So: My daughter has been accepted to Alabama (yay!), and has the stats that she gets to apply to the honors college (also yay!), and that part of it seems straightforward enough, but I’m left with two questions about the process. (As background, I’ll note that she’s amidst applying to several schools. Alabama is simply one of those, and she has an explicitly unordered set of preferences amongst them until she gets all the financial offers to compare.)
First, it looks like one has to make an enrollment deposit to be able to place a housing deposit, unlike any of the other schools on her list (where you place a housing deposit, usually partially refundable, without making an enrollment deposit). This is a bit unexpected, because I’d always thought an enrollment deposit was a commitment—in fact, a number of schools make it quite explicit that they do not look kindly on students placing multiple enrollment deposits. Thus: Is our understanding of what Alabama requires correct? Does one need to actually make an enrollment deposit to enter the housing process?
Second, the honors application is pre-filled (except for the essay). What if some information has changed (specifically, her phone number has changed, and her GPA has gone up slightly)? Neither she nor I can find anywhere to edit any of the information on the application.
Yes, you have to make the enrollment deposit to enter the housing process (unless there is something very new in place) …but it’s been this way for several years. No, it’s not a solid commitment like at some places. You can decline the acceptance in March/April - before May 1 - if you need to.
I will add that housing is determined by the date you send in the deposit. The earlier the deposit is sent in means she gets an earlier pick time for housing. The latest date to send in a deposit and still get to pick where you lived was Feb 1st last year. We did not deposit until late January and my son had almost the last pick time. Thankfully he found a roommate with the earliest pick time, so he was able to get the dorm he wanted. If you THINK UA is a possibility and you can afford it, I would go ahead and send in the deposit now to ensure she gets an early pick time for housing.
If you can afford to lose the enrollment fee, and you know she’s going to want suite housing, suck it up and make the deposit. The housing deposit will be refunded if she changes her mind before May (or maybe later–can’t recall off the top of my head).
Trust me: Been there, done that with regard to waiting to deposit. It all worked out for my son, who refused to commit anywhere until he was sure he’d be attending and who was also waiting on decisions from Common App schools (and I’m sure you’re aware of all the ramifications that go along with those apps). Guys tend to be much more cavalier about these things, and in the end we have no regrets with how things turned out, but it’s probably best to avoid that streser if you can!
If UA is just one of several schools she’s considering and she’s willing to gamble, nothing horrible will happen. She just may end up in a traditional dorm, which has its own upside–their being much less expensive. She can also apply to the Blount Undergraduate Initiative, which if she’s admitted (and she will be), will guarantee her housing in Blount Hall, which while not as fancy (or expensive) as the apartments, is a great place for making friends.
Also, how early do you need to submit the housing deposit if you want to live in the honors dorm? I am taking the ACT in October and if I get one more point then I will probably go to Alabama. If I submit my enrollment fee and housing deposit in early Novemebr will that be to late to get a good dorm/honors dorm?
@almostdonewithhs It is my understanding to submit your housing deposit as early as you can. On the site it says that you can submit it starting Oct. 3rd at 12pm central time.
So we really don’t need to submit the school deposit before say Oct 1st? in order to pay the housing deposit on Oct 3rd? or is there some benefit to paying the school deposit now?
@MichiganGeorgia if Alabama is where you want to go, then submit it soon. I won’t go to Alabama unless I get one point higher on the act so I can’t submit until I take the test on October 22.
The rules against “double depositing” really has to do with “after May 1st.” You can deposit at a number of schools at this point, and as long as you’re only holding onto ONE on May 1st, you’re fine.
Or, if you want, you can deposit at Bama, and only Bama…and then later on, if you decide another school, then decline Bama and deposit at the new school.
I don’t want to start a big debate, but “double depositing” is expressly against the rules of the Common Application agreement. You can sill deposit somewhere until you accept enrollment at a Common App school, however.
Okay…now I am super confused. We are looking at 4 schools. 1 reach then other 2 out of state pending NMF results…then 1 in state. So we can NOT put up a deposit on multiple schools to make sure we don’t get crappy dorms? We will not know about NMF until middle of February. We can’t afford an OOS school if he doesn’t get NMF. That makes no sense.
I have never really liked UA’s attempts to get students to deposit before spring and back in 2011 when my son applied to start in 2012, I refused to pay a deposit until he had all his official financial aid offers in the spring. There wasn’t as much demand then and he was still able to get a room in a suite, which seems to be a bit more difficult now and students that deposit late are more likely to get a traditional dorm room, but if you don’t want to deposit earlier, then a dorm room for less than 10 months shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
I don’t know that there are really any ‘crappy dorms’, there are the suite style dorms and the traditional dorms, but some students prefer one over the other. Some students like to live in the dorms that have dining halls and some want to be closer to the Greek houses.
I’ve heard people on here complain about being put in Paty, but later come back and say how it all worked out.
No matter when you deposit, freshman students are guaranteed housing on campus.
If you choose to deposit later, you can always attempt to find a roommate with an earlier time that will ‘pull your student in’.
And if the student doesn’t like where they’re assigned initially, they can request a transfer, there will be some additional rooms that open, either due to ‘summer melt’ or other students wanting to switch rooms/roommates once the year begins.
Personally I wouldn’t give up a significant scholarship because of a dorm room…I remember what mine looked like when I went to college and the oldest of UAs dorms are significantly better than what I managed to live in - I didn’t even have AC…
Sounds like we need to make a trip to Alabama soon to get our mind in check. I don’t mind put up the deposit and then him not going. I just want to make sure that all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed before he decides.