The Fletcher School

A Graduate School of International Affairs

Housing Information

Fletcher students have several options for housing. Blakeley Hall is a very popular location for many of our students. In addition, Fletcher is surrounded by several convenient suburbs where students take up residence. Please be sure to make your housing arrangements in advance as the housing market in the Boston area is quite tight.

Blakeley Hall - Fletcher's Residence Hall

Blakeley Hall was built in 1926 in a Georgian architectural style and is organized in three wings around a courtyard. Blakeley Hall is located adjacent to the Fletcher academic buildings, providing easy access to classrooms, the Ginn Library, the Mugar Computer Lab, and the Mugar Café, as well as playing fields, tennis courts, and a softball diamond.

Blakeley Hall is The Fletcher School’s co-educational dormitory for single students or married students attending school without their spouse and children. On-campus housing is not available for couples or families. Residence at Blakeley Hall is especially useful for students who cannot arrive early to look for housing or who do not want to commit to a 12-month lease (a requirement of most off-campus housing).

Blakeley Hall is a non-smoking residential facility that houses 83 students.  Residents occupy suites with one or two other students and share a common living room. Each student has his/her own bedroom equipped with a bed, mattress, dresser, desk, and chair. Residents will need to provide all other furnishings, including their own bed linens, blankets, pillows, towels, fan, non-halogen lamp, telephone, bookcases, and personal computer.  Sofas, futons, and other furniture must meet Tufts fire code standards or they will not be allowed.  Residents share bathrooms with three or four other students of the same gender on the same floor.  The residence hall has a communal kitchen outfitted with refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, a small washing area, and shared cupboard space.  Because kitchen space is limited, you may wish to purchase at least a partial meal plan.  For use in the communal kitchen, residents need to provide their own cooking supplies.  You are welcome to bring cooking appliances and put them in the kitchen.  Cooking appliances are not permitted in the bedrooms due to fire safety regulations.  Blakeley Hall also has coin-operated laundry facilities and a lounge with e-mail accessible terminals, vending machines, cable television, VCR, and DVD player.  On-campus parking is available for a fee.

The Blakeley Hall housing fee for the 2009-2010 academic year is $4,750, which will be charged to your Tufts Bursar's bill in two segments - one in July and one in November.  Utilities (water, heat, and electricity), local phone service, basic cable television connection, and a high-speed University network connection are included in the housing fee.  Upon check-in, residents must pay a refundable $100 key security deposit.  (See the Blakeley Hall Housing Contract Policies.)

Click here for the Blakeley Hall website

How to apply for housing at Blakeley Hall:

The deadline to apply for housing in Blakeley Hall was May 15, 2009.  Rooms are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.  Beginning June 15, 2009, if you have been granted a room, the housing confirmation will be emailed to you along with Blakeley Hall orientation and check-in information.  Students who wish to cancel their reservations must do so in writing no later than June 1, 2009 or forfeit the $400 deposit.  Students applying for housing after the application deadline should contact the Blakeley Resident Directors to see if rooms are still available or if they can be placed on a waiting list.  Please keep in mind that requests for on-campus housing usually exceed the number of available rooms.  Do not assume that you have a room guaranteed unless you receive confirmation from the Blakeley Hall Resident Directors.

Blakeley Hall Resident Directors:
Patrick Meier
Ginny Fuller
Email: Blakeley-RD@tufts.edu
Phone: 617-627-7440

Checking-In:

Blakeley Hall opens for residency at 9:00am on Saturday, August 29, 2009.  Your room assignment will be available when you arrive.  Packages, shipping boxes, or trunks can be sent beginning August 15, 2009 addressed to:

Your Name
Blakeley Hall Resident
c/o Hill Hall Mailroom
Tufts University/Fletcher School
Medford, MA 02155

Your shipment MUST NOT arrive prior to August 15, 2008 or it may be refused.

Off-Campus Housing

The Fletcher School is located in a densely populated suburban area a few miles northwest of downtown Boston.  The communities in which Fletcher students usually live are MEDFORD, SOMERVILLE, CAMBRIDGE, ARLINGTON, and MALDEN.  Many apartments in this area are accessible by walking or by public transportation.  Students with cars can live farther away from campus where housing is generally less expensive.  The student population in the Boston area is enormous and good housing tends to disappear well before the first of September.  We therefore recommend that you visit the area to secure an apartment several months before the semester begins.

Here are a few online maps to help you get your bearings. The first is a map of the neighborhoods near Tufts. (Tufts is indicated by the red star on the map.) The second is a public transportation system map. This will help you determine how to access Tufts and navigate the area via public transportation. (Tufts is located in Section 5 of the map.)

With the Tufts University campus located partially in SOMERVILLE and partially in MEDFORD, these two towns are the most convenient options for many Fletcher students.  SOMERVILLE is home to Davis Square which features many cafes, restaurants, and the Davis Square stop on the Red Line of the "T" (Boston's subway system).  MEDFORD is more residential with the town center slightly farther removed from Fletcher.  From there, CAMBRIDGE and ARLINGTON are the next closest options with good public transportation to and from Fletcher.  CAMBRIDGE is located closer to Boston and its many bookstores and restaurants create a vibrant student-oriented atmosphere. (For these benefits, however, you must pay the price of higher rent and parking fees.) ARLINGTON, which is more residential, is another close alternative. BELMONT, WINCHESTER, MELROSE, STONEHAM, WOBURN, and LEXINGTON are mainly residential areas. These towns are usually limited to students who own cars since there are no direct bus routes to Fletcher from these areas.

Rents vary according to the area you choose but, generally, a studio/1-bedroom apartment will range from $900 to $1,200 per month.  Rent often does not include the cost of utilities - a major expense during New England's cold winters.  Utilities can cost over $200 per month per apartment, averaged over a 12-month period.  Generally, Fletcher students who share accommodations (2-, 3-, or 4-bedroom apartments) pay an average of $600 to $900 per month without utilities.

In addition to the first month's rent, many landlords require that you pay the last month's rent plus a security deposit that is held by the landlord and returned to you when you leave if the property has not been damaged.  Massachusetts State Law requires your landlord to deposit this money and to regularly show you the interest statement.  Massachusetts State Law also stipulates that the amount of "up front money" cannot exceed three months' rent.  It is wise to get a written, signed statement from the landlord concerning the condition of the apartment before you move in to insure that you will not be charged for damages for which you are not responsible.

Additionally, you may be expected to sign a lease.  Before signing anything, read the document carefully to check whether you will be held responsible for rent if you decide to leave before the lease expires (usually one year).  Some landlords will negotiate shorter-term arrangements or allow you to sublet for the balance of a lease period.  Since a lease is a contract, you may wish to consult legal counsel.

Where to Look:

The Orientation discussion board is a great place to start looking for housing.  Incoming and returning Fletcher students can post messages about housing and connect with each other regarding finding roommates/apartments.

The Tufts Off-Campus Housing Office offers a valuable website that includes complete information on how to find an apartment in the local area, links to area newspaper ads, and a list of available apartments and homes.

Another helpful place to look for off-campus housing is the Harvard Off-Campus Housing Office located at 7 Holyoke Street, just off Harvard Square.  Since you will not get a Tufts University Student ID card until Orientation week, you will need to take along your letter of acceptance to Fletcher to use at that office.  Most of the listings are for CAMBRIDGE or SOMERVILLE and include rentals as well as "roommates wanted".  This office has many listings that are not posted elsewhere.

Online resources that include useful resources for roommates, houses, apartments for rent, etc.:

Local print publications that include useful resources for roommates, houses, apartments for rent, etc.:

  • The Boston Phoenix
  • The Arlington Advocate
  • The Somerville Journal
  • The Medford Citizen