<p>Hey all, I was wondering what your thoughts are on which dorms are the best? I’d be in the honors college and plan to rush a fraternity. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>usually incoming frosh think Ridgecrest South is the best…but really any of the honors halls are very good.</p>
<p>All the honors halls are on the north side of campus, so they aren’t close to the frat houses.</p>
<p>thanks for the quick response mom. so do most fraternity pledges live all over or is there a dorm that you know of that’s close to row?</p>
<p>You’ll find fraternity pledges living in almost every dorm on campus apart from any all-female dorms. You also have to remember that UA has two fraternity rows: old and new row. If you already knew where you’d be pledging, some dorms are closer to certain houses and are relatively far away from others. I generally recommend for honors students to live in the honors dorms, but if you are a business major pledging old row, Friedman Hall is a good choice as it is literally 50 feet from old row; if you are an engineering major pledging new row, Bryant Hall is very close. Note that honors students who choose not to be in honors housing their first year will not be eligible for honors housing in future years.</p>
<p>Can a student become an honors student after Freshman year, and if so does that student have an option to select honors housing for the Sophomore and subsequent years?</p>
<p>Yes, a student can join the Honors College after getting a 3.3 GPA. I think you can join after the fall semester.</p>
<p>However, if you don’t start in honors housing, you can’t get in honors housing. </p>
<p>I would suggest starting in Ridgecrest South…the non-honors side.</p>
<p>And…just to let you know, it’s more difficult for returning students to stay on campus because there isn’t enough housing. Frosh have to be on campus, so only a limited number of returning students can stay on campus year after year. Usually the NMFs who are given free housing are the only ones who stay in campus housing year after year.</p>
<p>During your first year, it’s a good idea to find some friends to move off-campus to one of the nicer apts that are close to campus. My son will be at The Retreat next year which is on the Crimson Ride route. </p>
<p>The Retreat is even nicer than the dorms. It’s actually like a resort…no kidding. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.retreatalabama.com/[/url]”>http://www.retreatalabama.com/</a></p>
<p>This last post by M2K peaked my curiosity. How many of you have students who are returning who are living on campus who are NOT NMF? My son is not a NMF but I was hoping he could live on campus for 2 years. I’ve seen many benefits in this in my older daughter who is at a different school. I think I rememeber it depends on credit hours but not sure. Just wondering? Two weeks to move in:)</p>
<p>This last year, it seemed like a number of non-NMFs were able to get campus housing for year 2, but it seemed to be linked to how early you re-contracted. Some were put on waiting lists.</p>
<p>There are about 7500 beds total…about 4500-5000 are for frosh. about 550 are national scholars (but 25% are frosh so already counted.) </p>
<p>Not sure of the exact frosh numbers since some frosh are T-town residents and don’t do housing.</p>
<p>Okay, just checked out the link m2k provided, what a place. It looks terrific. I think the shuttle is one of the best features. I cannot believe students get to live in places like this for the price. WOW!!</p>
<p>Many students also stay on campus by moving into a fraternity or sorority house.</p>
<p>The Retreat looks amazing! How much does it cost a year?</p>
<p>cost a year: [The</a> Retreat at Lake Tamaha](<a href=“http://www.retreatalabama.com/parents/value.php]The”>http://www.retreatalabama.com/parents/value.php)</p>
<p>$530/month
(including estimated monthly utilities)</p>
<p>$2,650/semester
(starting rates based on 5BR/5BA cottage)</p>
<p>hokiefan -
there are quite a few non-NMF students, DS knows returning to live on campus after 1st year. He knows non-NMF juniors and seniors. Re-contracting (year 2) was not any kind of issue for DS this year.</p>
<p>Housing has gotten a bit harder each year, so I hesitate to use what happens in a previous year as an example of what will happen again.</p>
<p>I’m thinking that the new dorm will be done by then, but then Rose may not be available. Not sure if the new dorm is a one for one bed replacement or not. </p>
<p>Anyway…with the school growing as well, it just is hard to predict. </p>
<p>I can only advise that a student recontract ASAP…I think it starts in October.</p>
<p>IIRC we had to recontract early (Oct.?) but didn’t pay non-refundable deposit until later. So in theory you can recontract while still leaving your options open - true?</p>
<p>Yes…</p>
<p>My son did that this last year. We weren’t sure that he was moving off campus until after the new year.</p>
<p>That’s probably why some kids were put on waitlists and then were given housing. When those who were given housing (like my son) declined, it opened a spot.</p>
<p>And there’s cases where kids pay the $200 deposit and then don’t decide to stay. It took one of the girls that was supposed to be in D’s suite this coming year until after July 1st to be taken off the listing. And poof there’s a spot on July 5th.</p>
<p>Wow, the Retreat looks amazing! I can’t wait for sophomore year now!</p>
<p>I’m living on campus as a non-NMF student this year as I’m often needing to be on campus after the Crimson Ride apartment shuttle stops for the evening and don’t have a car in Alabama. I also didn’t feel comfortable signing a 12 or 24-month lease when I don’t know if I’ll be studying abroad this year and if I will be spending the summer(s) in Alabama.</p>
<p>Living off campus can be substantially less expensive after the first year. However, if you do not have a car and will need to add the expense of one to the budget, it might just be a wash.</p>
<p>In addition, if you keep very irregular hours it might be more convenient to stay on campus as Sea_tide said.</p>