I am an international student from India. As the decision period is about to end, I am seriously considering UW madison as my future school.
I looked at the housing , and asked around a bit, and really liked elizabeth waters ! what are the other dorms available which are like LIZ? or any other dorms which have a good scenic view, Silence and occasional parties?
Look at the Res Halls site- Liz is officially Elizabeth waters Hall so you need to look at “Waters”- hard for anyone who ever went there to remember. Liz is part of the Lakeshore (vs Southeast) dorms area. The other dorms there will be along the lakeshore. You should rank Liz first knowing you may not get it. Then look at the locations, architecture and other factors for the other dorms and rank them. All dorms will have the same good maintenance, some have extra charges amenities listed. All dorms open to freshmen will have at least 50% freshmen. Look at floorplans et al to see which appeal to you most. None of us can tell you what you like. Every dorm has its own “flavor” while the basics are all there. Pros and cons to each.
Remember that you needed to sign your Res Halls contract by its deadline. If you choose another school you will get your deposit back if you request it along with sending UW notice you do not want your place by any deadlines for getting deposits back- Res Halls requests must be made in addition to any UW requests- doing one does not automatically do the other. Res Halls may be the public dorms but they are run independently of the school, ie what UW the school knows is not what Res Halls knows.
Short answer- go with Lakeshore. Any dorm.
@wis75 Thanks a lot.
@wis75 Can you please give me some info on what choosing your room mate is like? I saw some app which matches you with people who have similar interests.
Res Halls does random roommate matching at UW as they found that works just as well as questionnaires as far as I know. Remember people lie, fudge the truth, put down what they want to be like, have different interpretations, et al when answering questions. Everyone is multifaceted so you are likely to have something but not necessarily much in common. It is a learning experience to be exposed to others not like yourself as well. Most people get along. And- will someone admit to being a slob or super tidy on a questionnaire? Or a nerd…
Do not worry about your roommate. That person is the one you share sleeping space with but does not have to be your friend. Freshmen typically spend more time with the people in their dorm at first until they meet others in classes, activities, dining places et al. You can sign up for a Learning Community if you wish to and want to have the experiences of the one.
No matter which dorm you get or roommate there will be pros and cons. Part of the college experience is living with strangers. All of you chose UW and most likely chose the type of dorm setting over other choices. Some become friends for life, others move on quickly. Eons ago I remember diverse roommates (different era- I lived in Res Halls instead of commuting). The first one switched dorms when she could get her first choice. Another I politely told I preferred to use a different spread than the one she wanted. I let one hang froufrou curtains, another repaint the room (back then we could use their (paint) when I had chosen the room for its color. we each chose our posters et al. Nice women I learned from but none with my interests. And my same major (chemistry) friends and I preferred different dorms. Better friends than women I would want to share my room with. Something I noticed when going through son’s dorm was that the women had done much more “decorating” than the men the first week so many of my experiences may be irrelevant. As I said, people are multifaceted.
Talking about housing, my housing contract has a deadline of deposit due on April 1. By the time I will be finished receiving last waive of decision.
What will happen if I cannot pay the deposit by that time and I decided to go the UW.
You won’t get Res Halls housing. You need to pay the money to reserve a spot- a few hundred dollars is not that much. Be prepared for many more funds needed at various times. Info on the UW website. They have more who want Res Halls than there is room for so any students who do not get their deposit in by their deadline lose the spot. You can change your dorm rankings by the May deadline so do not worry about choices made before then. There will be a lottery for room assignments sometime in June based on the rankings listed by the May deadline for that. It does not matter when you paid your deposit as long as it is by your due date for your chances at your first choice dorm.
You can pay the housing deposit before you make your final decision and notify Res Halls (not UW admissions- they need a separate notification) by May 1st (double check on date with Res Halls) if you decide not to attend UW and request a refund of your housing deposit. Likewise you would notify UW about any deposit made to them by the refund date.
@sulliva The deposit due April 1 is only $50 I believe which is a drop in the bucket compared to the price of college. Additionally, I believe if you decide on another school before May 1 it might be refundable (you’ll have to fact check that part).
how soon after you get admitted does the university send out the email for housing??
@CollegeMan91 250$
Please note- a refund of either the UW or the Res Halls deposit is NOT automatic. You need to request any refund from each one separately by the deadline (May1?) if you choose to not attend UW. Res Halls will not let students out of their contract if they want different housing- check your contract for terms. Also, remember that Res Halls always has a surplus of students wanting their dorms so meet deadlines to be eligible. They are a worthwhile experience.
@Rahulbarcafan The deposit due April 1 is $50. The deposit/advance payment due May 1 is $250.
@CollegeMan91 Ok thanks a lot for the info. And when is the semester fees to be paid?
Check out https://finaid.wisc.edu/ The enrollment deposit is due May 1 if that is what you are referring to. Actual fees though I would refer to the website.
Housing bills are done in quarters, with the first one due by the time you move in. Check the Res Halls website for that schedule. I believe the deposit may be applied to a later quarter.
Tuition and fees likewise are due at the beginning of the semester. There are differences for those waiting for scholarship money- see the details on the website. As always, check the UW website for official answers.
First housing payment is due around August 10 (or early September if paying it with financial aid).