Learn from my mistakes, how to find off-campus housing options as a Barnard transfer student…

Dear fellow Barnard Transfer, 

I know the struggle of not having a dorm to move into in the fall and scrambling to find last-minute housing. Not having guaranteed housing as a college student with New York City prices is a very unfortunate experience for us transfer students at Barnard. I too often feel like I am missing out on the true college experience of staying in a dorm and living in a residence hall with other students. But it’s something that we, unfortunately, have to deal with. Here are some of my tips and advice for finding off-campus housing…

  1. Despite not having guaranteed housing, fill out the Barnard housing form. Perhaps a spot will open? I filled out the form last year, and despite not getting a housing placement they offered a waitlist option. But do not rely on this being a definite option. 
  1. Join housing groups on Facebook! This is how I found my roommates. Students post a lot about looking for someone to join their housing group or to form housing groups. Do be careful about fake advertisements and scams. I recommend joining the groups…
  • Barnard College Off-Campus Housing 
  • Barnard College Transfer Students 
  • Columbia University Off-Campus Housing 
  • Columbia Housing, Apartments, Roommates 
  1. Be careful of Street Easy and Zillow. I went on many apartment tours and most of the time prices on the website did not include brokers’ fees or were not the actual price of the apartment. Additionally, many of the apartment units I toured were different from what was advertised on the websites. A lot of the time real estate agents will give you a tour of multiple apartment units that are available in the same building. 
  1. Know your budget. Single apartments can be expensive near campus with the lower end being between $2600-$3000. Knowing your budget is important especially when forming a housing group. It’s important that you and your potential roommates make it clear about everybodys maximum budget. Talking about money can be awkward but it is important that everybody is on the same page. 
  1. Know what you’re looking for in an apartment. The more amenities you want, the higher the prices may go. Some apartments don’t offer laundry facilities and you might have to carry your laundry down the block or some apartments have in-unit laundry machines. Some apartments have full-time or part-time “doormen” and some don’t. Some apartments offer very limited amounts of sunlight. Some apartments don’t have elevators. It’s important to know what you are looking for in an apartment. 
  1. Know that you have access to Via, the evening shuttle. One of my fears about living off campus was that I like to work in the library late. Via is available for Barnard Students and currently runs from 8 pm to 3 am, operating between 103th and 137th. I kept this in mind while looking at housing options so that I could continue to be on campus at night 

With all of this in mind, I wish you the best of luck in finding housing!

Sincerely, 

– A Barnard Transfer

Header image via Bwarchives