@texaggie The housing changed completely for class 2021. They now get to select their own room, based on their housing application date, rather than be assigned.
This is the time slot schedule from last year (class 2021)
• Time Slot Schedule for all incoming students:
Confirmed LLP Mid-to-Late April
Priority Housing Early-to-Mid May
Guaranteed Housing Mid-to-Late May
I did not make notes on the housing availability from last year but from what I recall, a good course of action will be to determine your preferences of type of halls in descending order and list all of the dorms of that type in descending order. As kids went in to chose a dorm, that particular dorm may have been full, and instead of trying to pick out your second and descending choices during room selection time, while rooms are disappearing before your eyes, have a plan before hand.
Yes, you will know your room as soon as you choose it. You can only choose from existing available rooms. My other two college kids campuses did it this way. But have a back up plan in case the specific dorm is full.
Those one the waiting list who do not move up to be able to select, will typically be assigned. Your three preferences you put on the housing app helps them to place you. In the past, they would not place you in a higher priced dorm than you put on your pref sheet, even if it became available. So check your preferences you selected if you are on the wait list group. Caution: Don’t list one in a higher category than you can realistically afford.
So, for example, if you want one of the modular dorms, be prepared to select a room in any of the modular dorms and have that list handy when it is your turn. The specific one you want may be full when you log in to choose and you want to have your choices at your finger tips. Also, be familiar with the locations of the rooms on the floor plan. That is something you don’t want to have to figure out while you are in your window. Just like seats disappear in a class at registration in the blink of an eye, so do dorm rooms.
If all of the modular dorms are full when your selection window comes, you want to have at your fingertips, your second type of dorm preference. Say it is the Commons. Anyone can live in the commons, even the ones that house the engineering LLC’s. Pick which one is your top choice and work from there, like you did the modular. Do this for every category of dorm. You may not need to go down very far on your list, but you may as well. I recall many posting about dorms being full and trying to ask about dorms they had not even considered prior. In the end, it’s only for a year and while everyone may not get exactly what they want first choice. That’s life. How you handle it is key. There was one parent I recall (not on CC) that was livid with being set up in temp housing and how it ruined her students freshman experience, etc etc and she could not see how her own attitude contributed to that. The kid was actually ok with it and
Also, and this is IMPORTANT. If you signed a housing contract, you are obligated to pay for that housing, whether you select a dorm or not or you decide to live off campus. UNLESS you cancel your housing contract by May 1. Every year there are cases where people applied for housing and then decided to live off campus and never chose a room, or applied for housing but were on the wait list and to cover their bases, signed with an off campus place like Callaway House or an apartment. Then when the fall bill comes in, they are billed for a dorm room. They thought that by not selecting a room, got them out of the obligation of on campus housing. Not the case. You must cancel your housing contract by May 1, if you elect to live anywhere else than in university housing, which includes White Creek and The Gardens. I believe it is page 4 of the housing contract that shows the prorated penalty one pays past the May 1 deadline.