There is a great article in the Boston Globe (Boston.com) on the impact of the turmoil in college admissions and its domino affect on dorms and class size. This article focuses on how Brown had to scramble to find dorm space for incoming freshman when more students accepted admissions offers than they planned.
There are great descriptions of how Brown was forced to convert lounge areas and kitchens were converted into dorm space. Because it is Brown's policy to only put two students in a room, some lucky students featured in the article had huge living spaces, some with kitchens!
Believe me, this isn't the only college where overcrowding from more students than expected is happening. Students at other colleges are being housed 3 to a room in 2-person rooms, being housed in local hotels, and many at schools without guaranteed housing are on waiting lists and sleeping on friend's floors.
Technically, this really ISN'T news. Something like this happens every year at just about every college at some level or another. But what makes this so noteworthy is it is happening to such a wide extent and in larger than ever numbers! So how what has changed?
First, the "echo boom" or the bulge made up of children of the baby boom are entering college and will through 2012 through 2015 depending on whose numbers you use. Second, colleges know students are applying to more colleges than ever to ensure they get into a college. Colleges felt they had to admit more students than previous years to make sure the number they needed actually enrolled. And finally, because the echo boom will be followed by the "echo bust", the colleges do not want to build new facilities to house more students who won't be coming in 3 to 7 years from now.
What do you do if you have a High School senior, spring admit or maybe a freshman being housed in one of these "creative" locations?
If you have a senior, make sure you look at the housing options and guarantees at the colleges on your list if living on-campus is important to you. If you have a spring admit (senior who was admitted to the spring semester), make sure you have your housing deposit in on time. Discuss your options NOW with the college housing staff to know what housing will be guaranteed for your student. If your student is being housed off-campus or in "unusual" spaces, be patient. Students drop out beginning almost immediately all the way through the end of the semester.
Is your student facing housing challenges? Let me know and I'll see if we can get you some suggestions and solutions!
