Where to live while attending Penn State Behrend
Housing can be one of the most frustrating aspects of the college life, especially for freshman or trans
fer students who do not know the basics of the housing process. Hopefully this article can be a guide for
those students that need a little guidance on what to do, who to talk to, and maybe even a few shortcuts
and secrets to make your living arrangements here at Behrend both more enjoyable and affordable.
The first thing you need to
do if you plan to live on cam
pus is to request a housing
contract, which can be done
on eliving.psu.edu. Once you
are on the eliving website,
all information to request a
contract is all on the open
ing screen. The last day you
can request a contract for
the fall semester is Jan. 20,
2011 by noon, but make sure
you request one well before
that date because on-campus
housing is extremely compet
itive.
At any point after you
receive a contract you can
easily drop it and opt for off
campus housing, so it does
not hurt to request for one
even if you are not sure of
These suites are usually the most popular buildings for incoming sophomores and fill up
quickly. They are nice buildings; rooms and closets are considerably bigger than the fresh
men halls. The bathrooms are shared between only four people and are cleaned for you on a
weekly basis, which is extremely convenient. The catch is that the halls are divided into eight
separate hallways that each house eight students in four rooms and two bathrooms, so you need
to basically apply with eight people for these to have 'a ¢ shot at getting in. Tip: Tigress is
the building in the suites that has laundry facilities,'so apply for that one first, and word on the
street is that Tiffany is the next nicest building. AlS'o,' make sure all eight roommates request
one another.
Ohio is the biggest hall on campus with a max capacity of 263 students, and is responsible
for housing many of the non-freshmen students that live on campus. Five stories high with
two wings (one big, one small), and with the option for either single or roommate living, Ohio
is the crown mansion of housing for Penn State Behrend. There are many pros and cons to
living in Ohio. Pros include more privacy than the freshmen halls as two halls have a commu
nity bathroom with a private commode and shower facility, and has two sinks and tremendous
counter space that is over fifteen feet long. Cons are that it is simply too big sometimes, and
you do not get that hall bonding occurrence that so many freshman experienced. Groups tend
to stick together there rather than grow and add new members. Also it is so far away from the
heart of campus, you will get tired of walking to the edge of campus a couple times per day.
But other than that, it has excellent laundry facilities, multiple private rooms to do homework
and read, or even hold meetings. Also, the parking facilities are pretty close too; never need to
deal with banana lot mania.
This is more of an option for juniors and seniors as you need to at least have 48 credits,
or that the majority of the residents are 21 or older. There are a few exceptions to this rule,
though. as a lot of sophomores do sometimes end up living there if there are a large amount
of open buildings after a graduation, make sure to check with housing on these exceptions
though if you are interested in living here as a sophomore. The pros to this living option are
obvious: they have a kitchen, full bathroom, decently sized living room, and tremendously
larger room sizes compared to the freshman halls, almost double. They are very conveniently
situated between three separate parking lots and classrooms. Drawbacks include two major
things. First, you still have a roommate (which will become an issue the later you go in col
lege if this does not concern you at the present) Secondly, it is still technically on-campus; this
means you still have to follow all the parking rules, drinking rules, etc. There are two laundry
facilities: One on the far end of the complex, and one under the 800 s.
The most prominent off-campus option is University Gate Apartments, aka U-Gates. They
are situated right across the road from the main entrance to campus; the main office is attached
to the Hungry Howie's pizza establishment right off of Station road. All range of students lives
here, from freshmen to super seniors. With 12 separate buildings, three stories each, four
rooms per floor and housing over 570 students, U-gates is the Las Vegas strip of Behrend that
will stay awake deep into the early mornings on weekends. Parties are everywhere here on a
Friday and Saturday night as students "party hop" from one apartment to the other. They are
usually relatively calm on the weekdays as the people who live there are in fact students and
need to be productive for a portion of the week.
Appealing aspects of U-Gates are that they are the most comfortable living option for the
cheapest price. They are cheaper to live at than on-campus (which is a nice little thing to tell
the parents), especially if you do not get a meal plan, which is not uncommon at all. Features
include full kitchen with a very handy island, two full bathrooms, four individual rooms, and a
spacious living room with room for a full set of furniture and entertainment system. Another
big pro and money saver is that parking down there is FREE. Possibly its best aspect is also its
worst downfall as it is situated at the bottom of a very long hill that separates the apartment
complex from campus. The walk to the Burke building (REDC) is notoriously known for being
a terrible experience, especially in the winter months. If you want to drive a vehicle to class,
you would be required to purchase a commuter parking pass (green pass).
Other than that, it is a noisy place at times and has a tendency to get rowdy at times. Tip: To
apply for U-Gates, the first thing you need to do is call them for information on it (their number
is 814-833-8900). Be persistent with them down there to ensure you get exactly what you want
and have confirmation on it. Also, when picking a room, opt for a floor on the third and second
floors before a first floor room; it is a lot more private and quiet than the ground floor.
THE PROCESS
your housing situation for the
next year. After the contract
request period ends on Jan.
20, you can then apply for a
building you wish to live at up
until Jan. 31. There is then a
modification time throughout
February where the housing
department sorts through
all the contracts and places
students in their respective
buildings.
When you apply for build
ings there will have to be a
first choice, a second choice,
and a third choice.
TIP - when you apply for
buildings, make sure you vary
your options or else you will
get reverted back to a fresh
man hall. For example if you
apply for Tigress as your first
THE BUILDINGS
Tiffany, Tigress, and Porcupine
On-Campus Apartments
University Gate Apartments
The Guide to Housing:
Ohio
6y: Alec Italian°, sports editor
pick, Tiffany as your sec
ond, and Porcupine for your
third, and all of them are full
(Which they do fill up pretty
fast) you will be reverted
back to a freshman hall. So
make sure you put Ohio hall
or the on-campus apartments
as one of your choices so that
does not happen to you.
NOTE - Alcohol is le
obtain and consume if you
are of age in every dorm on
campus EXCEPT the fresh
men-only halls (Lawrence,
Niagara, Perry, and Senate).
Also, floor plans of all the on
campus halls are available
online at hfs.psu.edu/beh
rend/housing.
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Tips and Comments
Do not be afraid to go down to housing and question them about where you are living next
year and what are all of your options. If assigned to a hall that you really do not want to be in,
there is probably some solution to the dilemma, you just need to be reasonable with the hous
ing staff. They are all extremely helpful and skilled at their job; trust me, I have visited them
enough times. Also a helpful tip would be plan with your roommates, and make sure everyone
is involved and on the same page, because all of this needs to be taken into consideration be
fore a final decision is made.
There are a few other off campus options with some apartment complexes in and around
the Erie area. Popular off-campus sites are down Station Road and then down Saltsman Road.
But there are no real walk able housing options except for a small row of houses behind
Knowledge Park that are owned by a private real estate company.
I hope this was a good guideline for all students and parents debating their housing needs
for future years. Again, refer any and all questions to the Housing department which is situ
ated at the bottom of Senate, right across from the top entrance of Reed.
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