Hi everyone,

I'm going to take a few minutes to discuss your housing search. If you should decide to come to DC, you'll want to start your housing search ASAP!! I can't emphasize this enough. People are constantly coming and going in this city, so the housing search can be a little daunting. Basically, it's like trying to find a job or internship here - a lot of legwork and competition.

If you plan on living by yourself or moving into an apartment on a new lease, your search will be alot more fruitful and will proceed pretty smoothly, but your living expenses will obviously be higher. If you plan on finding a roommate situation, then this is where things get dicey. Your costs of living will be dramatically lower in most roommate situations, but your search will likely be longer and more difficult, especially if you're moving from out of town. The best way to get it done is to start now, and plan a few trips into town during which you can do some hardcore searching. Search craigslist (obviously) as well as the AU housing listserv (you'll get info on that in your admissions packet). When people post a roommate ad, they get a mountain of responses and most of them are local people who can show up on short notice with their checkbooks in hand. You have to be one of those people. You will likely be one of 20 or more people vying for one spot. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, expect to exchange a few emails from afar with someone and have them accept you as their new roomie. It doesn't happen like that.

On to the various neighborhoods, suburbs, etc. Anything in NW quadrant is pretty good although the closer you get to NE, the sketchier it gets. Also SE in Capitol Hill isn't bad (25 minute drive, 45 minute Metro ride to school). The suburbs are also a good place to start looking. The 'burbs immediately outside of DC are pretty much the same rent prices as inside DC proper. I live in Bethesda. There are plenty of decent apartment buildings there, and some decent single family homes too (those are pricier than the apartments). Its pretty nice and very close to school (15 minute Metro ride, 10-15 minute drive). You could also look in Arlington (20-25 minute drive, 45 minute Metro ride) or Alexandria (40 minute drive, at least 1 hour Metro ride). The far-out 'burbs like Rockville, MD or Gaithersburg, MD or Fairfax, VA are a little bit less expensive (I emphasize a little bit), but count on a long, long commute every time you need to get to the city.

One last strategy that you may find a little easier is to sublet a place for a few weeks/months in order to establish a base of operations here in the city. Sublet ads are just as plentiful on craigslist. I know the prospect of moving twice in a short period or leaving much of your stuff behind for a while is not appealing, but I can assure you of this - bumming on someone's couch is no fun either.

There you have it. Get a good jump on things, be in town as much as possible, and try not to be too picky, and things will go fine. Good luck all!!!

Andy

"I can't take his money, I can't print my own money, I have to work for money. Why don't I just lay down and die?" -Homer Simpson