soozievt

You definitely can request roomies if the roomies make the same requests and also list the same dorms in the same order of preference. I cannot imagine why a group of four would have better odds at their first choice than a group of two in terms of freshmen housing.

NotMamaRose

Because it would make things twice as easy for the housing and residential office. In other words, they are taking care of four people at once, rather than only two. And four times easier for NYU's housing office than matching up a kid who is alone and has no one requesting to be roomies with him or her. Well, that's my theory, anyhoo. Might be all washed up, for sure.

soozievt

May sound logical but I am not sure it has any effect on getting the dorm you want. In the apartment style dorms, there are usually two bedrooms in an apartment with two kids in each. If you apply with a roomie, they just put those two in ONE room and two others in the other room....I don't think there is much of a match up of who is in the entire apartment unit. Perhaps there is some effort in matching roomies IN THE SAME BEDROOM on some very very basic criteria on a form (sleeping, cleanliness habits, for example) but I do not think that they do that for all who share the apartment. I don't know but my assumption is that going in as four for freshman is not an advantage in getting a first choice dorm. I don't even thinking going in as two roomies for one bedroom in an apartment or suite is an advantage in getting a first choice freshman dorm at NYU. I just do not believe it works that way there. You could call housing and ask.

NotMamaRose

Oh, well, my theory made me happy while it lasted. But thanks for explaining the way it works in the real world, my friend.

soozievt

NMR....I think this is how it would work for freshmen at NYU but honestly your best bet would be to ask the housing office as I do not have any inside information for this school in this capacity and just wrote what I think based on what I know, but it is not pure fact with regard to NYU freshman housing.

alwaysamom

NMR, I think that Susan is correct about this. Unless something has changed (and that is entirely possible), the housing office will accomodate requests for two freshmen to be roomed together, but they will not accept requests for four. I know that when my D was a sophomore, the sibling of a friend of hers got into NYU, as did three of his friends. They requested to be placed together in an apt. style and were told that it wasn't possible for this request to be considered. They each could choose one other roomie, but that was it. In any case, two kids requesting each other as roomies are fairly certain to get it, however, this will have little, if any, effect on what dorm they get, on their list of priorities. Unless, of course, one of them is an E.D. kid, and in that case, they probably will get their first choice. As Susan said, it's best to give the housing office and call and get a definitive answer, though, if your D has three friends she wants to room with in the fall.

soozievt

NMR....the key then, NMR, is if your D has a friend who got in ED like my D did, the likelihood of getting a first choice dorm is quite good (she got it). But just requesting roomies (which will get you the roomie you want likely) doesn't have an effect on what dorm you get on your list of preferences as a freshman.

MTgrlsmom

OK, clarifying what "I" know as my D happens to be in this position (wanting to room with 3 of her friends) and called housing.

She was told to list the names and their NYU ID's on the application, and follow up with an email to housing. All her friends need to do this as well (send the email and list each other's names on the application). One catch, there are only 2 boxes for names on the application, and so the email is critical as everyone has to "cross reference" each other. The email (that is sent 4 times ) should have the names of all four girls and their NYU ID's.

Oh, and yes, no guarantees...

soozievt

I think there is a good chance the four will be put together. Last summer, just for summer housing, my daughter had some friends (not all attended NYU) who wanted to room together at an NYU dorm and they just all had to stipulate one another. Still, as I mentioned to NMR, this has no bearing on which dorm you get. However, given that YOUR D was admitted in the ED round, those kids get first dibs and so in my opinion, your D has a pretty good chance of first choice (or at least second choice) dorm and also of rooming with her friends as long as they all put down the SAME information (one another's names plus the same order of preference of dorms).

actressmom

Sooziet my daughter did not get the dorm (She got the expensive one that her roomate cannot afford) she wanted with her roomate and they now want to look for a apartment. She mentioned Brooklyn was less expensive. But it worries me because of late night rehearsals. What do you think?

soozievt

What year is she in? Funny you mention this. My D is a junior right now and lives at an apartment off campus but the set up she has is an unusual situation. She lives in Nolita. Next year, she is getting a new apartment (hasn't gotten yet) with a different roommate who graduated CAP21 in 2007 (whom she has known for many years prior to college). The roomie obviously is no longer in college. I was hoping my D would still live close to NYU but she tells me she is going to get an apartment in Brooklyn and is adamant about that. Apparently a lot of students do live in Brooklyn. She says it is just a few stops on the subway. I mentioned her very late night rehearsals she seems to have every night but she says that she already has to walk far or take a subway and so this is not going to be that different and that everyone does it. So, what can I say but that my D is in the same situation. They have not begun to look yet because my D has other FREE housing this summer in NYC and so it is early yet I think to line up an apartment for the next school year the way the listings go. I suppose they will look when she is there this summer. Maybe we can be in touch and compare notes as that is how far it has gotten with my kid.

PS...Brooklyn IS less expensive and you get more for the money (she told me all this and in fact, I looked up listings, for example on Craigslist and it is quite true).

actressmom

My D is going to be a jr next year. Where is your Ds apartment now. (not a address but is it in the village?) Is Brooklyn deserted at night? One of the reasons I do not mind the village is because it is always crowded so I feel safer for her. This is really making me crazy. My D is young for her age and also young for her class but not as young as your D. I guess they have to grow up sometimes. My husband is really upset about this. We were warned about the housing situation before she applied but I always put it in the back of my mind. Are you going to let her live in Brooklyn no matter what?

soozievt

As I mentioned, my D lives in Nolita....that stands for north of Little Italy...she lives on The Bowery....she can walk to Tisch but she also uses the subway. Her apartment is not the norm for students. She is rooming this year with someone whose parents bought her a million dollar condo for her years at NYU (nothing I can remotely relate to). My D knows that if she wants to live off campus, that's fine but we are willing to pay the same as we had to pay for a NYU dorm (which as you know, ain't cheap...she lived both years in apartment style dorms). The other family was willing to have us pay rent in the amount we pay to NYU and just for the school year and no 12 month lease (which I am SURE is not half of the carrying costs for this place). My D's current apartment, which is fully furnished beautifully by the other family (so we did not have to buy anything) is two bedrooms, two full baths, living/dining room and kitchen, with a huge private deck, as well as a doorman, and laundry in the building. So, like I said, atypical.

For next year, I thought maybe she'd get an apartment in the East Village or some such but she is adamant about Brooklyn. I am willing to pay the same amount as the apartment dorms at Tisch (for the school year and not in summers). I suppose we will let her. She is very strong willed. My husband has no problem with it and so, what can I say? I do see my D's point that if she lives in the section of Brooklyn that is closest to Manhattan, she'd be a couple subway stops away from Union Square, not much different than now. I am always nervous about how late at night she gets home from rehearsals and such even now, alone. As she says, the streets are full of people at all hours. She says so many do this in Brooklyn too.....lots of students. I haven't been there myself. When she lives in NYC this summer, and has to look for a place for the fall, I am sure I will have to go see for myself, let alone I am sure I will have to sign for it given that she is a student. It sounds like your D was willing to live in an NYU dorm but had a roomie who was not able to afford certain NYU dorms. My D no longer wanted to live in the dorms after the first two years but we were willing to pay for the apt. style dorms as were her roomies and so that situation did not arise and that is tricky in the housing lottery then. My D lived in Carlyle last year which has a great location. Of course, now having her own bedroom and bathroom in a gorgeous apartment is no comparison.

I have no clue what next year holds. I only know she has someone to room with and they want to live in Brooklyn. The other girl is currently in an apartment....not sure where, may be East Village, but her lease will be up. We haven't discussed this in a while (who can when every call they are on the run and so much else is also going on in their lives to talk about) but this is the general plan as of now and since both she and her roomie for next year each have a place for this summer, there is no apartment hunting yet. I haven't been through apartment hunting with her in NY ever because she lucked out with just moving into this other girl's condo this year which she already lived in and owns. My D is also saying that Brooklyn is cheaper (though I would have paid her current rent again) and that she is looking ahead since after next May she is on her own to pay her expenses and so would want to live in Brooklyn as it is cheaper (and her roomie is already on her own and out of college....the other girl is two years ahead of her in college but about four years older but my D has always had older friends and they have known each others since they were much much younger and went to theater camp together, then CAP and were also in the same a capella group at NYU). My D is truly the age of a college freshman but is a junior in college as she is two years ahead in school now. As far as the "young" thing....I'm over it as it has been three years already in NYC.....it was a bigger deal in my head when she started there still only 16.

alwaysamom

There are definitely some areas of Brooklyn which would be less expensive than what NYU charges for dorms. What you have to be careful about is which area you choose. The less expensive areas also tend to be the less nice areas. Not always the case but, in general, yes. The apartment vs. dorm debate is always an interesting one and you'll get many different opinions. I think that most college age kids can certainly handle the challenges of being responsible for their own apartment, but I know that many parents don't agree with me. One thing to keep in mind when comparing costs is that you will be responsible for the costs for the entire year and not just for the months that school is in session. Additional costs like utilities, cable, phone, transportation, may enter the equation. There are usually broker fees, in addition to first and last month's rent, when an apartment is located. Lots to consider and not necessarily always the least expensive option.

There are pros and cons to both but I wouldn't assume that living in Brooklyn, or Queens, or Hoboken, or Jersey City is always going to be a cheaper option. It's really too early now to be looking for an apt for September, which is another potential problem, if they're not within easy access to the city over the summer. The other issue is that once you're out of NYU housing, it's difficult to get back in, if you change your mind.

soozievt

AlwaysAMom brings up excellent points. One thing my D lucked out on this year is that she did not have to sign a year's lease and so we are just paying for the school year but that is very unusual. And as I said, I didn't have to buy any furniture at all and when she gets an apartment for next year, she won't have furniture. Also add in any extra charges when figuring out the total expenses. My D has free housing for this summer and so will be in NYC and can look for an apartment for next year. Signing a year's lease won't be a big deal this time because she will be graduating and staying in NYC. But otherwise, had she not been a senior, she'd have to get a year's lease, although many are able to sublet their apartments to friends for the summer. In our case, I am unable and unwilling to pay for summer housing when my kids are in college. But you should look at those issues. As far as transportation, my D needed a subway pass this year already with her apartment and so that won't be new but she didn't when she lived in a dorm. My D said she was interested in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn and also that is closer to the city and certain train lines. It all remains to be seen. I have no trouble with my kid living in an apartment that is not school housing. It is not that different than dorms at NYU as there is no campus anyway. You have to take the subway for certain upper class dorms at NYU anyway. She is also getting more for the money. She also is no longer a freshman new at college or new to the city.

Just to mention, not all apartments have broker's fees.

My D's reasons for wanting Brooklyn are not solely on cost because she already knows we will pay what we pay now and she could find an apartment I bet in East Village for this amount. She seems to prefer Brooklyn for several different reasons. Even if it is not cheaper, she says you can get more for the money....like bigger place. She says it is hip and lots of young people live there and she likes the idea of getting away a little. It likely is not what I would have picked. However, we support our kids' decisions and feel they often do pick what is right for them and I often am able to see eventually how they were right about it. While it is true that I am paying (now), I do feel that they are young adults and need to have decision making power in their lives about a lot of things.