While Boston University officials said they expect to enroll fewer freshmen in the fall, the smaller incoming class will likely not affect students’ chances in getting their preferred housing choices in late March.
The size change may open up space for transfer students who wish to live on campus for the 2012-13 academic year.
Transfer students are not guaranteed housing on campus and are only placed in any remaining rooms after same-room, internal and community selection has occurred for continuing and new students, said Executive Director of Housing and Dining Marc Robillard.
Community housing appointments will occur between March 29 and April 5, during which time students will vie for their preferred rooms from 11,400 spots available, Robillard said. Incoming freshmen will need to be accounted for, as all BU students are required to live on campus their first year.
More than 7,000 students paid their housing reservation fee and will be placed into on-campus housing, he said.
Robillard cited the class of 2014 as an instance when BU was not able to place transfer students in housing, due to the 4,409 new undergraduate students.
However, BU spokesman Colin Riley said there were only 4,130 freshmen in the class of 2013.
“Enrolling a freshman class is an art, not a science, and our Admissions folks do an amazing job, so the numbers sometimes fluctuate above our targets as was the case [for the class of 2014],” Riley said in a phone interview.
The class of 2016 is targeted at around 3,900 students, 3 percent less than last year and 13 percent less than the class of 2014, Riley said.
However, Robillard said the lower numbers do not necessarily mean students will see a change in the ability to get their preferred housing.
“Having more freshmen only tells part of the story,” Robillard said. “You have continuing students too, as well as graduate and transfer students.”
As The Daily Free Press reported in January, BU received a record number of applicants for the 2012-13 academic year, which can result in a larger-than-normal freshman class.
Helen Baine Keller, a College of Communication sophomore, said she is disappointed with the housing process. Keller received a lottery number of about 12,000, but said the only choices left for her and her roommate were Warren Towers, Myles Standish Hall, Danielsen Hall and the predominantly freshman dorms in West Campus.
“I guess we’ll see what happens this year with the lottery system, but last year my roomie and I were treated very poorly by the staff,” she said. “Hopefully, this year there are more choices.”
College of Arts and Sciences junior Kayla Fernandez said she has never met a transfer student who has lived on campus.
Robillard said last year saw the most number of continuing students staying on campus because of the added capacity and appeal of Student Village II and a negative influence by the housing market.
“It all depends on the real estate markets,” he said. “We’re living in a changing environment.”
Students will invariably end up in less-than-preferred housing such as Danielsen Hall, especially because freshmen fight to get into Warren Towers, West Campus and parts of Bay State Road, Robillard said.
“It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he said. “Freshmen think that they should live in the typically freshman dorms, so that’s what they end up going for.”
Morgan Kelley, a College of Engineering sophomore, said he only stays in on-campus housing because his financial aid won’t pay for an off-campus apartment.
“I think housing could be reformed,” he said. “I think the money they put into other projects could be used to improve their dorms.”
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