<p>My daughter was awarded at full tuition scholarship at UA. We didn’t apply for Housing until April - and she was anxiously waiting for notification that she was able to secure Honors Housing. She just received an email today advising she was assigned to Mary Burke. She is so upset. The roommate she was assigned didn’t have any information filled out on her profile - so my daughter doesn’t know anything about her.
I called Housing and asked if all the overflow Honors were at least being housed together - but it sounds like they are placing them where singles are available.
My D did submit the housing change request - but doesn’t seem likely she will get into Honors this year.
I feel terrible for her. 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. The Honors Housing made me feel much more comfortable that she would be living with some like-minded students as far as academic aspirations.
Now I’m back-peddling, wondering if we should look into Miami again. I know it’s a knee jerk reaction - but she is such a good student and has worked so hard…I’m second guessing our decision.
Any advice from parents who have been through this?</p>
<p>While I (we) have not been through this issue, I can tell you that UA is very responsive to the needs of the students. Even if all housing is filled at the moment, things always change. Someone is certain to change their plans which will create an opening down the road. My DS loves living in Honors and the small class size of honors classes. She will find her like-minded students, it just may take some time to get all of the housing requests evaluated and addressed.</p>
<p>We didn’t apply for Housing until April</p>
<p>Well that’s the main problem. That was quite late. Others applied last fall. </p>
<p>All you can do is contact Housing to see if your D can get switched at some point or keep checking over the summer. Bama is pretty good about helping kids get where they want.</p>
<p>You should try to contact Janine G in Housing. She’d been very helpful.
Tell her that you’re on CC…
<a href=“mailto:jmgascoigne@sa.ua.edu”>jmgascoigne@sa.ua.edu</a></p>
<p>Frankly, if you tried to get preferred housing at Miami at this point, you’d probably also not be happy. </p>
<p>Future applicants who are reading this thread: </p>
<p>Do not wait til April to apply for Housing if you have a housing preference. Apply before Christmas.</p>
<p>Thank you for the replies - and the contact for Janine!</p>
<p>Moderator: can we merge this with the other thread by the exact same title? (And, why is this happening? 2x this week…)</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but your daughter really needs to grow up. Thinking of switching schools just because she didn’t get assigned to her preferred dorm? Seriously?</p>
<p>blueslipper: I had to smile at your post because <em>our</em> ‘crisis’ last year involved a BB glitch that stressed us out terribly. (Mostly me - 
) What a difference a year makes. Although DS didn’t got the class he should have been able to, it all worked out and he got a class and instructor that he would NEVER had chosen voluntarily, but ended up liking VERY much. </p>
<p>Your D may get her first choice or be thoroughly happy with the second. I know it is hard not to be disappointed - we want our kids positioned to get off to a great start, and no amount of reassurance will totally fix that worry until you actually see your kid thriving. </p>
<p>Ignore the criticism - you are entitled to be an anxious mommy. I certainly was. Last year I was all over everything, this year is so much more, “Ahhh-do it yourself!”</p>
<p>With the CC family (and a few margaritas) I made it through. You will too. Get ready to laugh at yourself next year, and I am sure your D will be fine wherever she lands.</p>
<p>P.S. While my son <em>really</em> needs the private bedroom, my D THRIVED in the traditional dorm setting and 9 years later 2 of her 3 roommates are still her BEST friends.</p>
<p>Many kids don’t make decisions about what college to attend until May 1st, waiting to hear all of the financial aid numbers. Bama doesn’t hold honors housing spots for its candidates until then? That seems wrong unless you can put in such a request before actually committing.</p>
<p>This same exact thing is happening to one of my DD’s friends. She waited so late to apply to a school since she had not made up her mind back in the fall. Even in late October when I asked her mom where she was going it was, “She does not know yet”. Just heard mom the other night at Bunco saying that her D is not happy about her dorm assignment. She did not decide she wanted to attend X school until the first of April. Way late to get to pick ones dorm assignment and roommate. </p>
<p>This is why it is so important to start visiting schools early in high school and take those SAT/ACT tests earlier, like sophmore year. It really takes more than a few months to decide where to attend and much less apply for college. </p>
<p>I am sure your D will be just fine at any dorm if she comes to love UA. Like I said on the other thread, the more traditional dorm gives her more opportunities to meet others that she may never have met if she were living in a suite dorm. Not sure how religious you are but remember, God puts you where he wants you. We never know the reason till we meet Him. His purpose. I think your D will be just fine. Encourage her and she can go in and have the time of her life and make life long memories.</p>
<p>sometimes you just have to commit to a school and pay the deposit if that is what is necessary if you want to get your choice of dorm etc. you may change your mind later … but you might lose your deposit. just part of the “cost of doing business.” just look at the specifics for the schools you (or your kid) is considering and do what you need to do.</p>
<p>every school is different. </p>
<p>we had a deposit in at another school before my daughter’s alabama plans worked out. </p>
<p>it happens.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Nice contraction, Mike. ;)</p>
<p>maybe i should have put</p>
<p>'it happens?</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>OP, I completely empathize. The issue here is one of managing expectations, which your posts will help do for future applicants. When honors tours and visits tout the dorms, walk you through a beautiful example, reference the wonderful Living Learning Community, they MUST make it clear that they do not guarantee that housing. We repeatedly heard (including on this forum, from Janine at UA housing 3/11) that Honors housing has always been available for those freshman who wanted it. Future applicants must know that the Jan 1 date is not just to assure roommate or room requests, but that honors housing itself is at risk. I’d be curious to know how many kids who requested honors housing are assigned elsewhere. With upperclass roommates?</p>
<p>The fact is that Alabama sells the Honors College AND dorms to high stats kids as an opportunity for yes, “like-minded” students to be together. Nothing new here – same as many schools. Why some here choose to bash a concerned parent for sharing a reasonable disappointment and concern, I can only guess. My daughter was lucky enough to get an Honors assignment despite committing after Jan 1, but if she had not I would also be very disappointed in a school that did not clearly communicate this possibility. The fact is that many high stats out of state kids are likely to weigh other options, including other full tuition merit and top ranked school acceptances, until well past Jan 1, which was by far the earliest commit date we experienced. Interviews for elite scholars programs at UA and elsewhere don’t even occur until February or later. No amount of early college visits can fill in the many blanks that remain in the decision process for kids with these options and opportunities – I would venture many with the highest stats having the most struggle. If we had known that a Presidential scholarship recipient, NMF, CBHP student would be at risk of living in non-honors housing at such a large, academically diverse school 800 miles away, it may have been the factor that tipped the decision away from Alabama in favor of a school with a more comprehensive first-year experience. This does not mean she couldn’t have made it work, had great roommates, grown up and learned to live with disappointment, yada, yada, yada – just not the experience we were sold on. Future applicants – be aware.</p>
<p>When we toured our in-state flagship, they told us to put the deposit for HOUSING down as soon as possible, it was refundable if you choose to go somewhere else, but puts you in line for housing selection. This is a totally different deposit than enrollment deposit.</p>
<p>I just looked on UA’s website to see if they had the same arrangement, and it appears they do:</p>
<p>[Student</a> Affairs | Housing & Residential Communities](<a href=“http://housing.ua.edu/new_students/apply.cfm]Student”>http://housing.ua.edu/new_students/apply.cfm)
After agreeing to the housing contract, the final step you must complete in order to submit your housing application is to pay the $250.00 deposit ($25.00 application fee and $225.00 prepayment.) If you do not attend UA, you may cancel your housing application with Housing and Residential Communities prior to May 1, 2013, and you will receive a full refund of your $225.00 prepayment. If you cancel between May 2 and June 1, you will receive a refund of $125.00. </p>
<p>So as a reminder for myself and future applicants, if you are undecided you can reserve your spot and get a refund of all but $25 if you choose to go somewhere else before May 1.</p>
<p>Thanks beadymom, that’s an excellent piece of info. Having just been to several graduations this past weekend up north I can tell you that a high percentage of kids/parents up here wait to field late offers from schools for financial aid and scholarships. Someone I know well did not decide until May 1st and lots of late offers come in from schools that are trying to finalize their freshmen class with strong applicants.</p>
<p>I haven’t checked the website since last year, but at least in the past, UA was different from many schools in that one needed to make a non-refundable enrollment deposit in order to make the mostly refundable housing deposit. Even so, we chose to make D’s housing deposit in October even though she didn’t make her final decision until the spring. I told her we would make ONE deposit prior to her knowing all of her admissions results, so she did at least have to narrow down the field considerably.</p>
<p>Hmmm, this is a Catch-22 for UA. How can they attract top scholars if they don’t offer (and reserve) top packages (including top accommodation)…but how can they realistically hold top-dollar suites open well past the date that other, paying students (many who are returning, like my S) need to make up their minds to return to that accommodation? Returning students needed to make their accommodation decisions back in January/February. And, MANY who wanted accommodation were let go and not able to recontract. No returning family is going to wait until May/June to make accommodation decisions, because UA had to ‘reserve’ open suites for new students who are late in making decisions to attend UA. That is just not realistic.</p>
<p>There is no easy solution, other than to take the advice offered for many years now: get your deposits in early. Yes, you have to put in a non-refundable admissions deposit to secure a refundable housing deposit. But, that’s just business. I do not believe that UA is being underhanded in any way with its policies. Don’t blame UA Housing if your students can’t decide until May 1 (or beyond!) to go to UA. All the info I have ever seen, heard, or read about housing in the suites has been that you need to get your deposit in by the deadline. It’s really that simple.</p>
<p>Every school my son applied to required an enrollment deposit as well as a housing deposit prior to selecting housing. At one school, he could indicate a preference in terms of the building (but no guarantee) and at the second school - you didn’t have any say in the housing assignment. We ended up paying enrollment/housing deposits for two schools - the top two on his list.</p>
<p>From reading lots of CC posts on this forum 2 years ago, we knew that if we wanted first choice of housing we had to get our deposits in early. We paid on the first day, early morning and had the first choice of housing the day that it opened up for assignment. </p>
<p>D is Presidential and I think that admissions and the school in generaly did a good job of letting us know that rooms were assigned in order of receipt of deposit. Everyone said over and over…get your deposit in early.</p>
<p>My older D, who goes to school in Iowa, did decide to attend her school on the LAST day of acceptance, so maybe May 15th. She did not get any of her 7 top picks. She did not get Honors housing. She ended up in an ALL GIRLS dorm and while I was in the same panic that the OP is in, once we moved in and she actually saw it she fell in love. No boys in early am when you are stumbling to bathroom. HUGE walk in closets and all wood floors. It was one of the first dorms built and it was beautiful in character. She loved that dorm and had a great experience.</p>
<p>I am a firm believer that things always work out for the best!</p>
<p>aeromom, you are right! No school can hold spots anticipating students and families making late decisions. Yes, May 1st is the deciding factor for many schools. It does not hurt to make a deposit and get the dorm you really want if there is a school that you are heavily considering. Be prepared always. My D is going to Early College and gets to move to her dorm for the academic year as soon as that is over on August 2nd. A full week before move in. I still made her select a move in time, just in case. Told her I’d rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. </p>
<p>This is not a UA problem. This is at almost every school in this country. Getting into college is competitive nowadays. Colleges do not have enough room to house all students. Very few do but not many. Every college we visited, looked at, checked out online, etc we saw/heard the same thing. Get deposits in early. </p>
<p>This is my first rodeo. I knew to get D’s deposit in early. She received the mybama email that housing deposits had opened, I also read it here on CC. We did. Easy. Put in deposits to a few others as well till she was firm on one school. It is part of the world now of college living. </p>
<p>I just want to go ahead and throw this out there as well, start looking in October for any off campus housing your student may need for the next academic year. This goes for almost every college out there. When looking find out when they start taking deposits. Some are January if not earlier. Again, housing around college campuses is competitive and if you are picky you best be the first one out there looking and throwing down a deposit. </p>
<p>buzymom, I believe that as well. Things always just tend to work out the way the should for a reason.</p>