Ok Guys -- serious Q - does any one here with past experience in the matter (ex CLS LLMs or others) - suggest avenues (aside from craigslist) for securing acco close to CLS? The thing is i hv been placed on some indefinite waiting list... so I cant rely on UAH... IHouse has put me on a waiting list as well... it was a smooth ride till now... now i have these housing woes... There is another CLS student from my country (similarly positioned on a waiting list) - so we can share a place --- but how do we go abt securing housing b4 reaching the US East coast.. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks :))

Your university has no roommate list, or a website or something where people can advertise for roommates?

I have a roommate -we need a 2 B/room aptmnt share! I've been waitlisted by the univ ppl - n i dont know how reliable craigslist can be unless the rooms are physically inspected b4 moving in...

Any CLS LLM students leaving the city and with a place falling vacant after their departure (by early August) - do let me know...

Do let us know ... Many thx

Hi Masters
Columbia gives the names of current LLM students who are happy to be student contacts. (see admitted students website) Maybe you could contact someone from your home country. As this batch of LLM contacts are graduating/graduated, they may be vacating premises. Good Luck!

Hi Torn I have done that to no avail...

You are heading to CLS this yr as well aren't you?? How is it going with acco for you? Did you get UAH housing?

I know it is stressful and risky but you could always just get here a couple of weeks early and find a place via Craigslist. I know a few people who did that and got rooms no problem. I wouldn't back your chances of finding an apartment that you can lease under your name (unless you are American and already have a credit rating...)

***

Hi Masters
I am so sorry to hear that you are on the waiting list. I declined my uah offer last week as did many others I am sure. This was a compulsory deadline. I think that they must be processing these declines now and that the people on the waiting list willl be notified shortly. Best of luck my friend.

Hi Torn - I had opted for Lionsgate and was waitlisted. Did you indicate any particular preference, if I may ask?

Btw could you tell me why you declined the UAH offer (i.e., if you don't mind disclosing the reasons - you can PM me if you like:)

Thanks again. Best of luck to you too!

Hi. I'm in the same boat - arriving in New York from Australia on 8 August for the CIAL and have been placed on the housing waitlist. If you hear from the waitlist people (or if you find a 3 bedroom place and need a third person), please let me know. Anyway, I'm sure it will all work out. There's got to be a cosy patch of concrete under a staircase somewhere...

I was told that I am 70th on the waitlist so to not bother waiting anymore. You might want to find out how far down you are to see if it is worthwhile waiting. I did hear of someone getting a spot the last week of August last year, but they had to forfeit their first month's rent and security deposit to take on the Lenfest studio offered. Pretty expensive, but at least they got something nice.

By the way, other than the Columbia briefs, is there a group on this site or yahoo for the 2008 CLS LLMs to discuss these things and others?

Not that I know of. I'll let you know If I hear of anything though.

Have you been able to find somewhere to live?

Hi - I have managed a sublet for the month of August - I am sharing it with a friend --- but need to find something Sep 1 onwards...

But how do you get yr wait list no? did you guys call up the housing office?

Btw: many ppl want to see social sec nos for a credit check - any idea how international students are supposed to get over this barrier (luckily it doesnt seem to apply in case of sublets taken from columbia students). Can u apply for a social sec no in a F1 visa status if you are not a US citizen? How do u plan to tackle this one - any info will be welcome

Thanks

I got an answer abt the social sec no - thought I'll post it - in F1 status u cant apply to get the no. unless u hv an employment offer (i suppose once ur on OPT) or are working (maybe on campus or something)...

The other part of question still remains - how do u satisfy these cynical landlords if u dont hv this no. being a foreign national...

If you are able to get a credit report from an agency in your own country, that would help. "Known" names in the US are Equifax (for sure) and Transunion (I think). A NYC broker who works with internationals advised me of this, and it worked.

Hey thanks for sharing. I will try it. It worked for u rt?

Hi. I'm in the same boat - arriving in New York from Australia on 8 August for the CIAL and have been placed on the housing waitlist. If you hear from the waitlist people (or if you find a 3 bedroom place and need a third person), please let me know. Anyway, I'm sure it will all work out. There's got to be a cosy patch of concrete under a staircase somewhere...