<p>At least as of right now, there are TONS of apartments & condo rentals available in Madison for mid-August. And you get what you pay for, with the main factor being location. What I would consider a ‘hole’ (maybe the kids wouldn’t classify it as that!) right near Camp Randall & the engineering building is only $100 less than some REAL nice places on University (and the bus line) only a mile or two west.</p>
<p>Yes. college dorm is the choice for the first year.</p>
<p>That “only” a mile or two is a huge distance when added to the walking on campus- time spent waiting for buses et al matters. The ability to go to and from to one’s living space easily counts for a lot- the reason near campus rents are so much higher relative to what the apartment is like. Convenience is another reason a dorm is the best freshman choice.</p>
<p>Agreed, wis75, and as I’ve stated upthread, dorms for freshman is definitely the way to go. Just saying–after seeing numerous apartment/condo rentals for D next year–that rental companies in Madison price according to convenience. This year D is in a house 3 miles south of campus, and although the Madison bus system is free & runs pretty much on schedule, she has had to plan an extra hour each way to make it work. She has a junky car now, which solves THAT problem but is challenged by finding cheap places to park.</p>