What colleges allow freshmen to live off campus?

anon94785555
Fri, 23 Jan 2015 06:10:06 +0000

Campus culture determines the type of housing desirable at different stages of one’s college career. My alma mater- UW-Madison- has so much more convenient off campus housing (one of son’s apartments was next door to a building he had a class in- probably 5 minutes from bed to classroom) than in my day. Many, but not all, live in the public dorms freshman year. Some elite colleges require on campus living freshman year and you don’t choose the school for its dorms from my experience with parent comments on CC in the past. Do not let housing remove otherwise excellent fit schools from your list.

I chose dorms over commuting from home some 8 miles. And couldn’t stay on my first dorm floor because my dorm was one of the first to go coed (all guys took over my floor) back in the early 1970’s. The distance travelled makes a difference in choosing whether to live on or off campus. There is so much “after hours” discussion and activity one misses if not there (a friend was walking distance to campus but never could be involved in those night sessions- her parents never would have understood).

Dorms offer new students instant companions and the luxury of clean bathrooms, no need to cook and other nice amenities. Also an experience you will likely never have again in your life. Worth it.