ValueMD can be resourceful BUT it can also be very misleading and insulting to the natives in Dominica.

I am a first semester and have been here a week now. Back in the states and even now, I read some of these posts and wonder who is posting this stuff. This week, I also found out that some of the locals read these posts too and are are understandably insulted.

My experience so far has been good. I was PROACTIVE in finding a Ross student family already here many months ago through positive posts and they helped facilitate my move. I flew the same route on American/American Eagle a week ago and I can tell you that the restriction on baggage is not because of the holiday but due to the small aircraft from San Juan to Dominica. The restriction is actually two checked bags weighing a total of 70 lbs (neither of which can weigh more than 50). This was in the welcome packet plus I called the airline to confirm this.

I had no problem coming through customs. They were very helpful - even with my party of 4 that had nine pieces of luggage. All of my luggage arrived with me and in tact (even a small printer I had tucked away in one bag). We were in and out of the airport in about 20 minutes, if that much. We were picked up by a very nice housing representative and taken to our apartment, which we secured months ago. The people we are renting from are wonderful. They made us feel at home from day one! They gave us a tour of the island and even took us on a Boxing Day excursion.

Our apartment has a TV/cable, internet and weekly cleaning service. We have a spacious kitchen with a microwave, stove/oven and just about all the same amenities you'd have back home. There are two spacious bedrooms and two baths. We are less than 5 minutes away (walking) from the Annex. We are very close to Tina's grocery store. All of this for way less than $1000 a month.

There are plenty of apartments en route to the main campus and annex. If you need to get around, and would prefer not to walk, you can use the transports which are like mini-vans that cost $1EC ($1US = $2.67EC) per person each way. They are constantly going up and down the streets. They can also take you to Portsmouth (which is the main town) where there are shops and services.

The point of my post is to give another perspective on coming to island. Sure, we are in another country but we need not get online and make it seem as if we have travelled to another planet. Sure, there are people here that are poor but there are also a lot of poor people right in the United States....heck, right in glitzy NYC where I am originally from.

My experience, thus far, has been that the people in the community are very friendly and welcoming. If you show yourself friendly, people will be friendly to you in return.

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Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. ~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For those of you that are interested in the fortune apartments, and are still here in the states...

I recommend calling the housing ppl. And they got in touch with the landlord. I got my spot reserved... apartment #19...anyone my neighbors?

I rented Apt #9 at the Coco Mango Suites. If you're on your way to the island and are looking for housing, a studio is still available in Coco Mango. Coco Mango is pretty awesome and you can't ask for a better location. It is right smack in between the Annex and the main entrance. It is less than 5 minute walk to either from Coco Mango. Just wanted to let you all know...

PS: I started a blog and I've been writing about everything I've had to do to prepare for coming to the island and everything I've done since I've been here. I hope it helps anyone who's looking for info on Ross and Dominica.

Doctors of the Caribbean

I sent the deposit, but I'm not sure which apartment I have... I haven't heard anything since. It's on the intersection of the main road and Lizard Trail? How far is it from the main campus?

Keep in mind that this can be a good thing. It's kind of like when someone lurks and finds out valuable info. It's good for native Dominicans to know what students expect, as consumers. Competition can be a beautiful thing.

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Moderator - Ross University Forum

The Fortune apartments are incredible! My boyfriend has rented one because it is right next door to Coco Mango. It takes him 30 seconds to come over to my house. The Fortune apartments/Coco Mango are not on any major road or trail. When you are on the main road that Ross and the Annex are on, you make either a right (if you're coming from the Melville Airport) or a left (if you are coming from Ross) on to a nameless road. The Fortune/Coco Mango apartments are located right on the Picard river. If you are leaving the main entrance of the school and make a left, then you pass Cabrits dive and a small bridge. You make a left immediately after the bridge and the Fortune apartments are right there. Then you walk a few more feet and you find Coco Mango. Both are located right in the middle between the Annex and the main campus. It takes less than 5 minutes walking to get to either. Hope this helps!

Sweet! Thank you that is the first bit of good news I've heard all day. Can't wait to see it on the 8th...

I am a first semester student and, like everyone else, I have been trying to settle in and get accustomed to the new way of life at ross. However, my search for housing was not what I expected. The other day I found a place at the Fortune apartments that was very nice, but also expensive ~$1000 US for a 1 bedroom. The apartment was not yet finished (no hot water, internet, or electricity) and the landlord said it was going to be ready the next day. So I made a verbal agreement with the landlord (did not sign anything) and he even gave me another apartment in the building to sleep in for the night. When I woke up the next day, I was very excited about the apartment that I was going to live in but the landlord quickly broke his promise and told me to find another place (it went from me having to wait a day to having nothing at all). Anyway, the landlord was the least bit helpful and he was always on his own time schedule: he made me wait for over an hour to tell me that I could rent the apartment and that everything would be ready for me to move in. Then, when I wanted to sign the lease, he took his time getting there---again 1 hour late--- (obviously because his time is much more important than mine) to finally show up and tell me I had to start looking for places to live in again. I was lucky enough that the RUH was very helpful in helping me find an apartment and even stopped in later to make sure everything was fine. One more thing...all that landlord cares about is money. A friend of mine couldn't come up with the first month's rent and security deposit right away because we do not get our loan money till we register and the guy told him to find another place to live. I'm sorry for writing such a long post but I want people to know that they do not have to put up with such **. There are good landlords out there who sincerely want to help the students adjust to their new life on the island (like my new landlord in Oasis on Lizard trail). It might not be the cheapest apartment but he couldn't be more helpful/thoughtful. So my point is make sure you like the landlord or they will screw you because they dont care what happens (from the moment I met this guy---Andre---I knew something was up). Apparently the demand for nice apartments is high and they know that... if someone leaves, another person will take it. Don't let them do it because its only gonna get worse.

Wow...sorry to hear that. I think this is a testament to the variety of experiences people have here in general, and why you should take every post you read on ValueMD with a grain of salt. My experience with the landlord has been the exact opposite. He and his mom (the owner) have been incredibly nice and accomodating. He's always picked up my phone calls and has gone out of his way to make things as comfortable as possible while construction is being finished. He was completely honest from the beginning about things that still needed to be completed. He understands that many of us have loan refund checks coming in and told me there was no rush with the security deposit/rent. He was supposed to get the hot water heater yesterday on an Amerijet shipment but the shipment was delayed; he has no control over things like that. I have had zero problems with internet/electricity except for a couple area-wide blackouts that lasted less than half an hour.

My point is that while the above poster had a bad experience, I think it is an exception and not the rule. I have found the landlord and owner to be wonderful people.

So a landlord refused to rent to a student without any money. So what? He is running a business. When I studied in the US (yes Im a Dominican at Ross), I knew that I would not dare go trying to book an apartment without any money. The landlord probably would think I was crazy. Why should it be any different here?