I might be way off in even assuming that they ask you which dorm you want, but I was wondering how hard it would be for me to actually end up with the dorm I want (given that I apply right when the housing app opens for the class of 2021). Basically, I am looking for a dorm that has community-style bathrooms and is preferably on main campus (Also, I would want AC but if most comm. style dorms on main campus don’t have it, I won’t have a huge problem or anything).
Even though I will be studying engineering, I thought it would make sense to prefer to live in main campus as a freshmen as that’s probably the most happening part of campus and this may be my only chance to live here considering almost all of my classes in later years will be on North Campus (I think?) and it wouldn’t make sense for not live near there.
(Feel free to poke holes in any of my logic/ understanding of UMich housing as it may be way off and I’m just trying to gain a better understanding overall)
No. They do not ask for your preference of dorm except for location and room type. Unless you apply to a residential program that is housed in that dorm, there is no other way.
Ah, Michigan housing . . . You will have little say in what dorm you end up in. The housing application asks you to list a few preferences (single sex, single/double, etc.) but that is it. You will only be guaranteed AC if you have a documented medical need. You can increase your chances of getting on Central if you request one of the living/learning communities but there is no guarantee you will get in. In sum, it is a bit of a crapshoot. My daughter was accepted early decision, filled out the housing application right away, and got her housing assignment AUGUST 12! She is on North in Burseley, which she does not mind (I also lived there many moons ago).
By documented @blprof means a letter from your physician. Kids with conditions such as asthma get window A/C units in their rooms. During September the interior temperatures can be in the mid-high 80’s so a fan is a good idea. North Quad is entirely air conditioned. If you are female you can request a women’s dorm, all of which are located on central campus. The central campus dorms tend to be much noisier excepting Oxford housing and the women’s dorms.
About 1/2 of your freshman classes, commonly calculus, physics and chemistry will be on central campus.
As the previous posters said you can’t specify a dorm. A suprsing number of kids my daughter knows got central housing through Doctors notes (notes about the need not to be dependent on a bus actually seem to hold up surprisingly…" Motion sickness" ) or for Jewish students Rabbis note ( amazing how many kids are suddenly observant if the sabbath. Lol)
If you are female,you may be able to request a women’s dorm – I assume the only ones available are still on the main campus. (Not kidding – great location, nice elegant old buildings, quieter than dorms like South or West Quad).
@brantly I didn’t know I had to be accepted to a college before I could start acquiring information regarding that school. It’s not like I lose anything by knowing this stuff even if I don’t end up getting accepted.
My daughter is in an air conditioned dorm on central. She had a doctors note for asthma, and she applied and was accepted to the MRC (research community.) She had demonstrated interest in research, which I think helped because it’s hard to get in to.
As a freshman engineering student, 75% of your classes will be on central campus. If you want to join teams or engineering clubs, they are mostly on North, as are your two first-year engineering courses (100 and 101.) As someone else said, all your math, chem, and physics is on main.
@intparent Yeah I understand what you’re saying. It doesn’t make sense to look into the less significant details for every school when you’re searching; however, my search is complete for the most part and I know what my top 3 schools are. Furthermore, I can say with 100% certainty that if I am accepted, I will be attending Michigan. That’s why I am starting to focus on the details of my top 3 schools now that I’ve narrowed it down and have covered the major aspects of the schools.
@jt1216 No, you don’t have to be accepted before acquiring information. But you are really getting into the details here about the precise nature of the dorm you want and exactly when you would apply for housing. As the saying goes, “Don’t put the cart before the horse.”
In answer to your question, if you are accepted to Michigan you will have no influence over the dorm you are assigned.
(Not kidding – great location, nice elegant old buildings, quieter than dorms like South or West Quad).