Graduate Student Housing

Boston College is only six miles from downtown Boston—one of America's most vital cities; a center of trade and finance, education and research, art and culture. Boston is known for its deeply intellectual community but it's also a city known for a vibrant and exciting nightlife, with some of the world's best restaurants and bars, and centers for music and arts. For information about current news and events in the city, you can start by visiting www.boston.com.

Graduate Housing

The University offers leased residences to full-time Boston College graduate students. There are studios, one-bedroom apartments, and a very small number of two-bedroom apartments, and they are available for one year at the present time. The apartment rents are below market value, since they include furniture, heat, hot water, electricity, gas, cable, and Internet service.

If you are interested in these housing opportunities, it is imperative that you submit your application immediately. There will be a great deal of competition for these apartments. You will find the online application and a full description of the accommodations, rental costs, and services at www.bc.edu/gradhousing, including pictures of the apartment buildings and maps showing their proximity to Boston College.

Off-Campus Housing Office

If you are not selected for University housing this year, the Office of Off-Campus Housing at Boston College has updated lists of available area rentals, people looking for roommates, and alternatives to getting an apartment (i.e., childcare or elder care in exchange for room and board). The updated lists become available to you once you receive your BC pin number. Housing information will also be available at the Open House. The Office of Off-Campus Housing hosts a housing fair for graduate and law students each summer. It is typically held mid-June and there are opportunities to stay on campus that weekend. Further information is at www.bc.edu/housing (select "off-campus housing"). Call 617-522-3075 or email joan.doyle@bc.edu with questions. There is a guest house on campus during the summer months beginning in June, particularly helpful for apartment-hunting. Further information (select "summer housing") will be posted on their website in March.

Housing Resources at a Glance

Lynch School Graduate Education Association

Office of Residential Life
617-552-3060

Graduate Housing
617-552-4723

Off-Campus Housing
617-552-3075

Distance to Boston

By car it takes about 15-25 minutes to travel from Boston College to Kenmore Square. This depends upon traffic and time of day. There are also various routes of public transit that can be used to get to and from Boston College. The MBTA Green "B" Line travels down the long and winding Commonwealth Ave., making 19 stops on its way to Kenmore Square. This can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes, also depending on the time of day (by bus: 15-30 minutes, by foot: 40 minutes). You can also catch the Green "C" Line in Cleveland Circle, which makes 13 quick stops along the scenic, tree lined Beacon Street before reaching Kenmore Square. Faster still is the Green "D" Line, which you can pick up in Cleveland Circle as well. It only makes 6 stops to the same location, usually taking 20 minutes or less. There are also various bus routes located close to the campus that can bring you to other parts of the Boston Metro area such as Harvard Square.

Climate

“If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute, it will change!”

Weather in New England can be unpredictable and changeable. There are four seasons with distinct weather conditions: Autumn (also known as “fall”), winter, spring and summer. The most enjoyable weather is typically during the spring months of April through June when flowers bloom and temperatures are moderate and the early fall from September to early November. Summers can be very hot and humid and the coldest and snowiest months are January and February.

Average temperatures in Boston for each season are as follows:

Online Resources

City of Boston
This portion of the City of Boston's website is dedicated to students' needs. It contains information about getting around the city, things to do, and housing.

Boston CitySearch
Guide to cultural events, accommodations, restaurants and more.

Boston Magazine
Boston's guide to restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and Arts & Entertainment.

Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau

You will find hundreds of places of interest, event listings and descriptions, family friendly things to do, and other information to plan a visit to Boston.