What is my mailing address at NEC?
Mail and packages should be addressed as follows:
Student Name (First and Last) - Room#
New England Conservatory
255 St. Botolph St
Boston, MA 02115-5018
How do I get my belongings to NEC?
Many students ship their belongings to NEC before Move-In Day. NEC’s Mail and Copy Center, Collegiate Press, can start to accept student packages beginning in mid-August. The Mail and Copy Center will be open for new students to pick up their packages on Move-In Weekend. Please refer to your Housing Welcome email from early July for specific information regarding Fall Move-In!
Where can I pick up my mail?
All resident student mailings (letters and packages) will be received and held within the Mail and Copy Center, located on the 1st floor of the 33 Gainsborough building on campus. The Mail and Copy Center is open for pick-ups Monday through Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm.
How do I check into my room?
Students can check in inside the lobby of the Student Life and Performance Center at 255 St. Botolph Street, Boston, MA 02115 on published Fall Move-In Days. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by various student leaders and Student Services personnel who will assist you with the check-in process, give you a moving bin, and help you find your room.
If you are driving to campus, you will be directed by security outside the Student Life and Performance Center to a temporary unloading area where student volunters will help you unload your belongings into moving bins. There are metered parking spots on St. Botolph St. and Gainsborough St. The Gainsborough Garage is located a 2-minute walk from the Student Life and Performance Center on the corner of St. Botolph St. and Gainsborough St. Parking is limited.
Please refer to email correspondences from Residence Life, as well as Student Services overall, regarding Fall Opening updates throghout the Summer months.
What is the occupancy of the Residence Hall?
The Residence Hall has 249 bed spaces for residents.
How does the meal plan work?
The Green Room Café is the on-campus dining hall located on the first floor of the Student Life and Performance Center. All residents are required to have a meal plan which is included in the cost of room and board. Details about the plan can be found on the Dining page.
What amenities does the building provide?
The Residence Hall is made up of 7 residential floors with a lounge on each floor. Each lounge contains a couch, chairs, coffee table, cable-ready television, and a trash/recycling closet. The laundry room on the 4th floor is equipped with 8 washers and dryers that charge $3 per load and accept quarters or Cold Cash. Residents must provide their own detergent and dryer sheets. There is a kitchen on the 4th floor with a refrigerator, microwave, sink, stove, and vending machines. Residents must provide their own kitchen equipment, which must be stored in their own residence rooms. Residents are responsible for thoroughly cleaning up after themselves.
Are there practice rooms in the Residence Hall?
There are no practice rooms in the Residence Hall. However, students can practice in their room from 10:00am to 9:00pm Monday through Friday and 11:00am and 9:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.
In January 2018, 33 Gainsborough reopened with over 80 practice rooms for students. Practice rooms are available in 33 Gainsborough and Jordan Hall from 7:00am to 11:00pm daily. A noise ordinance in Boston prevents NEC from having any 24-hour practice rooms on campus.
How does laundry work in the Residence Hall?
Energy-efficient washers and dryers are available on the 4th floor of the Residence Hall. Washing and drying costs $3 per load ($1.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry). Students can use quarters or Cold Cash in the laundry room. Students should provide their own laundry detergent; detergent is not provided and is not available for purchase in the laundry.
Is there storage available for residents?
The Residence Hall does not have additional space to store students' items. Students who have large instruments can apply for an on-campus locker if they need additional storage, however off-campus students are given priority for these spaces. Students can keep their belongings in their rooms over the winter and spring break but must move out completely at the end of the academic year.
Is insurance for my room available?
NEC does not offer renter's insurance to students, but Residence Life does strongly recommend that students consider purchasing renter's insurance while living in the Residence Hall. NEC is not responsible for students' personal items in the Residence Hall.
Residence Life strongly recommends insuring your instrument, if applicable, while living in the Residence Hall. Some NEC students have used Clarion Musical Instrument Insurance in the past.
Is it possible to keep a car or bike at NEC?
There is no on-campus parking at NEC. Gainsborough Street and Saint Botolph Street are under construction during summer 2018 and offer very limited to no parking options. Long-term parking in nearby garages is extremely expensive; therefore Residence Life strongly discourages students from bringing a car to campus.
The Student Life and Performance Center is located about a 2-minute walk from the Massachusetts Ave. station on the MBTA orange line, a 3-minute walk from the Symphony stop on the MBTA Green E line, and a 1-minute walk from bus stops for the CT1 and 1 buses. Students should check their email before the fall and spring semesters to learn more about the opportunity to purchase discounted MBTA passes.
Bicycle racks are located outside the SLPC and Jordan Hall. Students must register their bicycles through Building Operations and bicycle racks are used at students' own risk. Bicycle racks are not covered. Bicycles are not allowed in the Residence Hall.
Is smoking allowed?
NEC is a smoke-free campus. Students, faculty, staff and guests cannot smoke, including electronic cigarettes, on NEC property or within 25-feet of NEC property.
How is the Residence Hall staffed?
The Residence Life staff consists of one full-time professional Director of Residence Life and Housing and 7 Resident Assistants (RAs), who all live in the building. At least one Residence Life staff member lives on each floor of the Residence Hall. The Student Housing and Activities Office (SHAC), located on the first floor of the Residence Hall, is staffed student workers. Due to the current global pandemic, the SHAC is closed to all residents. Only professional and student employees conducting official Student Services business are allowed until further notice.
What is an RA?
Resident Assistants (RAs) are full-time students and paraprofessional staff who work to create a community environment in the Residence Hall through personal interaction with their peers and by sponsoring creative programs to support the philosophy and objectives of Residence Life and NEC. There is a RA on-duty daily from 8:00pm to 8:00am who is available to assist students with after-hours crises or emergencies. RAs participate in extensive training in August and January.
What is the best way to introduce myself to my roommate?
All resident students will receive their housing assignment via email in early July. When students receive their room assignment, it will include their roommate's email address. Students are encouraged to contact their roommate prior to arriving on campus and start to get to know each other. Roommates are also encouraged to discuss what they will bring to campus before Fall Move-In Days.
Sometimes students are traveling during the Summer and have limited access to email so they aren't able to be in touch with their roommate before Move-In Days. That is normal and roommates will have lots of opportunities to get to know one another once they are on campus.
RAs will help students establish a roommate agreement at the beginning of the Fall semester. Roommate agreements encourage students to start a dialogue about living together. We also encourage roommates to check out our collection of Roommate Dynamics Resources for supplemtnal guidance on getting to know one another better over time.
What is the guest visitation policy?
Due to the current global pandemic, only NEC students who are part of the Co-Verified COVID testing program are allowed as signed guests to a resident student. Other non-NEC guest visitations are suspended until further notice. Only family members assisting in any move-in and move-out processes are allowed to visit a resident.
What kind of security exists in the building?
The Residence Hall has a professional 24-hour security guard posted at the entrance of the SLPC. To enter the Residence Hall residents must show their Penguin Pass with their Residence Hall sticker. All guests and visitors must show valid, government-issued photo identification upon entering the building. The building is equipped with smoke detectors, heat detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and a fire alarm system.
Is it possible to study in the ResHall?
Students can study in their rooms, as well as in lounges on each floor of the Residence Hall. Quiet Hours begin at 10:00pm during the week and 11:00pm on weekends. Residence Life staff enforce quiet hours to create an environment conducive to studying in the Residence Hall.
The Blumenthal Family Library is also located in the SLPC on the second floor.
Do I need to leave during breaks or can I stay in my room?
The Residence Hall is open during the Fall and Spring semester. During Winter Break, the Residence Hall is closed and residents must leave the building but can leave their belongings in their rooms. The Residence Hall remains open Thanksgiving Break, Presidents' Day Break, and Spring Break. At the end of Spring semester, all residents must move out. Rooms should be left in the condition they were in at the beginning of the academic year.
Can I have a pet in my room?
Pets are not allowed in the Residence Hall.
What if I have more questions?
If you have questions, please contact the Director of Residence Life and Housing.