Overview
How many first-year students live on campus?
Each year, approximately 850 first-year students (40%) live in the four residence halls on the Newton Campus, while 1,300 first-year students (60%) live in the 10 residence halls on Chestnut Hill campus. Approximately 100 first year students enrolled in Messina College will live on the Brookline Campus.
What type housing do first-year students live in?
All rooms for first year students on Brookline, Chestnut Hill and Newton campuses are traditional style housing. Most rooms on Newton and Chestnut Hill are double occupancy, with some triple and quad options. Brookline Campus only has double occupancy rooms. All students have access to laundry facilities and study/recreation rooms. Each campus has access to a dining hall, mailroom, exercise space, and chapel.
Tell me more about the different campuses.
Newton Campus is located at 885 Centre Street in Newton, about 1.5 miles from the Chestnut Hill Campus. A continuous shuttle bus takes students between Newton Campus and the Chestnut Hill Main Campus seven days a week. There are no lofted triple rooms on the Newton Campus.
Upper Campus is part of the Chestnut Hill Campus and does not require use of the shuttle bus. Students living on Chestnut Hill campus may be placed in a lofted triple room. Students who opt-in to a lofted triple room are guaranteed to be placed on Upper Campus.
Brookline Campus is located at 400 Heath Street, approximately 1.3 miles from our Chestnut Hill campus. Only students enrolled in Messina College will be permitted to live on Brookline Campus. There are no lofted triple rooms on the Brookline Campus.
The housing application will become available to students one to two business days after the enrollment confirmation fee has been submitted. The new student housing application opens on April 1 and closes on July 1, for students living on Chestnut Hill or Newton Campuses. The housing application for Messina College students willl open on April 1 and close on June 1.
To submit your housing application you will need to complete the following steps:
- Log in to your BC Applicant Status Portal
- Scroll down and select the "Complete Your Housing Application" dropdown
- Follow the steps provided to submit your housing application.
Please Note:
- If you have received confirmation that your fee was received and you are still experiencing trouble, please contact the Office of Residential Life at 617-552-3060.
- If you are unsure if you have made payment or have not received confirmation of payment, please call the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 617-552-3100.
Housing assignments will be communicated via email during mid-June for students living on Brookline Campus. Housing assignments for Newton and Chestnut Hill students will be communicated via email during the first week of August.
All rooms for first year students on Brookline, Chestnut Hill and Newton campuses are traditional style housing. Most rooms on Newton and Chestnut Hill are double occupancy, with some triple and quad options. The Brookline Campus only has double occupancy rooms. All students have access to laundry facilities, exercise rooms, and entertainment/recreation areas.
Students may access previously completed steps of their housing application until the application deadline. The deadline is July 1 for Newton and Chestnut Hill students, and June 1 for Brookline students.
Roommate requests may be made within your housing application.
- Requests must be mutually confirmed between students to be considered.
- The Office of Residential Life will try to honor all roommate requests, but they are not guaranteed.
In a lofted triple room, three students share a space that traditionally accommodates two students. The furniture arrangement provides each student with a bed (two beds are bunked, plus one lofted bed), desk and dresser. Due to the anticipated size of our first-year class, there may be the need to establish lofted triple rooms. Lofted triple rooms are only located on Chestnut Hill Campus. Students enrolled in Messina College and living on the Brookline Campus will not have lofted triples.
Assignments Order:
We will assign students who volunteer for placement in a lofted triple room first. If there is still need to fill lofted triple rooms, due to the size of the class, the Office of Residential Life will then assign students who were admitted from the Admissions waitlist. If there is still a need to fill lofted triple rooms after these groups, Residential Life will randomly assign students.
Benefits:
Each student will receive a prorated rebate for the first 6 weeks of the semester. Following week 6, each student will retain the entire 1/3 room rate rebate for the specific semester regardless if the room is de-tripled prior to the end of the semester. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the 1/3 room rate rebate amount is $1,788 per semester.
Roommate Requests:
Students volunteering for placement within a lofted triple room may indicate roommate requests within the Roommate Requests step of your housing application, however all requested roommates must also volunteer for placement in a lofted triple room within their housing application.
De-tripling:
Within the first-year area, relocating students from lofted triple rooms is a high priority. Should a vacancy occur within the first-year area, students living in lofted triple rooms are given first preference. Students living in lofted triple rooms are not required to de-triple, if an offer is presented. The Office of Residential Life works to de-triple rooms throughout the academic year.
Our Living Learning Communities (LLCs) provide students the opportunity to live alongside peers who share similar interests in an environment that intentionally facilitates increased interaction with faculty and staff across various areas of the university. At this time, LLCS are only available on Newton & Chestnut Hill campuses.
First-year students living on Chestnut Hill and Newton campuses must complete the Housing Application by July 1. Students living on Brookline Campus must complete their Housing Application by June 1. You will not be able to make changes to your application after that time.
None of the residence halls on Chestnut Hill, Newton or Brookline Campus are air-conditioned.
| Campus | Room Sizes | Window Sizes |
|---|---|---|
Newton Campus | Double rooms 18' × 11' Single rooms 13' × 9' | Double-room windows 66" × 64" Single-room windows 66" × 64" |
Upper Campus- Chestnut Hill | Double rooms 16' × 12' Single rooms 16' × 9' | Double-room windows 62" × 64" Single-room windows 62" × 42" |
| Brookline Campus | Double rooms 12' x 16' | Double-room windows 62" x 51" |
Mattresses are twin, extra-long: 36" × 80".
No. Students who have a medical need to bring their own mattress must submit medical documentation from their health care provider. This documentation should consist of a full medical history as it pertains to the condition and provide a detailed explanation of why the student should be permitted to bring their own mattress to campus.
- Documentation must be sent to the Disability Services Office, which will review the request.
- The student will be notified via their BC email account when a decision is made.
- If the request is approved, the student will also be required to provide documentation that indicates the mattress satisfies state and local fire safety regulations.
Each room is furnished with a bed, mattress, desk, chair, and dresser for each occupant. There are built-in closets in each room for each student (lofted triple rooms share the closet). Most rooms on Newton and Chestnut Hill have wall-to-wall carpeting. All rooms on Brookline Campus have tile floors. All students on Chestnut Hill, Newton and Brookline campuses will have access to Comcast Xfinity streaming service for their TV or devices.
Use the checklist below to make sure you have everything you need for your first year living at Boston College. These are just some suggestions; you should adapt this list to suit your own situation.
For a full list of prohibited items review the please read the Safety and Security Policies and the Conditions for Residency:
You can also review our first-year packing guide for a more general list of prohibited items.
The vast majority of rooms are traditional double-occupancy accommodations with a shared bathroom on each floor. There are a limited number of single occupancy, natural triple, and quad rooms available on both the Chestnut Hill and Newton Campuses. Brookline Campus contains only traditional double-occupancy rooms. Any student requesting a housing assignment based on a medical condition, psychological or physical disability must register with the Disability Services Office by the priority deadlines established for each semester.
All first-year students access their buildings with Eagle IDs. Students should not punch holes in the card as this could cause the card to malfunction. Chestnut Hill and Newton students will also use their IDs to access their bedrooms and common bathrooms. Brookline students will be provided with keys to access their bedrooms. Students should never leave their room without their Eagle ID.
Bedroom and bathroom locks on Newton and Chestnut Hill require students to hold their card up to the lock and then enter a unique PIN number. Students can find PINs on their My Res Life portal page. The normal process for using these locks is as follows:
- Hold Eagle ID up to the lower face of the lock until the light shines yellow.
- Enter your PIN while the light is on.
- The light should flash green and the lock should unlock.
Students on Newton and Chestnut Hill need to bring their Eagle ID with them when they go to the bathroom as they will need it to get into the bathroom and back into their own room. If a student is locked out of their room, they should:
- Try to contact an available roommate.
- Try to contact a Resident Director or Resident Assistant (between the hours of 8pm and 2am, there are always two Resident Assistants on-call who can unlock the room).
- Call the Boston College Police Department non-emergency number (after 2am and during the day if a roommate or resident assistant is not available).
Check-in dates for all transition periods are published on our Hall Openings and Closings page. Information on particular transition periods is updated yearly and published a few months ahead of the transition. Newton and Chestnut Hill students attending Orientation Session Seven will check in to their room assignment for the school year.
Each student can find their specific mailing information on the Agora Portal. Each residence hall has a specific mailing address, which can be found below:
Newton Campus
4
Residence Halls
850
First-Year Students
Chestnut Hill Campus
10
Residence Halls
1,300
First-Year Students
Brookline Campus
2
Residence Villages
100
First-Year Students