We just toured U Chicago, which my S25 loved. However, we are a family that only has experience with residential colleges where students live on campus all four years, so we’re trying to understand the housing situation.
It sounds like most students move off-campus for junior and senior years. Is it difficult to find an apartment near campus? Are students signing leases in September of their sophomore year, or do they have time to think about with whom and where they want to live?
Also- do student apartments tend to come furnished, or will he have to figure all of that out as well?
Glad to hear your son is interested in UChicago! I believe students are guaranteed on campus housing all 4 years if they want it. They are required to live on campus for 2 years (unless studying abroad). My daughter lived on campus all four years. She was an RA her 4th year and loved it. Moving off campus is up to the student after 2nd year.
Living off campus can be cheaper than on campus, but then you have to deal with signing a full year lease even if you don’t need it, figuring out furniture, dealing with possibly longer walk to classes, etc.
As far as furniture, when my daughter had to find an apartment when she stayed at UChicago for grad school, she found a place where the previous tenants (students) simply left all the furniture when they moved out. I think that happens relatively often, as long as the landlord allows it.
Regarding when students have to sign leases, I’m not sure how it typically works. I’m pretty sure my daughter waited to the end of her fourth year before she found her grad school place for the following year. But maybe other kids do it differently. My daughter’s twin brother went to Ohio State, and he definitely had to sign a lease 10 months to a year before moving in.
My D will be graduating and moving out of her apartment there in the next few weeks. There are lots of apartments in the area in a variety of price points and condition; some come furnished. I think my D got her apartment in the spring (March?) for the following fall. She is trying to get rid of her furniture now through a couple student Facebook pages and Marketplace. I get the sense that finding used furniture would not be a problem.
Son is a current student at UChicago. He moved off campus for his junior year, but there are persons that stay on campus all four years. Off campus is a little cheaper than on-campus (but that depends on the apt…really nice apartments will be more expensive). My son wanted more flexibility and was tired of being locked into the campus dining options.
There are plenty of apartment options near to campus at a variety of price points that take into account distance to campus, amenities, age of building. I believe they had to sign a 12 month lease (students will sublet over the summer if not there).
Apartments don’t come furnished. There’s always a healthy secondary market of furniture and stuff from students that are graduating. Target is a life saver to stock the basics.