Boston is genuinely steep. A room in a shared apartment near campus usually runs about $1,200-$1,800/month per person, with Allston at the lower end and Fenway-Kenmore and Brookline higher. Splitting a larger apartment with several roommates is how most students bring the per-person number down.

Yes. BU requires all freshmen to live on campus, plus students on a full-tuition University scholarship. The main exemptions are living with a parent, spouse, or child within 20 miles of the Charles River Campus, or being 21 or older by October 1 of your entering year.

Allston is the classic choice since it's right next to campus, followed by Brookline for a quieter, leafier feel and Fenway-Kenmore for being closest to the eastern end of campus. Brighton picks up students who want more space a little farther out on the Green Line.

Skip the car. The Green Line runs straight down Commonwealth Avenue through the middle of campus and connects you to the whole city, and most off-campus neighborhoods are walkable or one stop away. Parking in Boston is expensive and scarce, so the T and your feet handle almost everything.

Very early. Boston's September 1 leases get signed far ahead, and many BU students lock places by January or February for the next year. Start touring in the fall for the following September, because the close-in Allston and Brookline units go fast.

Most are 12-month leases starting September 1, the date nearly the entire city moves on. Watch for broker fees, often a full month of rent on top of first, last, and a security deposit, so you can owe several months upfront. Confirm the legal bedroom count, since Boston limits unrelated tenants per unit.

Brookline and Fenway-Kenmore are generally calm and well-traveled, and the blocks right along Comm Ave near campus stay busy. Allston is lively and student-heavy, so it sees more late-night activity. As always, the specific street matters, so walk it at night, and BU runs a safety escort and shuttle service after dark.

Usually not, so budget another $80-$160/month per person for electric, gas, water, and internet, with heating climbing in the long Boston winter. Older Allston apartments can be drafty and expensive to heat, so ask about past utility bills before you commit.

Yes. Most students share apartments, so group leases are standard, and BU's off-campus housing service plus student groups make finding roommates easy. Summer sublets and January-start openings from study-abroad and graduating students are your best bet if you miss the main fall leasing wave.

It's the highlight of spring. The Boston Marathon runs right through Kenmore Square next to campus on Patriots' Day, students get the day off, and the whole area turns into a daylong block party. Living near Comm Ave or Kenmore puts you right in the middle of it.