<p>My D can't be the only one going through this situation. She actually got assigned to a single, but is sad she won't have a roommate for freshman year. H is mad that we have to pay an additional $1800 per year. The single room is 15' x 7'. The triple rooms (really doubles) are only 16' x 10', which seem unbearable. The irony of the situation is that we chose this private college to avoid the chaos and overcrowding at the state universities.</p>
<p>with the size of those rooms, i agree a triple would be really cramped. perhaps the layout of the dorm would allow her to keep her room door open, which still allows her to interact with people on her floor, friends can come to her room but she will have the luxury of quiet time when needed, …personally i would go with the single</p>
<p>I spent the first sem. freshman yr. in a forced triple on the 6th floor of an unairconditioned high rise dorm in the sunny steamy south. We were not told this was going to happen. New girl just showed up after my roommate and I had been there a couple of days. Two of the beds were afixed to the floor so there was no bunking. We had to crawl over girl #3’s bed to get across the room. It was a big pain.
I would have given a body part for a single!</p>
<p>Girl #3 moved out just before Christmas when a room became available in another dorm.</p>
<p>S2’s shared freshman ('08) dorm room(circa 1962) was only 9x12. There were eight guys in the suite w/ one bathroom. One sink, one shower, one toilet…eight guys…imagine the possibilties…ugh. It was not one of the three choices S2 put on his housing request and initially he was not happy but the college had admitted so many freshman there wasn’t room for everyone and he was lucky to get a room. Some freshmen had to start the year in off campus apts. leased by the univ. and take a bus to school.
Despite that, S2 had a great time in that tiny suite, made good friends and said it was the best dorm to be in even though others were more updated/modernized. It was the last remaining all male dorm on campus.<br>
After his yr. there, it was closed for remodeling and is re-opening this year all snazzily fixed up and now co-ed. S2 now takes pride in being one of the “Last Men of Scott”. He moved off campus soph. yr. but will always have fond memories of that cramped crazy freshman year.</p>
<p>Toledo, if your D takes the triple is it permanent for the yr. or will someone move out if space becomes available? Are there other singles on the hall so the “single girls” can hang out together?
I know it’s not what she expected (been there) but it will prob. turn out fine either way but if I were her, I think I’d keep the single unless the extra money is a factor.
I did get a partial refund on my dorm fee when I was in the forced triple.</p>
<p>She will come to LOVE her single.</p>
<p>The romantic dream of having a roommate often clashes with the cold reality of having to live with someone.</p>
<p>Why would they be putting three in a 16x10 room, and one in a 15x7 room? Why not put two in each?</p>
<p>i would only add one thing…(.if they are doing forced triples)…i would not be willing to pay the additional amount if that single suddenly became a double!!</p>
<p>Ask the university what kind of compensation could your D get if she gets the forced triple.</p>
<p>In my first year, my college overenrolled. About 80 women had to live in… non-traditional way. Some of the lounges in houses had to converted into triple (with plenty of room). At my other college that I transferred to, one dorm experienced forced triples for 2-3 years. In both cases, those students got the first dibs on housing for the next year. And the college never charged them additional fees.</p>
<p>It sounds to me that your D’s college is trying to milk you to make some money by offering her a more luxurious choice when there should be an expectation that your D and other freshmen should be living in a double. Bargain with them on the possibility of your D getting first dibs on housing for her sophomore year (unless it’s one of those places where it’s the norm for sophomores to move off campus) and the cost of living in a single when she wasn’t expected to be in.</p>
<p>In any case, try to get her a single. I’ve heard enough horror stories about cramped forced triples that when the Class of 2010 came to Colgate and it was the first time that particular dorm was all double, its alums grumbled that it should be a rite of passage for its inhabitants to live in forced triples! :)</p>
<p>D1 had an extra roommate show up on move in day, turning a double into a triple. It was a very large room and not a problem. D2 was in a good sized double room but smaller rooms in her dorm were forced triples. Res life said there were reasons that some rooms could be tripled and others could not, it was not all based on room size. All the girls that were force-tripled were told that as room became available they could move. Not many places opened up.</p>
<p>We have found that many places charge around $1800 for a single but a triple is about $200 less than a double. It stinks. I’d also say go with the single.</p>
<p>I vote for the single.</p>
<p>My son was in a triple for one semester. He was then relocated to another room because someone was actually watching and notified the school that this room CANNOT be tripled (Sorry, I don’t recall what agency this was). The school was forced to make that room into a double. Honestly, this room had more space than many doubles that become triples. It was once a study lounge that was converted into housing space. There was room for 3 beds, 3 closets, 3 desks. Not all triples have 3 closets!! I know from a parent that her D did not have a closet for a year!! BTW, she transferred out of the school at the end of her miserable freshman year.</p>
<p>My son actually stated on his housing form that he requests not to be tripled. He did send in his deposit early. This school promises priority in housing selection with an early deposit and attending an accepted student day. His request was honored!! Looking back on it, I suppose that with such a request he could have ended up in a single room like the OP. I would have been steaming too, I would pay, but I would have my son request a double if a bed opened up. In fact, I think that since it would be my money, I might be the one to contact housing.</p>
<p>If your D is a very social person and makes friends easily then the single is the way to go - she’ll have friends hanging out in her private party room. LOL</p>
<p>However, if your D is kind of awkward that has problems making friends, then the single may be very isolating for her. </p>
<p>If she’s somewhere “in the middle” then take the single and tell her to join clubs, etc.</p>
<p>Yes, not all triples have 3 closets. I can’t imagine most girls (today) with all their stuff and their private bedrooms at home tolerating a triple for more than a week! LOL The fighting and anger issues would be awful.</p>
<p>*The irony of the situation is that we chose this private college to avoid the chaos and overcrowding at the state universities. *</p>
<p>Yes, many wrongly assume that smaller and private means no over-crowding.</p>
<p>I’ve thought that it is too bad one does not get a room assignment along with a college acceptance.</p>
<p>It would be much easier to decide which college to attend…</p>
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<p>The situation that I know about was one where 2 roommates already knew each other (this is a state school) and the third person came in as a stranger to them. The first two roommates showed up earlier and chose their beds and took over 100% of the 2 closets. The third roommate was told to take 2 shelves for her things!! She was unable (for whatever reasons) to negotiate part of the 2 closets. I do not know how she managed. I do know that she had a car and was using it for storage space. It was an unfriendly, awful sitation.</p>
<p>I would happily have my son in a single rather than a forced triple. I think it is a myth that you can’t socialize as easily from a single. Lave the door open when you can, socialize in the lounge, join clubs, etc. Many roommates do not get along and spend very little time together - they come to just tolerate each other at best. Given the difficult transition from living at home to being away at college - having the peace and quiet of a single would trump the chaos and drama of a triple any day. </p>
<p>So many times on CC you read about a student who had a bad freshman year and wants to transfer or just drop out completely. And when you read their account of all the things that went wrong freshman year - 9 times out of 10 - roommate problems are a big part of it. Yes - the single will cost more - but it also may prevent problems that could cost more in the end. Clear choice for me - go for the single.</p>
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<p>$3870 per semester for a single
2970 per semester for a double
2370 per semester for a triple</p>
<p>Also, I sent the deposit on March 30th. Wouldn’t you think that was early enough? I’m not sure how they make these assignments.</p>
<p>gimmechocolate…I was thinking the same thing. Why didn’t they turn the singles into doubles? I bet it must have something to do with logistics, not space, as zoeydoggie and northeastmom mentioned.</p>
<p>ticklemepink…Thanks for the suggestion of bargaining for a top pick next year. They may agree to that. </p>
<p>I believe most of the “forced triples” will be through the end of the year, as the freshmen retention rate is about 90%. I think all 10% would have to leave after first semester to get rid of all the triples.</p>
<p>Ask your daughter if she would prefer to have $900 (half of $1800) living in a triple or a single, maybe you could both get something out of it. My daughter would go for a single.:)</p>
<p>if the retention rate is that high…the triple may become a 4 year experience…?</p>
<p>Girls in a triple = problems. Stick with the single. She can leave her door open. Any chance she is taking a TV to school? Our DD took a nice TV (purchased through our family business). She had lots of company all year round.</p>
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<p>being offered a single could very well be considered being offered a top preference. many people would consider being offered a single to be a positive.<br>
if most students are tripled, they will probably be thrilled to be able to go to a friend’s single room to socialize – this could be a good opportunity for you D – being able to have a social room without having to deal with roommate(s). she may just have to be more proactive about meeting people – including not being afraid to knock on doors the first week to meet people. (when i was in college, we all kept our door open if anyone was in the room so people popped into each other’s rooms all the time, but my kids have told me that it is more common now for many kids to keep their doors closed – i don’t know why that is.)</p>