I haven’t gotten all of my decisions yet, but IU (specifically the honors college and Kelley) is one of my top choices. I want to fill out the housing survey (even though I haven’t committed yet), and I was wondering, which dorms/areas of campus are best? I’m leaning toward Northwest cause it’s really close to Kelley, and I was wondering are the honors college dorms nice? I preferably want something without a communal bathroom (I know i’m picky).
So there will be a major dorm shortage next year. 2 of the 3 dorms in Northwest, Foster and McNutt will be closed for renovations. Only Briscoe will be open. (Collins being the NW orphan) Find out what they plan on doing for food as the Gresh food court was in Foster. If it’s open, then Briscoe would be fine – although you’ll have to navigate all the construction. If Gresh will be closed or limited, you’ll have a long haul to eat. I’d look at the central neighborhood. Good luck.
Please read housing contract thoroughly and understand the language. There is a clause that they can change your assignment as they deem necessary and doing so does not constitute breach of contract. When you fill out housing application you may make preferences. They are preferences not guarantees. Due to the housing shortage and ongoing mold crisis impacting everything from inventory to budgets to contracts there is a lot of uncertainty. They guarantee on campus housing for freshman. Some of the dorms that had mold this year will be taken off line - an unprecedented amount of dorm space is allegedly going to get updates as a result of this year’s issues. However, no timing guarantee for completion. Returning students signed housing contracts for on campus for next year and foudn those contracts suddenly rescinded in January, pretty late into the off campus rental market. Caused a lot of duress and a new housing lottery system. If they don’t have success renovating all the 3000 beds they hope to in academic year and you desire ON campus location for sophomore year or beyond, that might not be possible. New contracts for housing for the following academic year go live in town around Sept Oct and that is when best choices of popular clean safe locations and best pricing is available. Some local apartment complexes are taking waitlist applications for the 2020-21 year in anticipation of a potential shortage due to on campus housing issues. When you fill out your freshman housing app at IU it is a preference, not a guarantee of assignment regardless of price point or building you preference. Some get what they hoped for and others do not but it’s important to understand what the language really means and what the contract really says legally and not just what you hope it means. If you are looking for a guarantee of mold free housing, hundreds of students and families this year thought that was a reasonable expectation as well and are suffering the consequences. Good luck. Ask lots of questions of a variety of current freshman families. Also, if looking at ANY university housing anywhere - if there is a university provided air purifier in the rooms or a dehumidifier that is to be running full time, let that be a warning sign about air quality or Environmental Health issues in that residence hall! Thousands of them got placed in numerous dorms this year at IU and not just the dorms that are being taken off line. If your health matters, and especially if you have any underlying health conditions you want to be mindful of environmental threats in any dorm room.
s