeds to make an excuse that this has never happened before, and we didn't know, well, that's what planning ahead is for, just like when we send in our deposit months before we actually go to the school.</p>
<p>My life just got harder, and lost a lot of faith in SBU.</p>
<p>Sorry things didn't work out for you... but honestly, this actually has never happened before. We've always filled housing, but never this early. We always accept a certain percentage of deposits over and above the number of students we expect to enroll, because there's always been some melt; that is, students who change their mind and decline enrollment somewhere between deposit time and the start of classes.</p>
<p>Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), we didn't anticipate the enormous increase in deposits that we received this year. So we looked for university-sponsored off-campus housing, but we couldn't make any deals that would have really been satisfactory to everyone involved... so unfortunately, there were students who had to be moved off the list. We can't triple everyone; it's just not possible. You're probably better off living off campus for a semester than being smushed into some sort of temporary housing situation. As it is, we already probably have too many students who are going to be in temporary housing this fall; it places an enormous burden on resources and facilities.</p>
<p>There are new buildings opening soon; hopefully that will alleviate some of the overcrowding in time for the start of the spring semester, and worst case, by Fall 2008.</p>
<p>I apologize again on behalf of the university.</p>
<p>Chris, I appreciate the sincere response, and kind, genuine approach. I understand the increase in deposits but it just put a huge burden on me now; I now must find a place near campus (hopefully within 15min) before Fall....and to top it off I am on a waitlist for one of my most crucial classes (I registered during orientation).</p>
<p>However, I would like to know if there is anything I can do AHEAD of time (starting now) to get a good place on campus come spring semester (maybe, somehow, reserve a place in those new apartments or sought after dorms?). The adcom I spoke to guranteed me housing for Spring, but basically told me there's still a strong or likely possibility you will get tripled (due to the increased amount of students living on campus). Obviously, being denied housing in the Fall, only to get tripled in the Spring, is a bit annoying.</p>
<p>That's disgusting. I can't believe the university did that to you. So basically, they left all transfer students out in the cold? Nice job, SBU. Way to take care of the students. They should've at least told you this months ago... a lot of schools don't guarantee transfers housing, but you should at least know that it's impossible for you to secure housing by the deadline going in.</p>
<p>Do you have a car? If you do, you'll probably be okay. Commuting from a close-by off campus apartment (Port Jeff really is close) can be nice, since you're close enough to be involved with stuff on campus and the living accomodations are certainly better than they'd be if you were stuck in a triple with some freshmen.</p>
<p>Start looking for housing ASAP... the market here is ridiculously saturated by August, so you'll need to get moving. The big problem is going to be if you're dead set on moving on campus in the spring (not that I'm sure I'd believe Campus Res when they say you're guaranteed spring housing... this year there were still people tripled spring semester, and they won't move new people in until all the detripling is done), most places are going to want you to sign a lease for at least the duration of the whole school year, and more likely 12 months. So you're stuck in a lease, and then if campus res does offer you on campus housing, you have to pass it up... which boots you to the end of the line again, regardless of why you had to turn them down.</p>
<p>Yeah, you know what, now I am started to realize just how screwed I am. I've called about 20 apartments/rooms/etc....most of them want a year, I told some of them I want a semester and guess what...they hung up on me. </p>
<p>Really, it is horrible. I don't even know if I want to go to this school anymore...they screwed over transfer students so badly that it's almost a crime. And yeah, the fact that they told me this a few days ago makes my life miserable now, trying in vain to find some place when most of them have been taken long ago. </p>
<p>The offcampus housing listings on the SBU website are outdated, and the whole administration just sucks.</p>
<p>They guranteed me Spring housing, which is worthless since most people want a full year lease.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, not to mention how many classes were waitlists and closed when I went to orientation to go register.</p>
<p>Gee, lets give the students an orientation hold, so they can't register for classes, and then when orientation comes, and half of the classes are closed and/or waitlisted, they can worry for the rest of the summer if they'll ever get in the class they need for their major.</p>
<p>Hold on. We didn't "leave all transfers out in the cold." Plenty of new transfers are getting housing this year; it's just about a hundred students who deposited at the end -- well after the deadline -- that will not be able to be offered space. Everyone who deposited before the deadline got space. After a certain point in time, we don't guarantee space, because it just doesn't exist; in most of these cases, these are students who were not admitted to the university until after that original date.</p>
<p>The housing folks made an effort to get off-campus space somewhere, but they couldn't work anything out that wouldn't wind up costing everyone involved too much money. Ultimately, the university had a lot of continuing students who stayed on campus, and then took too many housing deposits this fall; they probably should have closed shortly after the deadline, but they've never closed housing this early, so they really had no history to go by.</p>
<p>We will (supposedly) have new housing available this spring, which should alleviate some of the overflow. I'm assuming (read: hoping) we'll make changes for next year, including sticking to a more concrete deposit deadline.</p>
<p>As far as closed classes go, that's not a problem that's unique to Stony Brook, or any school that's going through a bit of a growth spurt. It might mean you have to wait a semester to take a course, or bounce around your program a bit; that's why you should stay in contact with your advisor. If there's enough demand and there's a faculty member available, they'll open another section.</p>
<p>I'm assuming Entity submitted the housing deposit very soon after being admitted, but he got screwed over because he didn't get admitted until after the guaranteed housing date! That's hardly fair, since I'm assuming he couldn't have deposited until after being admitted. The website lists March 1st as the transfer app deadline for the fall, and Entity says he applied in February, so how early did someone need to apply to get admitted in time to get guaranteed housing?! Maybe that deadline should be listed as well, since it's not illogical to assume that if someone applies by the deadline and then deposits as soon as they're admitted, they'll get housing (or at least won't get chastised for not depositing weeks before being accepted). Sorry, but it sounds like being left out in the cold to me. I know campus res is trying their best to deal with an unfortunate situation where demand far exceeds resources, but this problem didn't just come out of nowhere.</p>
<p>Sure, campus res can't make space magically appear. Nor can departments create space and time to add students to courses where it just can't be done (and I really don't think there's as big of a problem with that... spots usually open up in required courses for people who need them). But someone's causing the "growth spurt" which is hurting people's experience here and hurting people's educations--with what benefit? Why grow for the sake of growing when it means rampant tripling, not enough room in required courses, overcrowded dining halls, and in general not enough resources to go around?</p>
<p>If this is intentional, it really seems from the students' perspective like someone's acting incredibly irresponsibly and without regard for students' welfare. If it's unintentional (maybe more people who are accepted are attending? Maybe the proportion of commuters is decreasing?), it's still been going on for too long to have not been alleviated yet.</p>
<p>I'd bet that a high percentage of these students were not admitted until after May 1, for any number of reasons: they didn't meet admissions standards, we never received official transcripts, etc.</p>
<p>The transfer admissions packet says:
"All new students are guaranteed housing provided the tuition/campus housing deposit is paid and their housing preferences are submitted online by May 1; those submitting their deposits after May 1 are not likely to receive campus housing."</p>
<p>You're absolutely right; this problem didn't come out of nowhere. I think the problem could have been stemmed by cutting off deposits shortly after May 1, rather than letting it go as long as they did. What happened was that housing received a much greater number of deposits than they were able to handle... it's something every school does, because you always build in a cushion to handle that percentage of students who change their minds. This year, I think that cushion just got too big. I'd expect things to be different for Fall 2008.</p>
<p>I went to the network day today. The most they did for us was print out some papers that had housing listings that I could have done at home, then they basically told us your on your own. Even the staff member that helped me said she was sorry for how the administration screwed me and the other kids.</p>
<p>There were kids that were just sitting in the university cafe (where it was held) and were basically staring at the papers they gave them. They had NO means of actually GETTING to these apartments (no car), and a lot of them had to pay for them themselves. There was maybe one staff member at left around noon, and all of them were basically worthless, most of them had no idea what was going on and were just printing out listings left and right.</p>
<p>I tried in vain to find an apartment, and 99% of them were UNLIVEABLE....really, I mean you wouldn't let you dog live there. The only one I found nice the guy didn't even call me back. It's kind of almost inhumane to give these kids who don't have cars or parents to drive them to these apartments a bunch of listings and say "happy hunting"...ridiculous.</p>
<p><strong>BUT</strong> the most RIDICULOUS part of this all is that 90% of the listings have a minimum of a ONE YEAR lease........and I have guranteed housing for the spring semester (as well as many other students there) </p>
<p>So, if you decide to do the one year lease, which most of them half-descent places are listed as, you will NOT be guranteed housing for the next Fall semester and will be doing the same thing all over again next year.</p>
<p>And your are stuck with the most horrible places...most of them are INSIDE peoples homes, and you are basically the unwanted child in the family. </p>
<p>My final option is to either commute the one hour drive, or get a room in a Holiday Inn for 3000$ a month.</p>
<p>Okay. Your best bet is a house or apartment that's shared by a bunch of other students... most places like that are all/mostly grad students, but if you can convince them you're responsible, focused on work and aren't going to be a loud douchebag, people might consider you. I know of one really great place in Port Jeff that might be looking for someone new come September (but it's a tricky situation with someone who hasn't decided yet if they're coming back in the fall... if I find out there is a vacancy, I'll pm you the contact info) and a few others that had rooms open as of May or June that might be filled already (again, I'll pm if I hear that they've still got rooms open).</p>
<p>Have you checked craigslist? I know people who've found good stuff on there.</p>
<p>Another option besides the internet listings is looking at bulletin boards around campus, including in the academic buildings (a lot of grad students looking to live with other grad students will only post in their department, but will consider an undergrad if they seem okay). Also check out HSC--the last time I was browsing the boards there, it seemed like there were a bunch of people looking for roommates.</p>
<p>The one year lease thing is a crappy catch-22, and if you're really dead set on living on campus in the spring, commuting for a semester is probably your best bet. I commuted for 2.5 semesters before moving on campus (an hour and a half each way! And I didn't even have a car the whole time... ah, the good old days), and it's definitely doable for a semester, if not ideal.</p>
<p>Best of luck. I'm really sorry your SB experience is starting off this way, but it'll only get better, really.</p>
<p>(P.S. if you look at anything with a landlord named Indra, RUN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION)</p>
<p>At my school, they had supplemental housing(with 5+ students living in converted study lounges and other larger rooms inside the halls at a cheaper price) to cope with the exceedingly large class last year. Does SBU have something similar?</p>
<p>I would not commute for one hour in the morning, especially by driving. This is boung to ruin your experience and affect your performance.</p>
<p>SB has already exhausted the "supplemental housing" resources available... the common rooms and lounges on corridor style halls already have people living in them permanently (they're not that big, so it's not so much of a stretch), and if it's anything like last year, pretty much all of the freshmen are going to be tripled in design doubles. There are still study lounges and such, but if you move people into those, the people who're tripled get screwed over even worse, since there are only two desks for three people in those, and you'd be taking away one of the more convenient places for them to go work. Plus they'd be crazily uncomfortable... I'd much rather commute than get stuck in the basement next to the laundry room.</p>
<p>Pseudonym, I can't thank you enough for helping me...people like you are rare.</p>
<p>Tommorow was the second day of the "networking day" event but I decided it was useless and am probably not going back tommorow....I accomplished nothing on the first day....I tried "networking" with the students who needed rooms (I gave them my number) but it was more of a "every man for himself" and "chicken with its head cut off" search.</p>
<p>Commuting is going to be a beast...but I believe you when you say you've done it before and that it was doable.</p>
<p>I was intent on just finding a place for myself but right now am willing for anything, I'll room with anyone that is willing.</p>
<p>BTW: That Indra Kushal?? I think thats her last name...my parents went to see her place and it was a hell hole. She is ridiculously rude as well.</p>