<p>Hi! At UVA there are old dorms without AC and new dorms with central air conditioning. The housing application offers no preference between the dorms, however it does ask about special medical needs. I have really bad seasonal allergies that can be a significant problem in the springtime without air conditioning. Will this give me a better chance of getting placed into the new dorms?</p>
<p>You need to contact the Housing Dept., but I’m assuming the answer is yes if you have a letter from your doctor.</p>
<p>All you need is a letter from your doctor.</p>
<p>Housing is very accommodating with this issue. Our D was able to buy a window unit for her lawn room last year. Housing required that they install it (small fee), but it was worth it. First years needn’t worry about purchasing window units; they’ll simply put them in dorms with an AC. Understand, though, that you may be placed in Gooch which is fine but farther away than the others. We’ve known some kids who were trying to game the system because they wanted a new dorm and were disappointed at their assignment to Gooch. </p>
<p>Be prepared to continue to have terrible allergies regardless of where you live, especially if you have indoor triggers. You’ll be spending a majority of your time not in your room, but outside walking to class, in a classroom that has an open window due to crummy AC, etc etc. I had terrible, terrible allergies before school and Charlottesville was a whole new ballgame…it seemed like Pollenville, with the height right before final exams. You may want to invest in an air purifier fan</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you’re from a region other than the mid-Atlantic, you may luck out and your reaction levels/degrees change. I know mine have changed over the years and especially since moving back from the valley region of VA. </p>