Housing administration extended the on-Grounds housing application due date for the 2006-2007 academic year a month to Nov. 30 so students would be more "in tune with the off-Grounds leasing process," according to Director of Accommodations John Evans.
This change came about after students and parents expressed concern about making timely decisions, Evans said.
He said the change was motivated last year "so that students would know their options both on- and off-Grounds and could make a better choice about their housing."
In the past, the deadlines have been earlier during the year so that housing officials would have more time to process applications, according to Evans. Technologies, such as online applications, have helped to speed up the process.
Evans said another reason for changing the deadline was to guarantee rising second-year students on-Grounds housing. Whereas the priorities in the past were given to upperclassmen, a new policy was implemented last year to give rising second-year students precedence.
Second-year Engineering student Lindsey McGuire said that if housing had given her more time last year she would have been able to make a better decision.
"After having been at college for two months, that wasn't enough time to know where you were fitting in and what you wanted to do the next year," McGuire said.
First-year College student Hadley Persona said the change in deadlines made her feel more comfortable about making a decision for next year.
According to Evans, the surplus of apartment space near Grounds has eased the pressure for any student seeking housing, either on- or off-Grounds. The change in the local markets have allowed for more vacancies in housing than in the past.
"We hope people can relax and understand that there [are] enough spaces for everybody to live," Evans said.
The surplus also adds benefits for students living off-Grounds. Because of the increased competition, landlords feel extra pressure to improve their customer service and provide better living facilities, according to Evans.
"We hope people will make good decisions about what kind of people they want to live with and what type of housing will best meet their real needs," Evans said.
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