Do i have to pay the freshman enrollment deposit in order to have a say in whether i want a suite style dorm/ communal style dorm? or do i have to pay both the freshman enrollment deposit and freshman housing deposit to have a say in what dorm type i prefer. Hoping to do this before the feb.1 deadline of course, so that the Alabama housing cordinators dont pick which one i stay in.
In order to apply for housing as a new incoming freshman, students must be admitted to UA and must have paid the freshman enrollment deposit.
It takes about 2-4 hours for the Freshman Enrollment Deposit to be sent to us as paid, so it’s not immediate to do both.
Hope this helps,
Janine
thanks! Would you happen to know the likelihood of me getting a suite if i am not able to pay by the feb. 1st deadline?
It’s hard to say. Availability of specific buildings and styles changes each year. Some buildings fill up faster some years.
If you’d like to email me and we can talk about your specific situation, we can do that - jgmcgee@ua.edu.
Hope this helps,
Janine
the UA resident hall rates sheet has a listing for All Small Group Houses (Double Occupancy). what exactly are these? can an incoming freshman request this on the housing application?
Small Group housing is actually small houses that are used for smaller groups, like the business fraternity. Students have to be members to be able to live there, and those lists come directly from the organizations.
The one exception is Rotary House. Information about Rotary House can be found here: https://housing.sa.ua.edu/apply/themed-housing/
Hope this helps,
Janine
OK, got it. thanks for explaining the Small Group housing.
if we do housing deposit now, what do you suppose would be available? i would think all the single-occupancy options would be snapped up, so that would leave probably Burke or Paty for a male engineering honors student? do you think Blount would still be available?
You’d be surprised how late in the process Bryant might still be open. Because it’s smaller and only open to one college, it tends to fly under the radar.
thank you. i really appreciate the advice.
@UAHousing
Male engineering (Computer Science, actually) honors here.
So, all single occupancy ones are full now except Bryant? I was hoping to get into Bryce Lawn or The Highlands.
What about Burke? I read there are some single occupancy rooms there. Is it possible to get one? I think it would be perfect for me.
@mundanewarrior I don’t think anything would be full right now. Housing selection process doesn’t start until May 5.
But you must’ve paid housing deposit before February 1 to have a slot in that selection process.
@wolfwing123 That makes little sense. I thought you could select the room preference as soon as you pay your deposit (provided it is before February 1).
I don’t fully understand this system, but okay. I’ll rephrase my question.
@UAHousing Do you think the single occupancy Burke suite would be available if I pay my deposit soon? What about the apartments (Bryce Lawn / Highlands)?
I understand that I wouldn’t be able to participate in the room selection, but could you elucidate on what basis the rooms will be given out then?
@mundanewarrior It’s like everybody who pays before February 1, gets to choose the exact room they want. Not just the building, even the particular floor and room. It’s in the order of who paid first. This happens between March 5-9 I think. I deposited in mid-Jan and my slot is on the 8th.
If you pay now, you can put down preferences as to which dorm you want. And they’ll assign you based on what’s left after everybody picks their dorms.
What will be left will depend on what the early deposit students pick during those five days. But maybe UAhousing might know some pattern which repeats every year. That’s why he/she says Bryant might be available because it’s only for athletes and Engineering students and is all-male.
@mundanewarrior If you really want Burke or some specific dorm, find someone who’s paid early and is gonna stay in that dorm and ask them to pick you as their dorm-mate. That way you can get in for sure.
@wolfwing123 I’ll not only have to find someone who will choose Burke, but someone who wants one of the few suite style rooms in Burke. Needle in a haystack. And then I’ll have to convince them to pull me in. All while hoping it’s not filled already. Great. Now I’m regretting not paying the deposit early.
OK, so let’s back up a step and make sure we’re all on the same page:
Room selection for freshmen does not occur until early May. While we have some idea of the historical trends of which buildings tend to fill up first, we’ve made some changes this year that make it harder for us to predict the pattern. Quite honestly, I don’t know what might be full, or still have space once all the students who applied by 2/1 go through room selection.
Students who applied for housing from February 2 and after will receive their assignment from our housing staff, beginning in mid-May, in order of when they completed their housing application. Our staff will look at what style preference you listed, and what space is still available to try to accommodate your preferences.
Bryce Lawn/Highlands may still have a few spaces available. It’s one of the places that returners can pick, so I’m not sure how many of them will pick it.
There are a FEW singles in Burke, but returners might pick them, or they might go early in room selection. When I say a few singles in Burke, the number is based on gender - this year we have 2 floors in Burke that are male and 6 floors that are female. So, if there are 2 singles on each floor as part of the 3-person suite, that means there are 4 male singles. That breakdown may change in the next few weeks based on the ratios we are expecting for next year. It hasn’t been announced yet.
Even if you didn’t make the 2/1 application date, March applicants will still be assigned before April applicants, etc. so you can still maximize your options by applying as early as you’re comfortable. You can also look around and see if you find a roommate who’s planning on something you can get on board with. All is not lost!
Hope this helps,
Janine
@UAHousing Thanks a lot. Really appreciate it.
Just one final question. If I list Burke single as my room preference and it is unavailable, what would you assign me? Do I get to list a second preference in my housing application?