<p>I just started a parents’ thread. Please help answer questions there.</p>
<p>Mom2players, that would be great to have a parent thread. It is true that all you hear is
sophmores are guaranteed housing but what you don’t know is that most likely it will be horrible choices and a beyond stressful situation to scramble to find the housing situation that will most fit your needs and desires. That’s why everyone eventually get caddy about it because everyone is just trying to set themselves up to be happy in their sophmore year.</p>
<p>Saugus, I agree with Cormom15 that if there is no security off campus even a two minute walk in the dark alone could be unsafe. The closer the better. </p>
<p>Lets keep this going. I will let people know what my daughter ends up with. Hopefully a happy ending.</p>
<p>No, our son did not apply for a program house. He got in through the lottery. Of course, I had urged him to consider program houses earlier in the process, but he never listens to me and was too lazy to follow through on the application process. It did work out in the end, and I hope next year at Campus Hill will also be okay. FWIW, we live in Houston, and Rice only guarantees housing for two years. Oddly, it is often the SOPHOMORES that get thrown off campus and turned loose in a big city! At least there are many more housing and transportation options in a city, as opposed to a smaller town like Ithaca. It would be nice if housing could be offered for all four years, for those who would prefer to remain on campus – as it is at many universities. But, conversely, we have friends at LSU and UT who were unable to get campus housing as incoming FRESHMEN. So it could be worse … But it is a shame that it is such a stressful process, for kids and for parents. Although I probably worried about it more than my son did! He isn’t very picky.</p>
<p>Oddly, when I went to Ohio State, freshmen were required to live in the dorms unless they had close family in town. The dorms were far more expensive than any apartment that I had in the subsequent years there. I claimed to be an aunt to one of my best friends, and she was able to live with me her freshman year (my junior year). My husband lived in his fraternity house all four years at MIT. </p>
<p>With my son in a program house that he can stay in for four years, my biggest concern is that he will screw up and miss a deadline. He will still be a minor his sophomore year, so he is truly not ready for an apartment (and he knows that).</p>
<p>^
Why is he not ready for an apartment? It’s really fairly simplistic.</p>
<p>And not to be imperious or anything, but the average freshman/sophomore at Cornell is smarter than most of the general adult population.</p>
<p>Thanks for the support!</p>
<p>Yes, by allowing so many to block it really changes how the lottery should probably work as well as causes problems for kids when no one in a group gets a “great” number and kids decide to leave their friends to go with a group with a better number. I guess it’s a way to figure out who your true friends are. D was willing to put her friends before her and found out one girl was only looking out for herself and is now angry with my D for not agreeing with her decision.</p>
<p>Oh well…time to move on. D has a good enough number to get her and her roommate into West and hopefully will have a good enough number to pull in the other girl who was ditched. Other girl is ok with getting a random roommate as long as the 3 of them can be near eachother. In the meantime my D said that if they can’t pull her in they will all live somewhere else together, she won’t ditch her during the lottery.</p>
<p>Living off campus for sophomore year isn’t really an option. I would like for D to have one more year on the mealplan, etc. and in the dorms. As the other mom’s of girls said Ravenwood really wouldn’t be an option either. We drove by there and Campus Hill to check out the locations for Junior year and location wise, Campus Hill wins. </p>
<p>Good luck to everyone going through the lottery. Still over a month until the drama ends!</p>
<p>Hello all…
just to add something else into the mix. My freshman daughter has applied to be an RA. If selected for the program, RA’s get a single room in whatever dorm they are assigned. For those, like me, concerned with college finances, it should be noted that the school picks up the cost of the room, provides a discount on the meal plan, and a small stipend.</p>
<p>I realize that being an RA is not for everyone, and that there are responsibilities that come with the position, and that there are more applicants than positions, but…it’s an option.</p>
<p>regards,
lowdenf23c</p>
<p>Yeah, I am not worried about his intelligence. His independence is another thing. He is only 16 now (June birthday). Sophomore year he will be 17. How many 18 year olds are ready to start out in an apartment? He is not at this point. He will have that chance when he is ready. I think he loves Risley enough to stay there for 4 years, but who knows how he will feel next year or junior year? Right now, he appreciates not needing to cook while still having his own room. I cannot even imagine him cooking for himself anytime soon. But miracles do happen (and kids do grow up).</p>
<p>mdmomfromli - when is your D’s time slot if you don’t mind my asking?</p>
<p>cormom15- This year the lottery starts at 5 pm and she has 7:40 pm the first day. Any thoughts on that time slot? Per the statistics that Housing sent out regarding last years lottery the last open room on West Campus went at what would be the 8:40 pm time slot this year. So she realizes her options won’t be great, but hopefully good enough.</p>
<p>^
7:40 first day isn’t terrible. She won’t get into any of the nice West Campus dorms (Cook, Keeton, Rose, Becker, Hans Bethe, etc.) but she can get one of the Gothics. </p>
<p>And back to Campus Hill vs. Ravenwood-- Campus Hill has the better location since there’s no hill and it’s closer to campus. Ravenwood did look kind of sketchy the first time I saw it, especially the wooden exteriors. Seriously looked like a motel complex.</p>
<p>But it’s nice on the inside and there’s a bus which brings you to Central campus. And while West isn’t Collegetown-level dangerous by a long stretch, it would probably still be kind of scary if you’re small.</p>
<p>I would be more scared of Collegetown, though. Some guy just got shot there a couple of days ago, and there are plenty of sexual assaults.</p>
<p>mdmomfromli - that isn’t terrible! That puts her in the 9th time slot. I believe that she can definitely make it onto West but may end up in the Gothics like Saugus said if she wants to pull in her friend. Her friend can most likely end up in a random room in the same building as your D. (Poor girl - getting totally dumped. Your D is very kind to think of her! What a great friend!)</p>
<p>My D actually did the math last year. There were x amount of time slots each day, with 2 to 3 groups signing up at the same time able to pull in x amount of people - your D can figure out how many people would be signing up ahead of her that way. It’s not an exact science because some don’t take their own spots as they pull into others or are Greek. And don’t forget that they reserve a number of West spots ahead of sign up for juniors and transfers. If there is a large Greek pledge class than all the better for your D!</p>
<p>My D was in the 3rd time slot and all of the bigger dorms were pretty full but she was in a big group that wanted to be near another big group so they ended up in a so so dorm. </p>
<p>Saugus - I am sure that Ravenwood is nicer than Campus Hill on the inside as CH is rather campy there but my D wanted to save some money. She was also worried about the extra walk because she is a small female and there will be nights that she will have to walk alone back to the apartment. They are replacing the carpets and linoleum so that’s something!</p>
<p>My older daughter did very well with subleasing for below market price when she was living off campus. She lived at 312 for the price of Cornell housing. When she was looking to live off campus I advised her to only have one roommate. Most of her sorority friends wanted to rent a big house junior year, I didn’t support that. She and her best friend ended up getting a place together, but she did it by subletting from people who were studying abroad. Some of those students do not tell their parents that they were subletting their apartment, so they didn’t care how much they got for subletting.</p>
<p>Our younger daughter will be living at her sorority next year. She’ll go study abroad one semester, so she will only be living off campus for 1.5 year.</p>
<p>cormom15 - I thought that with blocking you had to get rooms near eachother, will my D be able to put her friend anywhere in the building? I thought it had to be the same section of the floor. Hopefully there will be a spot near the double she is able to get.</p>
<p>Anyone have any advice on the Gothics? Any ones better than the others?</p>
<p>Oldfort - Did the students your D sublet from go abroad for a full year, or did she have to move after 6 months?</p>
<p>^^
I’ve never been inside Campus Hill. They booked out in October.</p>
<p>What was it like inside? That’s funny, I was thinking Campus Hill looked nicer than Ravenwood on the OUTSIDE.</p>
<p>Some students do go abroad for whole year, but my older daughter did sublet for one semester each time and didn’t have to worry about summer rental. She originally had one year rental, but had to move out because of some problem with the apartment. She was able to find a sublet at 312 very quickly with just one roommate.</p>
<p>oldfort - very good advice about the subletting. Would it work for students that need year long housing - ones not in a sorority or studying abroad? I do like the idea of “no lease” because of all of the issues with leases but it seems the subletting is for 6 month blocks. How was your older daughter able to get out of the lease if you don’t mind my asking? My D has had a few wrinkles with her lease already and I am a little worried.</p>
<p>Saugus - Campus Hill is “okay” on the inside. My D originally signed a lease for a particular apartment that was nicer and in a better location, but the girls already in the apartment decided to stay in the apartment AFTER the deadline for renewal, so my D had to take a less nice apartment as a result, but they agreed to replace carpet and linoleum and discount the rent a bit so I think overall it should be okay.</p>
<p>mdmomfromli - I’m not exactly positive about that, but I can ask my D. I think it needs to be on the same floor but again, I will ask her. I will ask her about the Gothics as well. I think they are pretty much the same but some may have better “houses” that they are connected to so it may mean better food. I do know that Lyons is connected to the Flora Rose House System, but I don’t know about the others.</p>
<p>I am currently a junior, and I live in Campus Hill. It is very nice inside and all the rooms are pretty spacious. The staff there is really nice, and have been very accommodating when we have questions. It’s a fine walk to campus, and the parking lot is safe at night (which, as a girl, is important). Since my roommates and I like it so much, we decided to stay there next year too! I also lived through the stress of housing for sophomore year and ended up in a West Campus Gothic with a 5:40 time slot. Whatever happens, happens. It will all work out!</p>
<p>My daughter had a ground floor apartment. She didn’t feel comfortable in staying at the apartment. She was able to sublet it to someone else very quickly. The landlord was going to let her get out of it, but she found someone to take over her lease.</p>
<p>From an e-mail to students earlier today:</p>
<p>*Dear Name,
Due to unforeseen technical issues, the housing portal is currently inoperable. Room Selection will NOT occur today, March 4, 2013. All Room Selection timeslots will be pushed forward 24 hours. If your timeslot is today, March 4 at 5:00pm, your timeslot will now be Tuesday, March 5 at 5:00pm. Please go to housing.cornell.edu to see updated timeslot information.</p>
<p>If you have already selected a room (even if you have signed a housing contract), you will need to again participate in Tuesday’s Room Selection process at your appointed time. You MUST reselect your housing and re-sign your housing contract.</p>
<p>We know this is a difficult time, and we’re sorry for the added stress. We’ll continue to work hard to resolve the issue and keep you posted. Thank you for your attention.*</p>
<p>Has this ever happened before? Will they have it fixed in less than 24 hours?</p>