Help! Freshman denied on campus housing

Colleges and Universities A-Z Florida State University
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<p>I just learned that my daughter, who will be entering FSU as a Freshman next year, has been denied on campus housing. Officially she is "wait-listed" but when I called student housing they said her chances of getting an on campus housing is remote.</p>

<p>We send the housing application and deposit in shortly after she got accepted. It is baffling and somewhat appalling to me that FSU, whose Housing Director extolls the virtue of living on-campus, would deny a freshmen on-campus housing. I can tell you I'm not very happy about the thought of my daughter living in some apartment off campus and having to commute to school in her firs year of college.</p>

<p>We live in Miami and have no clue about Tallahassee and what places are good to live or not. The student housing person I spoke to recommended Southgate, but it has gotten awful reviews on line.</p>

<p>Anyone with experience in the area who can offer recommendations for reasonable housing alternatives to on campus dorms for a freshman would be very much appreciated.</p>

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<p>What was her priority #?</p>

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<p>This is unfortunate. For the past few years, it has been stressed that one needed to apply during the first application cycle. The acceptance had to have been during the later one. To be honest, DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE. There IS MOVEMENT and there are always students/families who don’t like their assignments and try to get out of the contract. They can only get out of it if there is someone to take the spot. You might not hear until July, but there is hope. </p>

<p>There are also PRIVATE dorms, ones that have food service as well. Google PRIVATE DORMS TALLAHASSEE and PRIVATE DORMS FSU, and look at the official FSU page for off campus housing. This was a COMMON problem before Wildwood and Degraff opened up 2-3 years ago. Now that more and more upperclassmen are staying on campus with the economy the way it is, housing is once again tight. They are building a new wing of Wildwood as we speak, and this will be for upperclassmen to get more of them out of underclassman housing. </p>

<p>Start researching the private dorms. HISTORICALLY they NEVER FILL and you can get discounts especially in JULY AND AUGUST when they are trying to get more residents. They have RA’s, and are close enough to walk or use the FSU bus system.</p>

<p>EDITED TO ADD:
Southgate <a href=“http://www.southgatecampusctr.com/[/url]”>http://www.southgatecampusctr.com/&lt;/a&gt;
Osceola VIllage <a href=“http://osceolavillageresidencehall.com/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1[/url]”>http://osceolavillageresidencehall.com/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1&lt;/a&gt;
Studio Green <a href=“http://www.campushousing.com/fsu/html/index.php[/url]”>http://www.campushousing.com/fsu/html/index.php&lt;/a&gt;
Heritage Park (Apartment housing owned by FSU AND you can use FL PREPAID DORM money) <a href=“http://www.heritage-grove.org/Apartments/module/website_documents/website_document[id]/6633[/url]”>http://www.heritage-grove.org/Apartments/module/website_documents/website_document[id]/6633&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>It’s very rare someone is going to take the time to write a positive review of an apartment/dorm. Keep that in mind when considering online reviews.</p>

<p>I’ve heard good things about SouthGate in this forum, but have never checked it out myself. I have been to Studio Green. Bad location and the residence hall style living isn’t that great. I don’t recommend it.</p>

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<p>But if you are looking for a DORM, then residence hall style living is what it is. </p>

<p>Another option that is close but pricey is [GrandMarc</a> at Tallahassee](<a href=“http://www.grandmarctallahassee.com/user/home.asp]GrandMarc”>http://www.grandmarctallahassee.com/user/home.asp). It is very secure, close, and does get good reviews.</p>

<p>Probably worth a trip to TALLY to visit the private dorms personally, meet with the Director of Housing personally to express how much you want your student to get on campus, etc. </p>

<p>What is the priority number? Many students signed on to housing to get their number AT MIDNIGHT the day acceptances were available.</p>

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<p>Thank you very much for the information and advice.</p>

<p>I don’t know her priority number or how to find it, on the FSU internet site it just says: “We are sorry, but you have not yet been assigned to a space in University Housing. Please note that our office is still processing Housing Agreements and we will communicate with you regarding your status through mail and/or email as updates are made. You may find answers to many of your questions under the FAQ icon on our web site or by emailing <a href=“mailto:housinginfo@admin.fsu.edu”>housinginfo@admin.fsu.edu</a> . Thank you for your patience during the assignments process!”</p>

<p>I can see we waited too long to send in the application. I had no idea that it was such a race just to get housing on campus, obviously with hindsight we should have sent the application in earlier but she was trying to decide on whether to go to FSU or UF and didn’t hear from UF till later (and then she decided to go to FSU after all). I thought that might affect her preference choice of dorm, but it didn’t even cross my mind that FSU would not provide on campus housing for incoming freshmen. After the fact I found the small print on the FSU website that say “Freshman housing is not guaranteed” but it wasn’t very apparent in reviewing the website. </p>

<p>Maybe we’ll get lucky in the end, but it looks like we may have to go with something private. Which is tough to do when you don’t know the area and live 400 miles away. Thanks for the suggestions.</p>

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<p>Yeah – reading the on-line reviews for some of these places is not very encouraging.</p>

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<p>Unfortunately, most students sign up for housing and pay the deposit immediately as all but 25-50 of it is refundable if you decide to go somewhere else. They make getting the deposit back easy. Shoot, for UF most students sign up for a priority number ONCE THEY SUBMIT the application and get the link to do so. UF has the same problem. You have to sign up early and pay a deposit for a shot at on campus freshman housing. UF gives you the privilege of paying the deposit when you apply. I think they make big bucks over students forgetting to ask for the deposit back. </p>

<p>I will tell you that 2 years ago a neighbor got into FSU late OFF OF THE WAITLIST. The ADMISSION was off of the wait list in mid May, not just housing. She had one of the lowest housing priority numbers that year assigned. She was also told she would not have an assignment made for some time. She heard in July that she had a spot in a dorm.</p>

<p>I would be more positive about your chances. I can tell you that there are summer students who start summer C in JUNE who WILL NOT RETURN IN AUG for the fall. There are also students who decide in JUNE AND JULY that they do not want to leave home and go away after all. There are students in JULY who hear from FSU that their admission was rescinded for D’s on the final transcript. </p>

<p>I would KEEP your deposit on record, try not to stress too much, and try not to send emails that reflect the frustration that you feel right now. If by mid JULY there is no room assigned, make a trip up and check out the private dorms. Southgate is just across the street from Landis and Gilchrist and no bus needed. Southgate has NOT BEEN FULL by end of JULY in at least 3-4 years. They have RA’s meal plans, and are as close to FSU as you can get. Osceola Village is NOT a huge walk, and they have both dorm/residence hall living and apt living. The DORM section was renovated a few years ago. My daughter stayed there the summer between junior and senior years of high school when she went to a summer program. They walked in a group to FSU and back several times a day. Parking is good, they have 9 mos leases, PA’s an meal plans. They also usually do not fill.</p>

<p>I have never seen Studio Green, but my daughter’s freshman roommate was an RA there for her sophomore year. </p>

<p>Hang in there.</p>

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<p>Thank you sunnyflorida. I really appreciate the words of encouragement, and feel better about it. When we go up for orientation later this month I’ll use the opportunity to scope the scene and check out some of the places you mentioned.</p>

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<p>YES!! If you have not had orientation, it is a perfect opportunity. Maybe get there early the first day and use the afternoon to stop at the private dorms. Apartments are also an option, but I think for a freshman, the private dorms are not a bad option. </p>

<p>Also, visit housing and tell them how much you want your D to live on campus. Make it personal. Tell them she waited to commit to a dorm deposit while she was deciding between FSU and UF. She chose FSU NOT KNOWING that those in the know were getting their priority numbers in before they even heard from UF. </p>

<p>August seems so close. But 2 mos is A LONG TIME for a room to open up. Really. </p>

<p>I think you can sign on to her housing contract and somewhere on that page is her priority number, if you want to know what it is. It probably is 6000+. There will only be 4000 freshman come fall, but they admit more knowing that some chose to go elsewhere. <a href=“https://cfprd.oti.fsu.edu/dsa/housing.cfm?go_url=https://nwrdc.fsu.edu:1204/fsysrr98[/url]”>https://cfprd.oti.fsu.edu/dsa/housing.cfm?go_url=https://nwrdc.fsu.edu:1204/fsysrr98&lt;/a&gt; Somewhere after you sign in there will be a number. Or maybe it shows up after you sign out. But it is there. I have a Junior who is not in housing now, so I can’t sign in to try to find out where the number is.</p>

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<p>PS did you see the brand new thread titled Freshman Roommate Cancellation? Someone already posted that their D got the housing assignment in the mail today, called the roommate listed, and learned the roommate would not be attending FSU after all. Rooms are opening up already.</p>

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<p>My daughter was denied housing at FSU also. We are in a panic as well. Southgate is full and there is a waiting list for them as well. I contacted Studio Green and the guy that answered the phone seemed to be shocked that I wanted to use my credit card to secure a spot while we made plans to go to Tallahassee this weekend to check housing options.</p>

<p>Then I’ve read reviews. Can someone honestly tell me the scoop on Studio Green. My daughter is not going to have a car her freshman year so we are desperate to find her housing as near to the campus as possible.</p>

<p>Any help would be appreciated!</p>

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<p>As sunnyflorida says, there are freshman who started the summer session and won’t make it to fall --leaving an opening. The son of friends of ours moved in for summer session a few days ago and his roommate has come home drunk out of his mind every night since. . .so perhaps that space will be available soon!!!</p>

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<p>I will tell you there is movement even into AUGUST. Was your student DENIED or waitlisted? Already some students assigned to a triple or quad that was NOT a room for 3-4 have already been reassigned to a real room. There is a thread here on the FSU board with students already mentioning reassignments. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/florida-state-university/938327-fall-housing-notifications-3.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/florida-state-university/938327-fall-housing-notifications-3.html&lt;/a&gt; See last page.</p>

<p>Yes, have plan B, and you might loose your deposit for plan B, but do not panic yet is your student is on the wait list. Also check out Osceola Village. They have a building or two that are like dorms with RA’s. And if there is room at Heritage Village you can definately walk and it is FSU property and the apts are co-owned by FSU AND you can use Fla Prepaid Dorm there.</p>

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<p>She was waitlisted. They basically said that they were certain that she would not get campus housing due to her being so low on the waiting list. They then stated that they would be sending us back our deposit and that she would have to look into private dorms.</p>

<p>When she was attending orientation last week Southgate wasn’t even passing out housing literature like many others were.</p>

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<p>Yikes. So I guess you need options. There are options on the FSU bus line for apartments. Look esp for Apartments on Ocala. And Heritage Grove is on Ocala. And we have mentioned the private dorms. </p>

<p>Another option: There are NEW townhouses on Pensacola and Lafayette and side streets that are within walking distance and are in a safe area near sorority houses south of FSU. They are only 0-2 years old. They are all built and owned by the same company. We looked at these before D got into her sorority house for sophomore year. Definitely can walk to FSU. Look for Park Lafayette and Lafayette Corners. There are others. The developer buys OLD adjacent houses and tears them down and builds small groups of townhouses. There are like 4-6 buildings together in each area with 4 units of 3-4 students a piece. The area of Jefferson and Pensacola just south of the U is safe, lots of really old houses for rent and these new places springing up. They are not private dorms and not the big apartment complexes. The neighborhood is mostly students. The developer is family owned,<br>
[Dean</a> Properties :: Luxury Student Living at its Best - Tallahassee Apartments, Student Housing](<a href=“Dean Properties :: Luxury Student Living at its Best - Tallahassee Apartments, Student Housing”>Dean Properties :: Luxury Student Living at its Best - Tallahassee Apartments, Student Housing)
[Dean</a> Properties :: Luxury Student Living at its Best - Tallahassee Apartments, Student Housing](<a href=“Dean Properties :: Luxury Student Living at its Best - Tallahassee Apartments, Student Housing”>Dean Properties :: Luxury Student Living at its Best - Tallahassee Apartments, Student Housing)</p>

<p>No pool and not a big complex. Not cheap but not the most expensive. They rent by the bedroom but as most places are, you have to sign a one year lease.</p>

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<p>While i think southgate is filled I have visited, know a female student who works there. I can tell you it is a very nice, affordable private dorm. They do many typical freshman social activities. if you can get on a waiting list here for your daughter i would recommend it.</p>