<p>Don’t worry about it. It’s a stressful time and we all want what’s best for our kids. Been there…done that. 
(I wish people wouldn’t be so harsh with those who are posting here looking for advice and support.)</p>
<p>She won’t have to clean her bathroom, right!</p>
<p>I think your D will look back on this and consider it a bit of a blessing. My S was in Presidential last year, and there is a definite “problem” with a sense of community not being formed in these suite-style buildings. I almost think it is a disservice to incoming Freshman to live in one to some extent. My S didn’t even know people in the suites on both sides of him, let alone others on the floor. I think suite-style lends itself better to upperclassmen who have already made friendships and those who just don’t want much social interaction.</p>
<p>The only “problem” with traditional dorms is the sharing of the same living space 24x7, in my opinion. It’s almost as if a new hybrid model is called for where there was a community of single-occupancy rooms. I am sure some people never have an issue, but I remember from my college days there were moments when I just wanted my own space. However, even taking into account we live in different times today, there was something special about leaving the door to your room open of an evening to get to know people. I think you are much less inclined to knock on the living room door of a suite and then “introduce” yourself. The traditional dorms foster much more of an impromptu environment.</p>
<p>Overall, I’d say a traditional dorm is an advantage, especially for new students.</p>
<p>No worries! We’ve all been there…And I think your feelings are understandable.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t get the whole idea behind “Honors Housing”…and knowing myself, I probably would have reacted the same way you did because I think it encourages those exact feelings…Do I want my child with the “smart kids” who are wrangled together to study hard and make good decisions and have meaningful and intellectual discussions about the world…Or do I want him with the “regular kids” who are probably partying and getting into all sorts of untoward debauchary? What’s the point of Honors housing anyway?</p>
<p>blueslipper - yes, we are a pretty supportive bunch on CC (well, on the UA forum, that is!)…but I want to go back to something that you said that is important to not lose sight of. You posted: “She wasn’t sold on AL to begin with (her top choice was Miami in OH, so she was looking for a smaller, private-feeling school) - but we strongly encouraged her to go to AL for the scholarship.”</p>
<p>The fit of the school is far more important than what dorm she is going to live in. The school is a 4+ year decision. The dorm is an 8 month decision.</p>
<p>If your D was somewhat coerced into choosing UA (and the scholarships are a very nice carrot, and so are the suites), I would fear that she might forever regret this.<br>
Please revisit this issue with her. If she was really set on Miami, and then perhaps talked herself into accepting UA because of the nice suites, then therein lies an ongoing problem that might haunt you/her. If, on the other hand, she (on her own) fell in love with UA, then embrace all of the positive comments said here and move on in to Burke! Good luck.</p>
<p>The suite-style housing (with private bedrooms) is perfect for my son. He would have been miserable having to share a small room with another person (at UA or the other schools he was considering.) It is EXTREMELY quiet and somewhat isolating - but again…perfect for my son. </p>
<p>My daughter, on the other hand, would be miserable. She thrives in a social environment. IF she does end up at UA, I hope she will consider a traditional dorm setting. </p>
<p>Curious though…are the Presidential suites more active than the honors suites? Riverside West is VERY quiet…</p>
<p>i agree with rolltide90. the suite style dorms are not good for kids to meet other kids in their dorm at all. my kid had friends, but, like rolltide90, i don’t think she had any friends from her dorm floor other than the ones in her suite.</p>
<p>one of my friends son lived in a dorm that had 20 single rooms with a living room in the middle. this gave him h=more of a community living experience than the UAs suite style dorms do.</p>
<p>As RTRMom2 said - the suite-style was ideal for my S. He spent most of his life as an only child (he does have a MUCH younger half-brother), but he is accustomed to having his own space and having privacy when he wants it. A conventional style dorm would not have been a good fit for him. But he didn’t get along very well with his roommates in his suite and was able to make other friends in his dorm. He got along very well with the group in the suite across the hall from his and will be living with 2 of them off-campus next year. So, it’s not impossible to socialize in the suite style dorms.</p>
<p>Since they moved all the honor’s housing to Ridgecrest this year, I think the reduced the number of beds designated as honor’s housing. I know for the last couple years about 20% of incoming freshman were honor’s students and the stats keep rising, so I am sure even more are honor’s eligible now, but no where near 20% of the dorm rooms are designated honors. That means that, unfotunately, there are going to be quite a few honor’s students that aren’t able to get into honor’s housing.</p>
<p>But if what your daughter wants is a suite, then I wouldn’t give up hope. There are a lot of suite-style rooms on campus in Lakeside, Riverside, and Presidential although they are not designated honors. Throughout the summer there will be constant changes - some students will decide to attend other schools or to take gap years, some students will have financial issues that cause them to withdraw, some students just won’t meet payment deadlines and will be automatically withdrawn, but rooms will open up throughout the summer. If she thinks the suite style housing is a better fit, then I’m sure she will find a room before move-in, but I definitely wouldn’t restrict the search to just the honors housing.</p>
<p>If she decides to keep her room in the convential style dorm, as others have said, it’s definitely a cost savings. And as someone who attended college in the days before suite-style dorms, although I had 3 different roommates my freshman year (the first 2 being NIGHTMARE situations), I did survive. And if nothing else, I learned that I would never choose to have another roommate. :)</p>
<p>To the original poster: My daughter is in pretty much the same situation and it’s VERY disappointing. In our case, I’m the one who delayed on the deposit (early March), thinking she would probably settle on a school more in her comfort zone, so the result is entirely my fault. No cost savings either as she has a one-year housing scholarship. Sigh.</p>
<p>When my son from Hawaii was a freshman at 'Bama he ended up in a suite-style honors dorm (Ridgecrest West) with 3 sophomores from Alabama who were tight friends. We (not he) were nervous going in. They had nothing in common, did nothing together, but were civil enough to one another.</p>
<p>You know what? It ended up being no big deal. My son made great friends at Outdoor Action, hung out with them, made more friends of friends, joined a fraternity, roomed with peeps of his choice from his sophomore year on, and never looked back. He’s entering his final glorious year at UA and freshman housing is a distant blip in his college experience.</p>
<p>To the O.P.: this housing situation is but one of many life lessons. The stress is merely tuition.</p>
<p>Roll Tide.</p>
<p>If the Honors BAMA BOUND session we attended was any indication, these incoming freshmen are uber-social and not shy about introducing themselves and recreating in packs.</p>
<p>They were all over Ridgecrest South; the lobby, crammed into suite rooms, at the Rec Center, everywhere…and, as I was trying to sleep in the North Tower, I can attest that it went on ALL NIGHT.</p>
<p>If a kid wants friends enough to go up and introduce self to a group, then friends they shall have!</p>
<p>I think your daughter will find that there are other kids from the honors college living in Burke. And there will probably be even more students who might not have had the test scores for the honors college but are good, serious students. And others who may not be the best students but are considerate of those around them and will be pleasant to live among. (Same way there are inconsiderate, loud partiers living in honors housing). I know at least one girl in the honors college who chose Burke because she wanted to be closer to the sorority houses but applied for housing too late to get into Tut. There are others who choose Burke for financial reasons - there’s a BIG difference between the cost of the traditional dorms and the supersuites. If she really wants Ridgecrest, then make sure Housing knows and check back regularly - there’s movement over the summer and she may end up there yet. But she may find Burke is just fine. And, FWIW, Burke is reputed to have a better dining hall.</p>
<p>As for the suites and socialization, my D met kids in her dorm (RCW) during Outdoor Action. After that, I’m not sure she met anyone IN her dorm. One of the student posters on this board lived right next door to my D and I don’t think she ever met him. The suites really aren’t conducive to meeting people on your floor the way traditional dorms are. However, D would meet students through classes and through friends she’d met during OA and then discover that they lived in her dorm, which was convenient.</p>
<p>My son was hoping for Burke, but was placed elsewhere. He was hoping for a dorm close to where he will be the majority of the day. Other than that he didn’t really care. He will only be there to sleep/shower/sleep. He put in for a change, but who knows if it will happen.</p>
<p>How is your daughter doing at Burke? My daughter loves it!</p>
<p>Hi TwoXCollege - D is doing well at Burke. She and her roomie have settled in and become very compatible. She admits she does like having the cafeteria downstairs, too! She had the opportunity to move into a suite-style dorm about a month in, and declined.
I’m glad your daughter is doing well! Did you go down for Parents Weekend?</p>
<p>Glad it’s working out for her! I hear it’s very social and yes, it’s nice having the cafeteria in the building. We didn’t make it to Parents Weekend (we live 24 hours away). Will see her for Fall Break, but that’s a long time to be away. :(</p>
<p>DD will attend UA fall 2014. We were prepared for the cost difference with other dorms VS honors, as my good friend’s S was in honors housing. DD is use to own room and likes being in these accommodations. We put in for honors housing ASAP, and as another poster said ‘early bird gets the worm’. A friend who will also be in honors housing is going to let the system ‘match’ her with room-mates, and DD decided to also do the same. One less thing to spend time on.</p>
<p>A friend’s D is currently in Tut - keeping out of pocket low with tight budget; she loves UA and her dorm situation is fine.</p>
<p>My son (on Presidential scholarship, in Honors) is planning on Burke – no bathroom cleaning and attached/convenient cafeteria (that stays open when many others close due to “snow emergencies” and short breaks), close to where most of his freshman classes will be, close to football stadium, and he thinks he will like getting to know lots of people with the traditional style of the floors. Best of all, he may not need to take out any loans his freshman year because the cost is so much less than the suite-style. It’s an older dorm, but he really doesn’t care! Just hoping it works out with the roommate! (yet to be determined…)</p>