BU
Boston University isn't a quad — it's a mile and a half of city strung along Commonwealth Avenue, the Green Line 'B' trolley rattling right down the middle and the Charles River glinting off the back. Warren Towers stacks some 1,800 first-years over Comm Ave, Rhett the Boston Terrier patrols the sidelines, and everything runs scarlet. This is college with its own subway stops.
What to wear in Boston, month by month
This region runs from a humid late summer to a hard winter in about ten weeks. The mistake out-of-region families make is packing the whole year in August.
| Move-in (Aug) | 68–83°F | Warm, humid city summer — move-in week can be a genuine swelter on the pavement. |
| Sept–Oct | 45–72°F | Crisp, bright New England fall — the best walking weather of the year along the river. |
| Nov–Dec | 28–48°F | Cold sets in with early dark; the first real snow usually lands in December. |
| Jan–Feb | 20–38°F | Deep Boston winter — nor'easters, snowbanks, and a mean wind funneling off the Charles. |
| Mar–May | 34–68°F | A slushy thaw into a bright, green spring — and Marathon Monday in April. |
What BU lets you bring
- A fan — Warren Towers and the older halls still have no A/C, and move-in week is warm and muggy
- A UL-listed power strip with surge protection — outlets run sparse in the older rooms
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Personal A/C units — you can't install your own; A/C comes with the newer halls
- Halogen lamps, candles, and incense — open flame and high-heat lamps are out
- Space heaters, toasters, and hot plates — banned in traditional-style rooms by fire code
- Hoverboards — prohibited in all BU residences
- Pets other than fish in a small tank
These come from BU's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at BU
- 01After you deposit
Apply through MyHousing
New students complete the housing application and license agreement in the MyHousing portal and rank preferences — residence style, roommate, and living-learning communities. BU assigns first-years centrally.
- 02Early summer
Roommate & lifestyle form
Fill out the lifestyle questionnaire; request a specific roommate or let BU match you on it.
- 03Mid-to-late summer
Assignment posts
Building, room, roommate, mailbox number, and your mailing address all land in MyHousing over the summer.
- 04Late August
Move in + Orientation
New students move in by appointment (Aug 24–25 for fall 2026) around orientation. You'll haul everything down a city sidewalk, so wheeled bins and a folding cart beat loose armfuls.
Where you'll live at BU
Where first-years land
There's no quad — BU houses first-years in big dorms strung along Comm Ave, so your building is your neighborhood and the trolley is the hallway between them.
700 Comm Ave, three towers, roughly 1,800 first-years stacked over a dining hall and the Green Line — the loudest, most social place to start. A staggered renovation is adding A/C tower by tower.
Three towers at the far west end by the athletic fields, the FitRec gym, and a big dining hall — the sporty, social corner of campus.
The 1920s former hotel in Kenmore Square with a ship's-prow point — suite-style rooms, renovated inside, and steps from Fenway.
The Bay State Road tower for the Kilachand Honors College, overlooking the Charles — smaller, tight-knit, and academically themed.
What comes next
Sophomore year and up, the map shifts to apartments and brownstones — the addresses everyone angles for in the room-selection lottery.
The high-rise apartment towers by Agganis Arena — in-unit kitchens, skyline views, and the most coveted upperclass housing on campus.
A leafy row of converted townhouses tucked between Comm Ave and the river — small, characterful, and quiet.
A traditional-style hall on Bay State Road, down at the river end of campus.
The BU move-in checklist
The “Shop” links are Amazon affiliate links — a purchase may earn AllDorms a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Boston logistics, sorted
How to send a package to a BU student
Box [Mailbox #]
[Residence Street Address]
Boston, MA 02215
The subway runs through the middle of campus
Hockey is the whole religion
Boston & around
Fenway Park & Kenmore Square
The Green Monster is a ten-minute walk from East Campus, with Kenmore's glowing Citgo sign right next door — the neighborhood everyone spills into on game nights.
Newbury Street
Boston's brownstone shopping mile in Back Bay — boutiques, cafés, and people-watching, a couple of subway stops east.
The Charles River Esplanade
The grassy riverbank path runs the whole back edge of campus — running, sailing, and the July 4th fireworks at the Hatch Shell.
Cambridge
The BU Bridge and the Mass Ave Bridge cross the Charles to Cambridge — MIT, Harvard Square, and Central Square are one bridge away.
Where to stay near BU
Hotel Commonwealth
Kenmore SquareThe upscale hotel right in Kenmore Square, steps from Fenway and a short walk down Comm Ave to campus — the parents' pick, and it books out.
The Verb Hotel
FenwayA retro rock-and-roll boutique hotel beside Fenway Park — a fun, walkable base near campus.
The Eliot Hotel
Back BayA classic all-suite hotel on Commonwealth Avenue at the Back Bay end — refined and close by subway.
BU gear & gifts
BU — links & contacts
- BU Housing: Visit page