Dealbreaker: students required to live on campus for 3 or even 4 years

[Anonymous]

Everyone learns something surprising in their college search.

For some, it's the cost of tuition.
For some, it's how many schools offer "merit aid" that changes the cost equation significantly.
For some, it's how hard it is to get into "the right" schools.
For some, it's how important GPA and/or scores are (or are not) for their dream school.
For some, it's the cost of a meal plan.
For some, it's the extra fees that show up unexpectedly.
For some, it's how hard it is to motivate your child to engage with the college search.
For some, it's how hard it is to get into a specific program, even if you are already accepted to the school.

For OP, it is how colleges have residency requirements.

Just like the rest of us, once you get over your surprise, you tailor your search to meet the parameters that are most important to YOUR CHILD and look for the right fit.

[Anonymous]

I went to Georgetown and they wanted everyone to live on campus for at least 3 years or avoid antagonizing the surrounding community (I don't recall if it was a requirement). It was fine. Have you actually looked into on campus housing? A lot of ours for upperclassmen was apartment style, and there were no curfews, alcohol bans, or limits on visitors. We actually didn't have those rules for regular dorms either, other than the general rule that you're not supposed to drink if underage (this was not really enforced). I basically moved in with my now-DH sophomore year in the dorm we both lived in, and my roommate had her boyfriend visit from a different school all the time since I was never around at night anyway.

[Anonymous]

I think it's weird that it's a requirement. I couldn't imagine living on campus my senior year of college. I agree it's a red flag. You aren't signing up for boarding school. This is college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did this OP, it was great and fostered campus community.

If your dc doesn't want to do that, they can attend another university.

No kidding, really?

You say foster community, I say perpetuates the nanny state and delays growth in life skills like paying utility bills, taking out the garbage on the right night, shoveling snow to be a good neighbor, grocery shopping, cooking, and I can go on like this all day

They will get there.

Why does it have to be at 20 instead of 22?

You sound pretty rigid.

And, many of the juniors and seniors opt to live in on-campus apartments where they shop, clean and cook (this is what I did ) or on-campus language houses where they speak their chosen language full-time (and shop, cook, clean take out trash etc). And since bills are basically all on auto-pay their utility bill is not any different than their spotify, amazon prime, other bills etc. They are still managing money and making sure they have enough if their account to pay for these. And in what typical off-campus housing at other colleges are kids shoveling snow or taking out garbage on a given day? Most places have a service to do that these days and apartments will have a dumpster that you put your trash in whenever (pretty much like a dorm). Most college kids are not living off-campus in single family homes. And even most 20 something college grads aren't living in single family homes where you do those things--the typical person will live in an apartment building in a city where they take care of those services and you have your bills on auto pay just adding to the bills teens and college students wherever they live have on auto-pay. It's almost as if you think that if college students aren't living your 'frozen in amber' version of what you think on-campus life and off-campus life are, they are not learning life skills. So weird.

Auto pay? You sound incredibly sheltered.

You don't have your bills on auto-pay? I'm a 40-something year old professional and I have my bills, retirement contributions, investments, on auto-pay. It's the most seamless, smart way to do it if you know how to manage your money and technology well. How is that sheltered?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the purpose of your post? If it’s a dealbreaker, he should go elsewhere. Not sure what the question is.

OP here. The purpose is merely to express surprise that this re$idential requirement is as common as it is, even at schools that aren't tiny enrollment rural LACs. I've a

Sometimes on DCUM people create posts that don't ask for advice. What happened to this CA family? $1 million in Brightwood! APS mask policy contradicts CDC. And that's ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone learns something surprising in their college search.

For some, it's the cost of tuition.
For some, it's how many schools offer "merit aid" that changes the cost equation significantly.
For some, it's how hard it is to get into "the right" schools.
For some, it's how important GPA and/or scores are (or are not) for their dream school.
For some, it's the cost of a meal plan.
For some, it's the extra fees that show up unexpectedly.
For some, it's how hard it is to motivate your child to engage with the college search.
For some, it's how hard it is to get into a specific program, even if you are already accepted to the school.

For OP, it is how colleges have residency requirements.

Just like the rest of us, once you get over your surprise, you tailor your search to meet the parameters that are most important to YOUR CHILD and look for the right fit.

This. Thread done. Love it, or leave it and move on to the hundred of other options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to imagine a parent getting all twisted up because her kid might not be able to get a cat or drink beer in his or her room senior year. Is this really a decision point, OP? Seriously?

OP here. It's a very significant factor for the student's decision making, yes. It's not about having a beer with your dog. It's about independence and autonomy. You know, making important choices for yourself as the adult that you are.

I should have known that SLAC grads from Tiny Rural Town, NewEngland would be overrepresented in the DCUM responses. If I went to school in Waterville, ME I'd likely stay on campus for 4 yrs, too.

You are just full of biases, instead of having an open mind and considering whether there might be advantages to something different than what you did.

What a shame if you have passed this narrow-mindedness on to your child.

I'm not sure how many different ways that I can say this is my adult son driving the process here.

Also, all the people telling me it's so awesome and juniors will get big apartments with no other roommates and full kitchens -- really? You're basing your blanket statement on an N=1 and you have no idea which colleges I'm talking about.

I'm looking at one college's website that directly contradicts you. That would be the previously frontrunner college.

You guys are really over-reacting. If your kid's #1 choice just went off his list for this...you are both mixed up.

There is more than one way to get to being a fully functional adult (or, put another way, living off campus in college is not the only road to Rome).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone learns something surprising in their college search.

For some, it's the cost of tuition.
For some, it's how many schools offer "merit aid" that changes the cost equation significantly.
For some, it's how hard it is to get into "the right" schools.
For some, it's how important GPA and/or scores are (or are not) for their dream school.
For some, it's the cost of a meal plan.
For some, it's the extra fees that show up unexpectedly.
For some, it's how hard it is to motivate your child to engage with the college search.
For some, it's how hard it is to get into a specific program, even if you are already accepted to the school.

For OP, it is how colleges have residency requirements.

Just like the rest of us, once you get over your surprise, you tailor your search to meet the parameters that are most important to YOUR CHILD and look for the right fit.

thank you, PP, so true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with OP. I went to a large state school and couldn't imagine living on campus after sophomore year.

So...apply to schools where one can do that. My DC wants a school with little to no Greek life. I didn't come on here and post "DC's #s 1 and 3 schools have frats. Can you imagine that? Ridiculous." Why not - because DC knew not to include such schools on the list even if there were other great qualities.

FWIW, a lot of LACs have these rules and have for a long time. The LAC I attended in the Midwest changed the "seniors can live where they want" to "50 seniors who win the lottery can live where they want." Why? They lose money when kids live on off campus. End of story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the purpose of your post? If it’s a dealbreaker, he should go elsewhere. Not sure what the question is.

OP here. The purpose is merely to express surprise that this re$idential requirement is as common as it is, even at schools that aren't tiny enrollment rural LACs. I've a

Sometimes on DCUM people create posts that don't ask for advice. What happened to this CA family? $1 million in Brightwood! APS mask policy contradicts CDC. And that's ok.

I think you may be defensive because you have realized how limited your world view was. And that's ok too.

[Anonymous]

So...apply to schools where one can do that. My DC wants a school with little to no Greek life. I didn't come on here and post "DC's #s 1 and 3 schools have frats. Can you imagine that? Ridiculous." Why not - because DC knew not to include such schools on the list even if there were other great qualities.

Your DC knew that because your DC read each college's materials for a description of Greek life. My DC has now (9/1/2021) read each college's materials for a description of residential life. Both of our DC's will/did create final lists using the information they found.

[Anonymous]

You guys are really over-reacting. If your kid's #1 choice just went off his list for this...you are both mixed up.

There is more than one way to get to being a fully functional adult (or, put another way, living off campus in college is not the only road to Rome).

Really? Of all the hundreds of reasons people choose one college over another, you think factoring in living arrangements is over reacting? Now who's over reacting.
-Not OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get some of these comments, I went to a large state school where most people moved off campus sophomore year. Some stayed in dorms as sophs but definitely by junior year everyone had a house or apartment. "Off campus" doesn't mean moving thirty miles away, it just meant we were paying rent to a landlord instead of to the school. We were still physically right in the mix. In fact the places I lived were all closer to most of the academic buildings than my freshman year dorms.

+1. My college only required Freshman year on campus. I'm surprised no one mentioned cost! It's much more expensive to live on campus! We had to buy the meal plan, which you had to be a linebacker to be able to eat all the prepaid food.

Living off campus was a good "in between" stage between living hotel-like on campus without privacy and living on your own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a school like this. There was a really tight community, and it's really convenient to be able to walk to everything. If your daughter doesn't like it, she can just go somewhere else.

Yep same, it was great,!

Lots of future years to live in boring apartments or whatever as adults after college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You guys are really over-reacting. If your kid's #1 choice just went off his list for this...you are both mixed up.

There is more than one way to get to being a fully functional adult (or, put another way, living off campus in college is not the only road to Rome).

Really? Of all the hundreds of reasons people choose one college over another, you think factoring in living arrangements is over reacting? Now who's over reacting.
-Not OP

Well at least look into the what the residential requirement actually means. If there is the option of apartments, co-ops, language houses and the like where juniors and seniors cook etc. it's really not a big difference.