Most students share apartments and pay roughly $1,200 to $1,700 a month for a room in Mission Hill or the Fenway, and studios and one-bedrooms run well above that. Prices climb the closer you get to campus and the newer the building.

Yes. First-time first-year students have to live on campus for their first and second years, with exemptions only for things like being 22 or older, being married or having dependents, or documented medical or religious needs.

Mission Hill is the most common choice because it's right across Huntington Avenue. The Fenway and Jamaica Plain are the other big options.

No. The Green Line E branch runs along Huntington Avenue and the Orange Line is a short walk away, and parking in the neighborhood is tight and expensive. Most students walk, bike, or take the T.

Start in winter, around January to March, for a September 1 lease. Mission Hill and the Fenway get competitive early because several schools share them.

Almost always 12 months starting September 1. If you're on co-op, plan ahead for how you'll cover rent during a work semester away, whether that's a subletter or roommates who stay.

Mission Hill and the Fenway are busy, student-heavy neighborhoods, and most students feel fine with normal city habits. Walk with friends at night, lock up bikes well, and check how the building's entry and lighting look before you sign.

Sometimes heat and hot water are included in older buildings, but electricity and internet are usually on you. Always ask what's included and how the unit is heated, since winter bills can be a real cost.

Yes. With co-op schedules and several schools nearby, sublets and roommate openings come up all year. Ask around in class groups and check who's leaving for co-op before you sign a full lease on your own.

The two-year live-on rule plus co-op. You won't be renting until junior year, and when you do, your co-op schedule may mean you need housing for odd stretches, so flexible lease or sublet plans matter more here than at most schools.