A tip on housing

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Miami - Florida
1

<p>Once you've decided on Miami, I encourage you to sign up for housing. Last year, my S was in no hurry to do so, since freshmen are guaranteed on campus housing and he thought it would take a long time to complete a housing preference survey. He was waiting until things slowed down at high school, which they never seemed to do.</p>

<p>When he finally got around to it, he learned that the housing preference form is about 3 questions long, and that it matters when you do it for a few reasons:</p>

<p>1) Housing is given out based on priority numbers, which are assigned as the incoming freshmen sign up for housing. The sooner you sign up, the more chance you have of getting your first choice. My S got his last choice.</p>

<p>2) That priority number sticks with you ALL FOUR YEARS, so your housing draw as a sophomore, junior, etc. is based on that priority number.</p>

<p>3) Some kids ended up at the Holiday Inn across from campus, which functions as overflow housing for the U. Now they are opening some new dorms next year, so that may not be the case in 2006-07, but for the last few years, kids did live there through about December. Things tend to be looser in the spring (for example, S's roommate did not return) so the kids assigned to the hotel usually move on campus by then.</p>

<p>4) This year, they had more freshmen than they anticipated, so some were assigned to dorms other than the freshmen dorms. I personally don't like the idea of all freshmen dorms, but most kids like them since it is very easy to meet people there. My "social butterfly" S was very chagrinned when he didn't get housing there, and although he has made friends and lives in a very good dorm, he still regrets the delay in signing up for housing, and wishes he'd made it into Stanford or Hecht.</p>

<p>5) Some freshmen do request other dorms (not the freshmen dorms) and the earlier you sign up, the more chance you have of getting in elsewhere.</p>

<p>The moral of the story - sign up early!</p>

2

<p>Thank you -- this is great information to have, and why I love this site so much. :)</p>

3

<p>Wish brings up a great point. As a time reference, my S made his decision and enrollment and housing deposits the first week in April and got his first choice-Hecht. Even though the towers appear to be the same, there are differences. Hecht has a brand new lobby including laundry room, while Stanford has music practice rooms and a covered walkway to the dining hall. Check out both if you visit.</p>

4

<p>I haven't checked, nor has my D been notified that she will be in General Honors , but if she is , is there specified Honors housing and how is that doled out? By the timing of housing application also?</p>

5

<p>I don't believe there is any designated honors housing. There are, however, designated "quiet floors" and one of the questions on the housing form asks if you would prefer it. The questionaire only asks about 3 questions so matches are pretty random although, it seems that all the kids on my S's hall are science majors as is the RA. Coincidence-maybe, but it made for some very convenient study groups. We were very lucky in that S and RM are a terrific match and have become great friends.</p>

6

<p>Don't remember exactly when my S did the housing deposit, but I would say probably late May....</p>

<p>Eaton is a dorm to consider too, as an alternative to the quiet floors. While it does not have quiet floors, many serious upperclassmen opt to live there. As do kids who prefer not to have a hall bathroom. Eaton is all suites (2 bedrooms sharing a bathroom) and quite centrally located. Some freshmen do get placed there.</p>

7

<p>LOL....I think your son was lucky wish.... very few freshman get Eaton. LOL. Heck, mine wanted Mahoney as a freshman and couldn't get it.... See, I told you he'd be glad he got Eaton instead of the towers. Sons roommate this year is very glad he got Mahoney as well. Even though it meant rooming with a whole suite of upperclassmen. Apparently, he's made a lot of freshman friends anyway.</p>

8

<p>Actually, S still wishes he was in a freshman dorm. Not enough "action" at Eaton, I guess. But it hasn't held him back from meeting other kids at all, which was his big worry. He talks of living at Hecht or Stanford next year, but could also find himself picking and choosing roommates/suitemates as kids vie for a place at Eaton and he becomes a desirable quantity, given his roommate didn't come back, giving him sole "dibs" on a very good room. I believe that while rooms for next year will be assigned using priority numbers, kids do have first priority on their current room, unless it is in Hecht/Stanford, which will get mostly new freshmen. Not sure how it works for them.</p>

9

<p>when did he sign up for last year?</p>

<p>i want good housing too, just that i have to wait for other unis to reply me first so i can make the final decision.. would arond mid-april be considered pretty late? or alright?</p>

10

<p>You should be fine. My S submitted enrollment and housing deposits together in early April (after admitted student's day visit) and received his first choice, Hecht. I think WIWA's S waited until into May. If you submit enrollment and housing together, you should have no problem, just do it as soon as you decide. Good luck.</p>

11

<p>But man stanford/hecht so damn far from all classes AND eateries off-campus. I'd prefer to go to Mahoney/Pearson and be able to leave my dorm 5-min before class and still be on time than 15-20min before. Also, the Mahoney/Pearson dining hall is nicer and the staff there are MUCH friendlier. In the morning, they offer the choice of whole eggs or the 'egg liquid' (for lack of the actual name), whereas at the Stanford dining hall you can't get whole eggs (which means no fried eggs, etc.) Man, the people at Stanford/hecht dining hall just hate their jobs so much and i've even had to argue with one to get my food prepared.</p>

<p>Hmmm... what else? Oh, McDonald's, Denny's CVS, Blockbuster, Starbucks, Moon (a thai/japanese restaurant), book horizons (cheap school books), and all that is closer to Mahoney/Pearson. It's something to consider when you're hungry at 2-3AM and want to eat something (Denny's is 24/7 as well as McD's but only drivethru).</p>

<p>Mahoney/Pearson Singles > Stanford/Hecht singles simply because they have their own bathrooms. </p>

<p>I'm in Stanford and I'll be bold enough to say that I think Hecht is a more rowdy/fun place. It has more upperclassmen than stanford does I believe.</p>

<p>Stanford just got a new laundry room this year so now the only difference is that hecht has the nice lobby. I believe Hecht uses a combination to open the mail (at least that's what they looked like), stanford uses a key.</p>

<p>Eh... that's about it.</p>

12

<p>where is a good dorm for someone who is into music and tennis and not so much into football and frat like things. more laid back dorm with artsy type and political folk.</p>

13

<p>If your into music, Stanford is where most of the music kids are. It has individual practice rooms and is the closest to the music campus side. (Just a quick walk). </p>

<p>I hesitate to guess how housing is going to work for the freshman this year. They may be able to get into a few different situations this year. Unlike Wish's son, who got into Eaton, most freshman will not get into the suites or apartments, but this year....that may change. I think you will find a lot of kids have moved into University Village and/or are changing rooms. My son was scheduled to move in the Village, but the U was going to make the boys sign 1 yr. leases. His whole group then decided not to go into the Village because they all are graduating in December. Consequently, they all ended up getting singles in Mahoney. They didn't want to try to sub-lease at semester-end. Basically, what has happened is that most of the Senior's (and a big part of the Jr.'s for that matter) are now in the apartments, whether it be the Village or the ones on campus or even off campus. I really believe that consequently, that will leave a lot a possibilities for the soph's and freshmen.</p>

<p>Basically, the order of the dorms filling up has been according to son:
University Village
Apartments
Eaton
Mahoney/Pearson
Hecht/Stanford</p>

<p>So if your a freshman WANTING Mahoney/Pearson I'd list it first because it may be possible.... they also did some re-arranging of rooms for the RA's and housing staff which have opened up a few more singles, however; If I were guessing, I'd guess those were already unavailable.......</p>

14

<p>i just applied for housing yesterday and put Hecht 1st choice after visiting since its just like Stanford but with a nicer lobby plus plenty of 1st year students live there since i will be an incoming transfer</p>

15

<p>so I'm going to be a freshman this year.. I should sign up for Hecht, right?</p>

16

<p>I really think the towers of Stanford/Hecht offer the best first year experience. They are full of 1st year kids looking to meet other kids and get involved in their new college life and the dorm activities are all geared toward that endeavor. There will be FAR less freshmen in the other dorm buildings. The towers are also the closest dorms to the Wellness Center and IM fields. S has loved living in Hecht and it's really not a hardship to walk 10-15 mins across a beautiful campus :rolleyes:... Grandma did it during Parent's Weekend!:)</p>

17

<p>thank you :) i will sign up for Hecht.</p>

18

<p>which dorm is closest to the science buildings (I'm going to be a chemistry major)... I visited campus but I can't remember!</p>

19

<p>The Cox Science Center (where a lot of Chem classes are) and the Knight Physics building (where a lot of the Chem professors' offices are) are both on the far (academic) side of campus. If you look at this map: <a href="http://www.miami.edu/maps/gables/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.miami.edu/maps/gables/&lt;/a> these buildings are in the upper right section. Mahoney/Pierson is right lower section. Eaton is dead center of the map. And the towers are upper middle section. To be honest...I'd say it is going to take about the same amount of time to walk from any of them. Could be Eaton or Mah/Pear is closest but I'd say not by much.</p>

20

<p>Where is the International Studies building on the map ?</p>