I thought about living in U of M even though I live about 20 minutes away, but how much do you think it costs on average to live in a dorm? Do you think I can cover that with work-study?
Look at their web site. I’m sure all the costs are posted.
A freshman living in the dorm has to have a meal plan. Room and board together is in the neighborhood of $10,000 for the school year. But you should calculate the incremental cost, not the absolute cost. It doesn’t cost nothing to live at home and commute. So, calculate that cost and subtract it from the $10,000 and you’ll know how much extra it would cost to live on campus.
Double room is ~$10500 including unlimited meal plan. Around 60% is for the room alone but you have to buy meal plan. We live 15min from Campus and my D lives in dorm because we are outside of the AATA area. Single room costs ~$2000 more.
In regards to work study, it’s going to depend on how much your work study award is. I am very doubtful that it will be $10,000 (generally it’s in the low thousands), but I don’t know if there’s a max to it or what your situation is like, so I’m not going to say it’s impossible.
But with just work-study, it’s not very likely to cover the cost of room & board over a full year
I think their R&B is quite reasonable given others I’ve seen.
^ Especially when you consider its all you can eat. So you can go in and out of the dining hall eating full meals or smaller more frequent meals.
Yes, there is no limit on the number of swipes per day. I was appalled when we visited WashU, where you have to swipe for each item. Take a salad—swipe. Take a cookie—swipe.
I have a boy…bargain!
The food quality at some dining halls are actually very good (e.g. Sushi, stir fry station, etc).
Just wondering, where did you guys live (couzens,mary markley, north quad)?
Just wondering, where did you guys live (couzens,mary markley, north quad)?
For freshmen without affiliation to any residential program, around 70% of them were assigned to North Campus.
I’m in south quad and the food is pretty darn good.
@96blue the custom stir fry though
We live in the area as well, about 20 min by bus to campus. Son 1 elected to live at home, but he started and graduated very early (19) and spent 8 mo abroad. Son 2 (a HS senior) will probably live on campus. You will certainly make more friends and have a better social life if you live in a dorm, greek house, or apt at least for the first year or two. We know a number of local students who moved back home for jr and sr years through for cost reasons.
Is that 20 min by car or bus? The bus will take you directly to Campus, but you will also have to wait for it. If you drive you have parking costs, plus walk/campus bus time. Depending on the time between your dorm and your first class, your walk or walk/bus time would probably run around 10-30 min per day. You will lose at least 1 hour per day commuting.
It also depends on your program. If you are in a program that has a high probability of well compensated employment and also requires a lot of work (e.g. engineering, CS, nursing, business) living on Campus will maximize your return.
@billcsho. I’ve read that before. But do you think that’s true this year with all the dorms open? Not one of the 20+ kids from my daughters high school who are freshman this year was assigned North campus and only one is affiliated with a group that would get you central. . And of her sorority pledge class of 60 only one lives on North and only 2 are affiliated with a residential program. Obviously these are statically tiny samples. But if such such a minority get North it’s a weird statistical anamoloy.
@maya54 I don’t have the dorm distribution number from last year but the year before (as I did not go to campus visit last year anymore). But I do know they have reduced the usage of Northwood apartment as undergraduate dorm space last year after they have re-opened all dorms on main campus. Nevertheless, the residential programs still take most of the freshmen dorm space in main campus. It may just return to the distribution before the renovation that around 60% freshmen without residential programs would be assigned to the North. Note that LSA Honors Housing is also considered a residential program.
There’s a theory around here that kids don’t get North Campus because this s a " helicoptery" area and kids apply for housing armed with doctors notes or ones from a Rabbi. Given how our kids seem to avoid North this might be true. My kid didn’t have one ( but her roomate did)
I don’t think they would even consider that except for a physical need reason. In that case, they will assign a room that would meet the student’s physical needs rather than by location. It would far easier to choose a residential program instead and you know which dorm each program is affiliated with.