to live on CAMPUS or not to live?

[johntam]

im applying to columbia university which is only 30 minutes from where i live in queens. Im applying and need tremendous amounts of aid. Ideally, i would like to live on campus. I have a few questions about my scenario.

<li>Does saying im going to commute or live on campus have any effect on admission? Will they think im an idiot for wanting/needing so much aid yet not wanting to live at home?</li>
<li>Does saying im going to commute or live on campus have any effect on admission? If i say i want to live on campus, will they try to acomodate that (a few thousand bucks more) or will they just ignore my request? </li>
<li>Can anything negative come out of saying i want to live on campus even though i need so much aid? </li>

Thanks so MUCH!

[bettina]

<p>Do they ask you if you are going to commute or live on campus? This is not a usual question on the applications. I would not mention it either way.</p>

<p>Most top colleges will compute cost of living on campus as part of your need-based financial aid. Most colleges prefer students, particularly freshman, to live on campus. If you have to live at home because you don't qualify for financial aid and your parents don't want to pay boarding costs, I'd not mention that either.</p>

[johntam]

<p>This is on the college financial aid form. The question just asks for preferred housing status: on campus, off campus, commuter.</p>

<p>Just want to know if anything bad can come out of saying that i preferr to live on campus (even though like i said, i will need 300% aid lol)</p>

<p>thanks</p>

[Roger_Dooley]

<p>Johntam, I don't think your housing plans will affect your chances at all. If anything, I'd guess that Columbia would prefer you to reside on campus, considering the weight they place on the shared experience of the Core Curriculum. I think your chances will be based on the usual criteria - grades, scores, and accomplishments outside the classroom.</p>

[celebrian25]

<p>nothing bad will come from it, though commuting is slightly cheaper I think, though being 30 minutes away, it would probably be cheaper just to live there anyways with gas prices</p>

[sybbie719]

<p>Hi John,</p>

<p>My daughter had the same concerns last year when applying to Barnard, as we live in Queens and she wanted to live on Campus. </p>

<p>It used to be that if you lived with in commuting distance from the school, you could live in the dorms , but you would be on your own as far as paying for it. I know that with the class of 08 that has changed. </p>

<p>Daughter filed that she wanted to live on campus, and once she was accepted the financial aid package from Barnard was calculated for a student who would be living on campus. I believe that Columbia now does the same thing since the school now owns so much realestate uptown.</p>

<p>Read the financial aid section and check with the FA office to be sure. All the best</p>