<p>If you don't get into the dorms freshman year (or choose not to live in the dorms), can you get in for Sophomore year?</p>
<p>Good question. I don't see why not.</p>
<p>Yes. You are essentially a shoo-in for housing your sophomore year. </p>
<p>But seriously. Be independent. Move off campus. Freshmen need that space. There are so many options for students off-campus, many of which include roommate matching for those without roommates. There is simply no reason to live in the dorms a second year unless you are in a leadership position within them or plan on GREATLY contributing to the first-year experience in those communities.</p>
<p>There's a reason only 20% choose to stay with UW Housing. The number should be even lower.</p>
<p>Disagree with the above poster- #3. The question is to go into Res Halls after spending freshman year in other housing. Plenty of good reasons to stay in the dorms another year, or more. Current freshmen will be making their sophomore housing choices this winter, it is an individual choice- no reason to save rooms for incoming freshmen as posted above. The freshmen benefit from having experienced students around, and there is no reason to force people into apt life, there is plenty of time for that in life. You can be just as independent without having to do all of the cooking and cleaning needed in an apt. You are in school primarily for the academics, not the mundane chores of maintaining an apt. No need to feel you have to be a leader, use the dorm as a good place to eat, sleep and study, ignoring the group stuff works. It would be nice if there were more spaces available- back in the '70's one tower of Witte was for grad students. Times change, and there are pros and cons no matter which housing one has.</p>
<p>^I totally agree with you and completely disagree with MNBadger. Plus, I have *years *ahead of me to live in an apartment and all that jazz. Why rush in to it?</p>
<p>Another thought- this is college, not HS- it doesn't matter what the majority chooses, do what feels best. There is a transfer house, a no freshman dorm...</p>
<p>You all can disagree with me all you want. At the end of the day, sophomores that stay in the dorms better be contributing to the communities they are a part of, or they are taking up a valuable space that would be much better utilized by a freshmen. </p>
<p>All I'm saying. I've seen it plenty. Both as a resident and a housefellow.</p>
<p>And yes, things have changed a lot since they had a "grad tower," wis75. It's now called Eagle Heights, and is a completely irrelevant part of the UW first-year experience.</p>
<p>Pretty sure E. Heights was built before the 1970's...</p>
<p>Yes, Eagle Height has been around since before the 70's and was geared as married student housing. Now I think anyone can live there with priority to families.</p>
<p>The problem with your logic MNBadger is that you think the dorms are just for freshman and the "freshman experience". They're not. Yeah, the majority of residents are freshman, but the dorms are solely a place for people going to this school to live, and they really don't have much more meaning than that.</p>
<p>What, do you think all freshman should be required to live in the dorms too? If that were the situation, I could see your point, but they're not required to and not all *want *to. Hence the lack of a problem with sophomores and above staying in the dorm.</p>
<p>As long as you're going to school here, dorms are just as much an option for upperclassmen as they are freshman. I honestly can't see the problem with non-freshman in dorms.</p>
<p>DO NOT live off campus as a freshman if you have a choice between the dorms and an apartment, a house, etc. You are going to sever yourself from the bulk of the "first year experience" that MNBadger is referring to. That said, I have had an excellent experience with dorm life at UW and am considering living on Lakeshore next year as well.</p>
<p>MNB... students do not owe any community anything- where on earth do you get the idea of "contributing to the community"??? Without dorm space allotted to grad students there must be more space available for freshmen now than in the '70's, as well as much more close to campus decent (ie not old, run down houses) apartments. Res Halls reserves half of every dorm (the all freshmen one cancels out the no freshmen one) and yet the dorms have a higher percentage than that. My experience in the dorms included avoiding housefellows, didn't need them as no problems- I know they serve a useful function, but dorms are not sororities/fraternities with mandatory socialization...</p>
<p>I definitely encourage freshmen to live in Res Halls, and any other students. There are parents out there who require their sophomore kids to live in dorms, and you have to be 18 before apartment managers will allow you to rent- even with parents to cosign the lease.</p>
<p>Showing my independent UW style. Res Halls is great for meeting people and transitioning from home, also good for conveniences for others.</p>