<p>My S who had planned to transfer to SUNY New Paltz, has recently received a letter from the school alerting all transfer students that they will not be getting any on campus housing this year. They got an overwhelming response and have no room. They said they got 17,000 applications this year and many more students than they expected accepted admittance to the school. They have the largest incoming class ever.</p>
<p>All transfer students are scrambling for off campus housing and it is slim pickings. My S is rethinking his decision to attend since he is afraid to end up in some horrible left over housing or no housing at all and being isolated from the campus with less options for meeting people.</p>
<p>Any other students find themselves in this position. It took us by surprise.</p>
<p>Do you think this is a deal breaker for a transfer student?</p>
<p>Wow, Lilymoon, this must be a big disappointment! I don't blame you for rethinking the transfer.
I know that my sister did live in a house a few blocks from campus and a few of the girls in her house were NP students. I think there are a number of houses in the neighborhood between campus and town that rent out rooms. Don't know how you would find out about them.</p>
<p>Where else is your son thinking of going then instead?</p>
<p>I spent my freshman year living in an off campus apartment at an out of state school that I hated because of a similar situation that New Paltz is going through. I found it incredibly hard to meet people since it is not in a dorm environment and it is a pain dealing with bills and rent. I would highly suggest living on campus at another school unless your son is the type who meets people very easilly.</p>
<p>Oh, yuck!!! My D really liked New Paltz and wants to apply for 2009. I guess that is bad news for prospective applicants; they'll probably take much fewer.</p>
<p>It might not be bad if a bunch of transfer students can get together and rent a house; has he met many online?</p>
<p>perfectedxchaos - My S is at UMiami right now and would consider staying.</p>
<p>vahevala - Yes, this is quite a dissapointment. We have been looking at houses around the campus, but there is not much available and the ones that are look less than appealing.</p>
<p>cerealkiller - that is what my S is most concerned about. Being in a house off campus and not meeting people, being isolated. Where did you go to school and are you staying there?</p>
<p>Muffy333 - I think NP is a really appealing school. The numbers shouldn't deter your D from applying, but it is getting more selective. I would like it if he got a house with other transfers, but basically, this whole thing has thrown my S and he has lost some of his enthusiasm for the school so he is not reaching out much even though there are others in the same boat.</p>
<p>I think it will be significantly less appealing if all freshmen end up tripled....</p>
<p>Lilymoon, I went to Pennsylvania College of Technology for one semester because at the time I thought I wanted to pursue a career with computers but since the school was practically open admissions, no one seemed to care about it and on weekends everyone went home so there was no social life. I have a week left now at Westchester Community College where I transferred to in the spring of 2007 and in the fall I'm transferring to SUNY Potsdam. My experience was exceptionally bad though, from what I hear New Paltz is a much more lively school with a more outgoing/open minded student body so if your son does decide to live off campus there he might have some trouble meeting people at first but he'll probably end up having a good time.</p>
<p>Muffy333 - yes, your right, there will be many freshman tripled up.</p>
<p>Cerealkiller - I wish you the best at SUNY Potsdam. It's unfortunate you had such a rough start, but I'm sure things will improve once you are settled at Potsdam.</p>
<p>Lilymoon,</p>
<p>Just noticed on the NP website there is a bulletin board for off campus housing. You may find something of interest.</p>
<p>vahevala - been constantly checking that board....called all the possibilities and we went up to look the other day. We were so dissapointed. One house was worse than the next. Run down, peeling paint, smelly, flithy, etc. I will continue to check and see if something comes up that is decent, but it is a little late in the game, unfortunately. Thanks for the suggestion though. :)</p>
<p>It seems as though my S has decided to reapply for the Spring semester with the hopes of getting on campus housing.</p>
<p>Oh dear!!!! Sorry the fall didn't work out. I really liked the New Paltz tour and my kid did too; she may not like it so much if the dorms are crowded. Maybe fewer people apply if it isn't the hot small state school of the year in Newsweek again.</p>
<p>Thanks, Muffy. Yeah, I was dissapointed he decided to go back to UMiami. I thought NP was a great choice for him. Let's hope by the Spring things will be more settled at NP and housing will be more available.</p>
<p>Is your D going to apply there? They are supposed to be building a lot more housing on land they just aquired. Not sure what the time table for that will be though.</p>
<p>My D will probably apply to NP, but the statement by the tour guide that freshmen usually aren't tripled was a big plus for her so we'll have to see how that develops!</p>
<p>Muffy - where else is your D applying? Does she have strong interest in any other schools?</p>
<p>She has strong interest in a bunch of schools we can't afford and I don't see us getting merit aid at. I was very happy that she could see herself at several of the SUNYS; we saw Albany, New Paltz, and Oneonta and if we can afford the gas we'll see Cortland, Bing, Geneseo. SUNYS are about $16,000 and nearby state flagships seem to be about $35,000. New Paltz is my favorite!</p>
<p>Muffy - What is your D thinking about pursuing? All the SUNYs you mention are very very different. But I wish her luck in whatever she decides.</p>
<p>She wants to be a teacher; the smaller SUNYs have teacher certification undergrad programs and the big ones don't but she'll major in English either way and then get a masters in teaching. I think she wants a big campus like Albany or Binghamton, but New Paltz has about 5 or 6 thousand so it isn't exactly small. Everything about New Paltz looked great; I could see why Newsweek gave it the "small state hot school" award.</p>
<p>Muffy333: If your daughter has the qualifications and is interested the honors program is a great option, honors students are guaranteed dorm in Lenape which is the newest dorm with BIG rooms that are designed triples. My D lived in Lenape this year, but is moving into a suite next year which is more "social".</p>