"I looked at six places near campus. Lease was the only one where I walked in and immediately thought — I'd actually want to come home here. The soundproofing alone is worth it. I defended my dissertation at 2 a.m. and my neighbor never knew."

"My parents flew in to check the place before I signed. My dad — who has seen a lot of apartments — stood in the kitchen, ran his hand over the marble, and said 'sign it.' That was the whole conversation."

"Submitted a maintenance request at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday. Fixed by 9 a.m. Wednesday. That's not a fluke — that's the fourth time it's happened. I stopped worrying about the apartment entirely, which is exactly what I needed."