CU - Boulder class of 2014 Forum

[boilerup89]

After much introspection , including the consideration of waiting a year, and also getting tired of waiting on ASU to get their admissions in order I have decided to accept CU's admission and scholarship offer.
Seat deposit is going out this afternoon. It was a tough decision, but I'm thinking its the right one

I guess this also puts me in the CU housing market. Anyone have any good leads?

Congratulations on deciding! Housing is one of the biggest reasons I'm getting anxious about not getting any certainty. I really don't mind it on a personal level, I never really make up my mind anyway. I only mind because of having to find housing, etc.

For sure. Knowing that I needed to get things like housing taken care of soon, defiantly made me lose patience with ASU quicker.

[oldhippie]

congrats on the decision!!

as for housing, i just scoured craigslist and various property managment sites (most of which i found because they were advertising on craigslist!). housing helpers is supposed to be a big one, but they never bothered to get back to me when i contacted them (until last night, actually, when i got a random 9pm phone call from someone i emailed a month ago )...
if you have a pet, it's a pain in the butt...otherwise, there are a lot of options and lots of pre-leasing for fall going on right now...

[boilerup89]

congrats on the decision!!

as for housing, i just scoured craigslist and various property managment sites (most of which i found because they were advertising on craigslist!). housing helpers is supposed to be a big one, but they never bothered to get back to me when i contacted them (until last night, actually, when i got a random 9pm phone call from someone i emailed a month ago )...
if you have a pet, it's a pain in the butt...otherwise, there are a lot of options and lots of pre-leasing for fall going on right now...

Thanks for the advice. I'm at work and scouring the various appt. sites including craig's list now. No pet here so that's not a problem.

[queenlizzie13]

congrats on the decision!!

as for housing, i just scoured craigslist and various property managment sites (most of which i found because they were advertising on craigslist!). housing helpers is supposed to be a big one, but they never bothered to get back to me when i contacted them (until last night, actually, when i got a random 9pm phone call from someone i emailed a month ago )...
if you have a pet, it's a pain in the butt...otherwise, there are a lot of options and lots of pre-leasing for fall going on right now...

Thanks for the advice. I'm at work and scouring the various appt. sites including craig's list now. No pet here so that's not a problem.

Craigslist is what I used. I know there's also that housing forum on the CU facebook page, but I did not find that helpful...
What area do you think you want to live? Closer to the school or closer to Pearl Street?

[bananeez]

So,
Suddenly everyone I run into here in Boulder is like, "holy shit, you got into CU?!" And OBVIOUSLY I knew it was a good school, but I was confused about how everyone suddenly seemed keyed into the application process, status, etc., of law schools. And before now a lot of people I spoke to thought DU was ranked higher, etc. I figured it out. The Boulder Daily Camera wrote an article about what we saw elsewhere on the internet:
http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17778367

Not that we need any convincing... Just thought I'd share!

[oldhippie]

niiiice, bananeez!
confirmation that i'm glad of my decision

[boilerup89]

congrats on the decision!!

as for housing, i just scoured craigslist and various property managment sites (most of which i found because they were advertising on craigslist!). housing helpers is supposed to be a big one, but they never bothered to get back to me when i contacted them (until last night, actually, when i got a random 9pm phone call from someone i emailed a month ago )...
if you have a pet, it's a pain in the butt...otherwise, there are a lot of options and lots of pre-leasing for fall going on right now...

Thanks for the advice. I'm at work and scouring the various appt. sites including craig's list now. No pet here so that's not a problem.

Craigslist is what I used. I know there's also that housing forum on the CU facebook page, but I did not find that helpful...
What area do you think you want to live? Closer to the school or closer to Pearl Street?

I have friends in South Boulder and they seem to really like it. There right off Table Mesa and Broadway I think. Its close and pretty nice so that's obviously an option.

From my online searches:

The Glen Lake Appts North of Pearl seem really Nice.
Timber Ridge Appts South East of Campus seem all right too.

That's where I'm at right now. Cost and Quality are my primary concerns.

[oldhippie]

i found a place in south boulder off boradway, further south than table mesa...and i think it's gonna be GREAT! bananeez knows a lot about the area...

[bananeez]

i found a place in south boulder off boradway, further south than table mesa...and i think it's gonna be GREAT! bananeez knows a lot about the area...

Yes! I'm running out right now -- but glad to help! I currently live in South Boulder (and grew up here) and got my apartment for the fall on Pearl.

[LawSchoolPorFavor]

Unfortunately I won't be able to make it out to Boulder to start looking for apartments until the end of June. Do you think all hope will be lost for a 1BR by then?

[Pufer]

From my online searches:

The Glen Lake Appts North of Pearl seem really Nice.
Timber Ridge Appts South East of Campus seem all right too.

That's where I'm at right now. Cost and Quality are my primary concerns.

GlenLake is decent for what it is, and is competitively priced (albeit a bit undersized) for its neighborhood. It's fairly old and fucked up (they're definitely livable—like the Kensington I discuss below—but there's no way they're "really nice"), but so is everything else in Boulder under $1000/mo. That said, if you want to live that far from the law school and plan on driving, you might as well get a much nicer place for the same $$$ and commute time in Louisville/Superior. If you plan on doing the bus thing, however, GlenLake and that neighborhood are a better option.

I have never heard anything good about Timber Ridge, and my own opinion is that it is a borderline total shithole. It is a huge complex (by Boulder standards) built as a response to an affordable housing crisis in Boulder in the mid 60s, and originally had all the charm of a hastily-assembled public housing complex (which is what it was). Thirteen years ago, they decided to make the joint look like a log cabin (they did a good job - it actually looks pretty neat) and throw in some new appliances, but that's all that they did. It's still a rather shoddily built, older, poorly insulated complex that they charge an incredible amount of money for because it now looks like a log cabin.

If you're looking in the neighborhood east of campus, the standard recommendation amongst law students is the Kensington Apartments. The common areas of the complex itself are getting to be kinda' shabby (think late-80s hotel), but the apartments are pretty nice, well built, relatively quiet considering the proximity to campus, and the floorplans are much larger at every price level compared to Timber Ridge and other complexes in the area. The traditional knock on Kensington was that all the balconies were literally falling off the side of the building (seriously; if you took the safety bars off of the balcony door and walked out on your balcony, you'd either fall through the deck, or the balcony would fall off the side of the building), but they just finished replacing all the balconies with ones that won't kill you, so that's no longer a concern. There are always a lot of law students who reside at Kensington.

Also popular in that area amongst law students is renting condos in the Spanish Towers (which is almost all rental units at this point), but it's not quite as easy to find those (especially from out of town) as it is to just deal with an apartment complex.

Housing Helpers is a massive waste of time. You might see what they have going on if it's mid-July and you're getting desperate, but they basically just tell you to drive around and see what you find (the stuff they have on their website is perpetually out of date, and they have been known to keep more desirable properties on there to draw people in, at which point they're told, "Oh, that awesome cheap place was just rented; but here's a nice hovel on the hill, oh and a shanty with no running water in Niwot!"). Their recommendations for you are nothing you couldn't get from half an hour of cruising apartment complex websites on Google.

-Pufer

[boilerup89]

GlenLake is decent for what it is, and is competitively priced (albeit a bit undersized) for its neighborhood. It's fairly old and fucked up (they're definitely livable—like the Kensington I discuss below—but there's no way they're "really nice"), but so is everything else in Boulder under $1000/mo. That said, if you want to live that far from the law school and plan on driving, you might as well get a much nicer place for the same $$$ and commute time in Louisville/Superior. If you plan on doing the bus thing, however, GlenLake and that neighborhood are a better option.

I have never heard anything good about Timber Ridge, and my own opinion is that it is a borderline total shithole. It is a huge complex (by Boulder standards) built as a response to an affordable housing crisis in Boulder in the mid 60s, and originally had all the charm of a hastily-assembled public housing complex (which is what it was). Thirteen years ago, they decided to make the joint look like a log cabin (they did a good job - it actually looks pretty neat) and throw in some new appliances, but that's all that they did. It's still a rather shoddily built, older, poorly insulated complex that they charge an incredible amount of money for because it now looks like a log cabin.

If you're looking in the neighborhood east of campus, the standard recommendation amongst law students is the Kensington Apartments. The common areas of the complex itself are getting to be kinda' shabby (think late-80s hotel), but the apartments are pretty nice, well built, relatively quiet considering the proximity to campus, and the floorplans are much larger at every price level compared to Timber Ridge and other complexes in the area. The traditional knock on Kensington was that all the balconies were literally falling off the side of the building (seriously; if you took the safety bars off of the balcony door and walked out on your balcony, you'd either fall through the deck, or the balcony would fall off the side of the building), but they just finished replacing all the balconies with ones that won't kill you, so that's no longer a concern. There are always a lot of law students who reside at Kensington.

Also popular in that area amongst law students is renting condos in the Spanish Towers (which is almost all rental units at this point), but it's not quite as easy to find those (especially from out of town) as it is to just deal with an apartment complex.

Housing Helpers is a massive waste of time. You might see what they have going on if it's mid-July and you're getting desperate, but they basically just tell you to drive around and see what you find (the stuff they have on their website is perpetually out of date, and they have been known to keep more desirable properties on there to draw people in, at which point they're told, "Oh, that awesome cheap place was just rented; but here's a nice hovel on the hill, oh and a shanty with no running water in Niwot!"). Their recommendations for you are nothing you couldn't get from half an hour of cruising apartment complex websites on Google.

-Pufer

Thanks for the wisdom as always.

After my earlier suggestions I've done quite a bit more investigating. Including consider out-of-boulder options such as Louisville/Superior and also Lafayette and Longmont. Living so far away though is somewhat undesired, but its easy to see you can get a lot more value that way.

I also looked at the Kensington and while the location is desirable the price seems a bit steep. I'll keep it in mind for sure though. Timber Ridge sounds like a definite no. I'll Keep Geln Lake on a tentative list of possibilities. I also remembered that my friends' place is the Mesa Park appts which seem like a possibility as well.

Any other suggestions?

[upfish]

Just got confirmation from CU that they got my deposit. aaaaaugh law school is so scary.

[krad]

Pufer thanks for the helpful post (as usual)!!

Just got confirmation from CU that they got my deposit. aaaaaugh law school is so scary.

Congrats

I'm still wavering between schools, but am back on board with LS I think (most of it seems to be cold feet, after further introspection).

[ptblazer]

I've been using housing helpers and although I've only had a few contacts with them I've found them relatively helpful. I've had to do a little hand holding, like constant emails and phone calls, but I think I have finally gotten them to pay attention to me. Anyway, now she is emailing me available rentals and she told me she would go visit them for me and take pictures as well as send me the lease information if I decide on one. After reading Pufer's post it doesn't sound like I am getting the standard treatment, so I should disclose I actually meet this person in Boulder and got her direct line and email.

I'm also not sure if i will actually go through them though, their selection isn't nearly as large as craigslist (its actually pretty bad).

[upfish]

Pufer thanks for the helpful post (as usual)!!

Just got confirmation from CU that they got my deposit. aaaaaugh law school is so scary.

Congrats

I'm still wavering between schools, but am back on board with LS I think (most of it seems to be cold feet, after further introspection).

I'm still wavering too. Making a visit to Boulder Easter weekend w/the SO to see what he thinks...

[CanadianWolf]

Just came across an interesting statistic: Colorado & Yale received almost the same number of applications this cycle--appproximately 3,160-3,180. Colorado has 180 seats available while Yale has about 210 seats available.

[eminem]

We signed a lease on a really nice house in North Boulder. It's walking distance from a couple of parks and an Ideal Market, and the area is very quiet. While it is small compared to places that rent for the same amount here in NC, I think it was a pretty great find.

My experience with Housing Helpers was similar to Pufer's description - utterly unhelpful for an out-of-towner. We ended up finding Wilson Family Rentals via Craigslist, and have had a very positive experience - dog friendly and all.

I also got the letter from CU confirming they recieved my deposit. I guess that means I can wear the tee shirt now?

[boilerup89]

Just came across an interesting statistic: Colorado & Yale received almost the same number of applications this cycle--appproximately 3,160-3,180. Colorado has 180 seats available while Yale has about 210 seats available.

Haha, fun fact that I'm sure to shower upon my peers.

[catinthewall]

Totally random:

Did everyone get the Welcome email from the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Office? I quickly opened up this email and it was like this is how you pay your SEVIS fees, get your visa, etc.

I just want to make sure they just sent that to everyone. If not, I should probably call them and tell them I'm American -- even if my husband's birth certificate says "Certificate of Live Birth in the State of Hawai'i."

~cat in the wall

[ptblazer]

Cat in the wall, I didn't receive that email. I guess you've been living in America illegally if you haven't had a visa to be here this whole time.


Looks like I should make sure to get a gift for my housing helper "agent," if I end up using them. I'm an out of towner too and for some reason I'm getting actual service, although Craigslist seems the way to go based on selection. I just don't know what a "good" price is in Boulder.

Pufer, how long does it take for you to commute to school and how do you do it (drive to school, park and ride, bike to bus stop, etc)? Also, to your knowledge, are there communities/cities outside Boulder that are difficult to bus from (multiple transfers, long distance to bus route, etc)? Sorry if you have already said this in a previous post.

Whoa Krad, just noticed your avatar. Looks like you've made your decision!? Boston's gain is Colorado's loss; Congratulations and good luck!

[krad]

Whoa Krad, just noticed your avatar. Looks like you've made your decision!? Boston's gain is Colorado's loss; Congratulations and good luck!

Yes, sadly yet happily I believe I will be depositing on BU this coming week. I came to a few realizations over the past week or so, and I feel that it is the best fit for me. (changing the tar was mainly related to another thread ha).

After all of my activity and excitement ITT, I can say that I am sad not to end up in class with all of you amazing people next year, but I am also very happy with my decision. I may also try to do the legwork to return to CO in 3 years, so who knows what will happen!

I wish everyone the best of luck at CU and will pop in here from time to time to see if I can't help answer Colorado-related questions <3

[upfish]

Yes, sadly yet happily I believe I will be depositing on BU this coming week. I came to a few realizations over the past week or so, and I feel that it is the best fit for me. (changing the tar was mainly related to another thread ha).

After all of my activity and excitement ITT, I can say that I am sad not to end up in class with all of you amazing people next year, but I am also very happy with my decision. I may also try to do the legwork to return to CO in 3 years, so who knows what will happen!

I wish everyone the best of luck at CU and will pop in here from time to time to see if I can't help answer Colorado-related questions <3

Good luck! =)

[oldhippie]

Whoa Krad, just noticed your avatar. Looks like you've made your decision!? Boston's gain is Colorado's loss; Congratulations and good luck!

Yes, sadly yet happily I believe I will be depositing on BU this coming week. I came to a few realizations over the past week or so, and I feel that it is the best fit for me. (changing the tar was mainly related to another thread ha).

After all of my activity and excitement ITT, I can say that I am sad not to end up in class with all of you amazing people next year, but I am also very happy with my decision. I may also try to do the legwork to return to CO in 3 years, so who knows what will happen!

I wish everyone the best of luck at CU and will pop in here from time to time to see if I can't help answer Colorado-related questions <3

awww. krad...so sad for us but happy for you!! i know it had to be a really tough decision...but i know you'll kick butt wherever you are, their gain, our loss....
GOOD LUCK!!<3<3<3

[Maury Levy]

Whoa Krad, just noticed your avatar. Looks like you've made your decision!? Boston's gain is Colorado's loss; Congratulations and good luck!

Yes, sadly yet happily I believe I will be depositing on BU this coming week. I came to a few realizations over the past week or so, and I feel that it is the best fit for me. (changing the tar was mainly related to another thread ha).

After all of my activity and excitement ITT, I can say that I am sad not to end up in class with all of you amazing people next year, but I am also very happy with my decision. I may also try to do the legwork to return to CO in 3 years, so who knows what will happen!

I wish everyone the best of luck at CU and will pop in here from time to time to see if I can't help answer Colorado-related questions <3

Ah, what a shame. Sounds like you did a good deal of soul searching over this decision, which I'm sure wasn't easy. Given the options you faced, I can't say that I wouldn't have come to a similar conclusion. Good meeting you and good luck in the future!