Hi all,
I’m an incoming freshman class of 2015 and I’m on the housing waitlist. I’ve heard a lot about this waitlist, especially about how a lot of people don’t get housing and have to look for off-campus options. As an incoming freshman, I honestly don’t know very much about the area and would really prefer to be on-campus my first year…
I haven’t received an email from the waitlist yet, but I applied as soon as the waitlist opened (10:00 AM on July 15th). What are my chances of getting housing? Should I call housing and check to see where I am on the waitlist, or is that not recommended? 
Thanks!
You know I was poking around on Facebook and there is a UCSD housing, lots of add for housing off campus. Some are reasonably cheap like $300-$400 for a loft, much better than those on campus housing. Some of them are on the bus line, not sure which, but you get to UCSD without needing a car. Perfect? no, but it’s an alternative and you save lots of money living off campus.
Were you admitted off of the waitlist? If yes, it depends on when ucsd admitted you. The sooner you were admitted, the more chance of getting housing.
I agree that living on-campus freshman year is preferable, especially for meeting other students. Call the housing dept.- the worst they can do is tell you they can’t help you. If you do start looking for off-campus housing, go to the UCSD housing website and then “Search” the off-campus housing directory. You can list yourself as a potential roommate along with a profile, or search available roommates. It looks like there are quite a few male and female incoming freshmen roommates looking for someone to share space with so that might be the way to go. When you look for a place, there are buses that run near campus that are free with student ID so as long as your housing is near a bus line you should be OK. Good luck!
Don’t miss any deadlines. My son was accepted in March 2015 for fall. Because he was not sure where he wanted to go of the schools that accepted him, he did not turn in his ITR until the final day. While he did indicate he wanted housing, he didn’t realize there was a SEPARATE form for housing. During orientation we could not get a straight answer and eventually were told to sign in, on 1 July for the waitlist. Last Friday he was denied housing. Several emails and calls later (believe me, they are completely unmoved), we learned:
- Not to expect housing for the entire year -- my son is a freshman
- Anyone accepted off the UCSD waitlist has priority over students who were accepted in the initially round but did not turn in the housing form by the day of confirmation of ITR
- She told me that the number of accepted, waitlisted students who wanted housing was about 300, so there really wasn't any chance for him.
- I don't know where you are finding housing for $300/400. In actuality, it is LITERALLY THREE times more than that to SHARE a ROOM, not an apartment, but a ROOM ($1100 to $1200 is average to share a single room).
- Remember, UCSD is located in beautiful, tony, pricey La Jolla -- housing is scarce and anyone with room (including landlords, managers, fellow students) know this.
- She said they have turned all singles and doubles into triples and still don't have enough room.
This is catastrophic for us – the intent for him was always to live at college. He turned down scholarships and housing to choose UCSD. This was never even in the realm of possibilities.
Bottomline: ONE misunderstanding was treated (conveniently) as so egregious it has basically upended my son’s college plans.
The lady at housing said she was getting dozens and dozens of calls like mine, and added, “There are students who are coming from China who’ve never left the country and can barely speak the language, who do not have housing.” There are all kinds of issues with this, but I definitely thought: in-state students don’t get priority or are in the same category as international students? Ah. International students pay a lot more. It’s about the Benjamins.
But the bottom line:
WHY ACCEPT SO MANY MORE INCOMING OUT-OF-TOWN FRESHMAN THAN YOU REMOTELY HAVE ROOM FOR?
$300-$400 is a loft in an apartment. I’ve seen these apartment before and when I finally saw them advertised I knew. No doors. Some of the apartments have 2 bedrooms and a loft.
It costs about $400-$650 to share a master bedroom with another student. It costs about $800-$1000 to have a single room. All these are OFF campus apartment and not ON campus.
Look for UCSD off campus housing facebook group. In the las few hours there are already housing ad to share.
Either you take action and get some housing or just want to complain. It’s your choice.
I am a parent of a freshman student who is looking for housing. We spent the past weekend looking for 2 bed-rooms apartment near campus, but nothing is available till early October. Finally decided on a 1-bedroom loft at Costa Verde, and then was told that one of the roommate is not 18 yet and therefore can’t be on the lease.
I am wondering if anyone else is having difficulties looking for off-campus housing. Please let me know if there are any other suggestions in successfully finding a place.
I think if the student is younger than 18, perhaps a parent might have to consign.
Thank you DrGoogle. The links you provided are very helpful!, I was not aware that so much information is online.
There are many apartments and condos for rent in the area. I live in La Jolla and walk or drive the area in and around UCSD every day. Most 2 bedroom places near the school go for $2,500 or more. If you have 4 people renting that is only $625 each. Even 3 people is not unreasonable rent if the one in the single room is paying more. Rents are cheaper in University City or out in Clairemont, but the bus ride is further and on the city bus.
Hi all,
Thanks for your helpful comments! I ended up getting an apartment with four other freshmen who had the same problem as me, and we were able to split a 2br/2ba and a large living room among the five of us.
I also agree with KindaDisgruntled. Very disappointed with the way UCSD is run in terms of housing and admissions. I honestly feel a little regretful about choosing UCSD over my other choices.
I thought housing is guaranteed for freshman unless you miss the deadline. Did you miss the deadline? There seems to be about 500 students got on waitlist this year, I wonder why?
My son is accepted by another UC and have all registration done. Later, UCSD offer him a 2nd chance to be admitted as freshman after May 1, 2015. We cancel all previous registration with another UC and accepted UCSD as my elder son is a graduate in UCSD. We think that freshman is guaranteed housing but found that this group of admitted student is isolated and being treated as 2nd class resident/student. They cannot enjoy the campus life like the other student. We still looking your recommended link for housing. Since we are not living in Southern Cal, it make the situation not easy to be solved. We plan to drive down to San Diego to look for a one bedroom condo but it is not cheap.
I think UCSD should rethink the housing rule for this group of freshman accepted after May 1, 2015. They are still freshman and do not familiar with the area but now have to commute to the college for class and back home after class.
I do not think it is fair to this group of young freshman. I cannot say it is discrimate this group of freshman but something has to be done as housing policy does not look like to take care ALL freshman equally.
@parentoffreshman, Its unfortunate to hear about the late acceptances. I think the UC budget decision caused a snowball affect. Lots of kids would have been accepted to the UCs that they would have been accepted but the budget deal made the decision to be delayed. I don’t think it was deliberately discriminated.
My kid and her roommates booked the apartment unseen because two were in Nor Cal for internship. But luckily one of her friends already moved into the apartment complex and they sent pictures of the inside of their apartment. Since your son has a brother who is graduated from UCSD, maybe he can help out as far as location is concerned.
I read tons of yelp reviews and they all sound very bad, I must admit I was a little worried, but I leaved the decision to my daughter and her friends. It’s harder when the student is a freshman. But at least UCSD is in a nice area.
Thank you for your reply. I think I can finally get a place to stay for my son but it is not my son’s expectation as he always think that he can live in the college housing. Before his final decision to UCSD, our family told him that UC guarantee housing for freshman the first two years, there must be some students original accepted by UCSD dropped out and choose other universities so that they can have some admittance after May 1, 2015. Those drop out students would also give up their housing reservation and therefore those group of late accepted freshman should also be qualified on the housing guarantee.
I also don’t think it is a discrimination but the acceptance and housing policy divided the freshman into two groups. Those late accepted freshman may become a group of displeased students. If every year of 500 displeased students with displeased parents on this policy loophole. 30 years will accumulate a total of 15,000 displeased graduate and their parents.
I think budget is not the issue as the policy loophole just ignore those late admitted student.
“All animals are equal, but pigs are more equal”
All US citizens should have the same human rights but not those naturalized to be US citizen to have more human rights than those late naturalized.
Even those who pass the rule of two years guarantee of housing for those freshman do not know that some executive put some late admit freshman out of the guarantee.
I just hope that the university can review the internal rule and allow the late admitted freshman to fall into the two years housing guarantee so as to eliminate those frustrated freshman and parents.
I agree UCSD is a good place. I just want to solve the problem but not to complain.
Hope this message can help those late admitted freshman to have housing guarantee in the future and would no longer be classified as second class resident or student.
Thanks again for your reply Dr.google.
I don’t recall there was a housing waitlist last year for housing or many years earlier, I’ve been on this site forever. But the same thing is happening this year for late admit to UCB. I know for some of CCers on this forum, some were admitted late to UCB and decided not to go there because of uncertainly regarding the FTP and housing.
For what it worth my kid is a Regents with 4 year guaranteed housing, but not just for Regents, for all admits of her year, it was 4 year guaranteed housing. But that means she has to be living in a dorm, very crowded, and she had to buy the meal plan which she doesn’t like. She’s much preferred to live off campus, more room, can cook her own food.
Originally it was convenient to look for International Gardens, seemed very close to UCSD. But in the end she was happy to have found an apartment within 5 miles off campus. But she has a car, which may make a difference.
Anyway, best of luck to your son with his house hunting.
I totally agree with parentofreshman. As a parent of freshman, who got into UCSD after being waitlisted, this decison is so unreasonable and unfair. As I have mentioned in my post earlier, I spent the entire weekend looking for apartment /condo close to campus, we did finally found a one-bedroom ($2040/ month) at Solazzo Apartment which is very close to campus. However, the one bedroom is not available till Sept 26, which is after school starts. The 2-bedroom is even more difficult to find. Since my freshman won’t be taking a car to school, we were trying to find something as close to campus as possible.
Another challenge I found out is that some apartments(i.e. Costa Verde) won’t lease to a minor. My of my son’s potential roommate is only 17. So he can’t be listed on the lease, and made financially reliable.
I understand the frustration and can’t begin to tell you how much stress this caused my family. I called the UCSD housing and expressed my frustrations and difficulties I have experienced as a part of the housing search. Our family is leave for vacation out of country starting tomorrow and won’t be back till mid September. That’s why we have a made a decision last weekend.
Good luck to everyone who is in the housing search! Would love to share my experience or help with anyone who is interested. IN the meantime, I would also recommend everyone calling the UCSD and let them know this is unfair practice.