Holiday Inn???

<p>Is it true what i hear about hoilday inn being an alternative dorm for fall semester?? Is this for all study abroad students? What other students. Could someone explain this to me. It'd be greatly appreciated. I'd also like to know anything about UM as I will be attending next fall.</p>

<p>My daughter is a junior transfer at UM, The Holiday Inn and the Marriott at Dadeland are used for overflow housing. Thisis primarily transfer students and foreign students. If you get all your material in early you most likely will be in one of the dorms. My daughter was put in Pearson as a junior transfer, but she had preferential treatment as alegacy student. She moved out of the dorm and into an apartment after 6 weeks. Usually within that time period they try to get everyone in the overflow housing into the dorms. They do have a shuttlebus running from the hotels to the school 24 hours. It's called the Hurry Cane. Hope this helps. Miami is great. You will love it.</p>

<p>Lori</p>

<p>So, what you're saying is that it's best to reserve a space in a dorm immediately upon acceptance. My D will hear one way or the other (EA) by January 15, but with other schools in the running, might not decide until pretty close to May 1.</p>

<p>Hope they have some type of refundable deposit, as other schools do (UIUC). Heard that the main freshman dorms, Stanford & Hecht, are pretty nice.</p>

<p>For all those that are accepted ED/EA to Miami, my advice is to send in that deposit, I believe that the deposit is fully refundable until May 1 and all it is showing that you intent to go there and I think housing might came later. I know that the first depost is refundable, but the housing deposit, which I thin is about $250 is not. But due to lack of enough on campus housing it is definately my recommendation to send it in. Most freshman live in Stanford/Hecht, but you can also request Mahoney/Pearson, which has freshman, not as many though, but the dorm setup is nicer. It is suite style withe a bathroom between 2 rooms, one problem is that you have to clean it yourself.</p>

<p>Lori</p>

<p>The Holiday Inn is directly accross the street from Dickinson Drive (which is where Standford/Hecht is located). Oddly enough....Mahoney/Pearson sits on Standford Drive. LOL. Anyway....I've heard from several kids that they like living in the Inn. Maid-service and private bath are a nice way to go. And Quiet.....unlike the dorms. Son has lived in both the towers and in the suites. He told me that the towers is best for freshman and transfers due to the fact it is alot easier to make friends in the towers. </p>

<p>The thing to remember.....housing is determined by the number of credit hours earned, and returning students will begin housing signups sometime early April. Eaton usually goes first (within minutes of signup beginning), then Mahoney/Pierson. Freshman are guaranteed on campus housing so they take up the open space in the towers....</p>

<p>On a related note.....The housing problems should be relieved in the next couple of years. A private developer is said to be adding 800 apartments not to far from Red Road which will be affordable student housing as well as University Village which will be constructed by the U as well which will be another 600+ units. This will be upperclass housing, but the effects should trickle down and help tremendously.</p>

<p>If your child is a transfer, I would definately suggest off campus housing, since most students move off campus after freshman year. The new apartments they are going to be building won't be ready for quite some time. I was just on campus yesterday and saw the new building site and they haven't started anything with the exception of putting up a fence around the construction site. My daughter as a transfer was in Pearson, lived there for 6 weeks, found that all her friends lived off campus. We bought a condo for her across the street from the University. Since most of the units are owned by UM families there are usually some rentals avaiable, but they go pretty fast due to the proximity to school. If you feel safe crossing US 1 (and I mean safe, that you won't get hit by a car) you are walking distance to the school, also for kids without a car they can walk over to the holiday in and use the Hurry Cane Shuttle. Our mistake with our daughter was not having her live at the Holiday Inn to start, she probably would have been better off. Due to the heavy traffic there now, not like when I was a student there, you can't live too far off campus, because the travel time can be > 45 minutes. Also I do know quite a few students that transferred this year to Miami and they did get into Eaton Hall. When I attended Miami, it was the housing for married students. My daughter will be looking for another roommate as her roommate will be graduating this year. She lives in a great condo, great location, we just renovated it, ao anyone interested can let me know. The rent will probably be between 800-900 a month, as they are getting about $2000.00 a month if you go through the waiting list at her building.</p>

<p>Lori</p>

<p>I found the article about the private developer units in the Miami Herald a few months ago and from the sound of it, it is going very close to University Village. Did you happen to see them Lori? The boy and his friends have decided to go to an apartment next year (at least that was the latest I heard) but I have noooo idea how to even go about setting him up. Tips...tricks....ideas? Places to look at? Places to avoid? Keeping in mind of course...we can't afford to buy a condo. LOL</p>

<p>Hi,
Thanks for you help everyone. I have a couple more questions.I am a international student and I'll be studying abroad at Miami over 2005-2006. I would like to stay at Holiday Inn and I was wondering is it a good chance I will as it is mainly for international students? What would you recommend most for housing. I love to hear stuff about UM so please keep posting. Thanks.</p>

<p>I wouldn't suggest living in Mahoney-Pearson for Freshman year. You really take away a great chance to meet people. M-P is mainly comprised of upper classmen, so you would really feel out of place.</p>

<p>HI xaviermania,</p>

<p>I am actually going into my 3rd year of study when I get to Miami so I'll be quite a bit older, but I would really like to meet heaps of people as I won't know anyone when I get there as Im from australia. Where's probably the best place to stay?? Also I'd love it if you could tell me some things about college life etc in miami...</p>

<p>Hi Miamiup, </p>

<p>I'm in high school, but I've spent the last five summers working at a camp at UM...It's a great place...My aunt has worked at the university for the last 20 years and has a great job...I've been able to hang out with A LOT of people from UM...When you get to UM, you definitely want to be in one of the four towers...You have a bunch of freshman (sophs, juniors, and seniors) who are living in this place, communal bathrooms and all. I've heard that in the beginning, kids just walk around and introduce themselves...Kids are really nice and you meet sooo many people...If you can't get into the towers, then M-P isn't soo bad. </p>

<p>College life in Miami...HMM...Fun! They all love to work out which i found very interesting...Every last one of them...But working out at the Wellness Center is a great place to meet people...They like to hang out at Sunset Place, but I'd say Coconut Grove is more popular. If you're not careful, you'll be partying everynight and your grades will hit the pits...Not good. Limit yourself to one-two nights a week...There's also a lot of stuff to do on campus. You should be all set. If I don't get into my other two choices (Georgetown & Cornell), I'll be joining you :)</p>