<p>The easiest way is to buy out your room. That'll pretty much guarantee you don't have to live there.</p>
<p>At this point, I was going to say that for sure you won't get it, but I just got an emailing from them, becuase they misunderstood my request for next year, saying that I could terminate my contract without having to buy out my room. So there might be.</p>
<p>I would not lie about the situation. Write them like barrons said, don't just wait until next Thursday. Call the housing office if you haven't and ask them, the people with all the knowledge on this, what you can do.</p>
<p>according to the packet that was sent in the housing info package, you are subject to forfeitures for revoking your university housing contract: $50 if release is granted before may 31, $150 before june 30, $250 before august 27</p>
<p>i also just sent in my registration for lucky 101 btw...</p>
<p>Those numners apply IF they let you out of the contract. They don't HAVE to do that. GossipGirl17--I'd get the ball rolling today with an email and follow-up with a phone call tomorrow. You want to be first in line to get released--not 100th.</p>
<p>Lucky is probably too new to have any solid reputation yet. But most kids will be OOS and it sure would not hurt your image with the Greek houses as it is considered the hottest private dorm.</p>
<p>Lucky has only been open for a year but rest assured that it's got an established reputation. It's known for housing a lot of coasties and wealthy out-of-staters - not many Wisconsin/Midwestern kids there. You will encounter that stigma, just be forewarned.</p>
<p>Why do some Wisconsin kids have such a problem with wealthier OOS kids?? Do they know that those kids (or more accurately their parents) are subsidizing the lower tuition of all the instate kids? Do they even get to know the kids or just go on their prejudices and maybe appearances?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Why do some Wisconsin kids have such a problem with wealthier OOS kids?? Do they know that those kids (or more accurately their parents) are subsidizing the lower tuition of all the instate kids? Do they even get to know the kids or just go on their prejudices and maybe appearances?
[/quote]
UW seems to exacerbate the animosity between the two groups by heavily penalizing OOS students' tuition by a ratio of 3:1 (OOS students pay 3 times as much as Wisconsin residents). OOS students and their families are VERY aware that they are being used to subsidize sconnies' education. This was QUITE evident by the gasps and rumblings at the Admitted Students presentation we attended in March. You could literally hear and feel the schism when the COA slide went up. There were MANY muttering under their breath, 'Why do we have to pay 3 times more?' - and - 'They don't even give scholarships to out of state freshmen.'</p>
<p>Don't misunderstand - the students and their families were there because UW is one of the schools under their final consideration. BUT - the seeds of animosity between sconnies and coasties are firmly planted in that huge tuition discrepancy, combined with a dearth of merit scholarships for OOS students.</p>
<p>FWIW, my D2 wanted nothing other than to go to UW - so we'll deplete any savings we've amassed and any retirement funds that can be tapped without too much of a penalty, and we'll all take out loans to send her there. We have another just finishing her first year at Purdue (honors engineering), but she was awarded a $10,000 per year scholarship - undercutting our in state cost of UIUC.</p>
<p>This probably won't be a popular post, but middle class OOS families are screwed by UW's current practices. That's why they have the rich, resentful, and sometimes condescending coasties and the chip-on-the-shoulder, equally resentful sconnies. Thus - a legend is born.</p>
<p>"Why do some Wisconsin kids have such a problem with wealthier OOS kids?? Do they know that those kids (or more accurately their parents) are subsidizing the lower tuition of all the instate kids? Do they even get to know the kids or just go on their prejudices and maybe appearances?"</p>
<p>For the same reason some OOS students arrive with prejudices. I recall hearing from my peers, "I don't want to live in the public dorms bc they are filled with Cheesers..." </p>
<p>And I suspect arguing the benevolence of out of state tuition payers may create more resentment for some. </p>
<p>Other posters have said this isn't a big a problem. Though I'd be curious to see some income demographics over time at UW and see if there is a greater number of very wealthy vs middle class/poor students than in the past. Anyone know where this data may exist?</p>
<p>I'm a transfer applicant (going to be a sophomore next year). I haven't gotten in yet so I haven't been able to send in a housing contract. In case I don't get a spot in the public dorms I'll probably go into the private dorms but don't particularly want to be in a single. Will they give random room assignments in the private dorms? (sorry if that's a dumb question-just a bit confused about the public vs. private dorm situation)
Thanks!</p>
<p>Not all wealthy OOS kids live in private dorms or show their wealth. When considering costs think about Wisconsin's high tax rates paid by the parents of instate students. It's an interesting contradiction when students want UW but don't want to be with Wis students. So far there are plenty of OOS students willing to pay the tuition. Some people have a problem with people who care about the superficial trappings of wealth instead of more important factors and I suspect this forum pays far more attention to the issue than the students on campus do.</p>
<p>
[quote]
When considering costs think about Wisconsin's high tax rates paid by the parents of instate students.
[/quote]
If Wisconsin tax rates are so high, why do OOS students have to subsidize instate students? A reasonable differential that amounts to actual cost per student I could understand, but triple tuition is cost plus a premium. According to Wisconsin's Board of Regents:</p>
<p>While in the higher portion of the range Wisconsin is far from the highest tax state in the US. Once it was close and most Wisconsin residents still believe that is true and some less honest politicians continue to use that as a wedge issue in state politics.</p>
<p>As usual, the UW has studied this issue of wealth and access to UW. Theyu just publisged a working paper 3/09!) that addresses this issue. The facts are that OOS students have family incomes nearly twice as high as instate so there is a real and significant income gap--even between Wisconsin and Minnesota kids attending UW. </p>
<p>As to the tuition multiplier for instate vs OOS--I think the ratio is very much inline with other desirable state flagships. The ratio at UM, UVA and other Big 10 schools is also around 2- 3:1 and nearly all the schools have a higher instate tuition than UW and higher OOS. The only exception is UMinn which just lowered it's OOS in a calculated attempt to boost OOS applications and enrollment to improve their national profile.</p>
<p>And some people have a problem with people who care about people who care about the superficial trappings of wealth and make the unsubstantiated conclusion that having a nice car means you don't also care about "more important factors". I'm sure Wis75 does not stay in Super 8 motels anymore and has said she drives a Lexus. Why not a Honda--it's just as reliable? I have always thought there is little point in having money if you do not enjoy spending it on things you enjoy. That could be a car or better clothes, better vacations or a nicer dorm that YOU get to choose rather than rely on some random lottery. That does not mean they do it to avoid being thrown in with the locals. They just don't like being treated as second class citizens when they are helping pay the freight for those getting priority access to the dorms on campus.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The facts are that OOS students have family incomes nearly twice as high as instate so there is a real and significant income gap--even between Wisconsin and Minnesota kids attending UW.
[/quote]
It takes a pretty major income commitment to pay ~$35,000 per year with little to no scholarship relief. The resulting necessary income gap may be fueling the sconnie - coastie schism.</p>
<p>Every major state university that I know of -- Michigan, Virginia, Berkeley, Illinois, UNC, William and Mary, etc. -- charges out of state students two or three times more than they charge in state students. So this is unlikely the primary reason for the sconnie/coastie divide (to the extent that it's even real). The more likely reason for the divide is the existence of the more expensive private dorms, which tend to segregate and increase the visibility of wealthier students. I don't think you'll find similar set ups at other large state colleges, although I may be wrong.</p>
<p>Finally, I have a real problem with out of state students and parents complaining about paying higher tuition. If you don't like it, then vote with your feet and go elsewhere, such as your own state university. It's a free country. I say this as an out of state parent myself, and one who is about to pay full freight (and whose daughter will be housing in a public dorm).</p>
<p>I have to agree with Parent2009. While I am not looking forward to paying full freight OOS tuition for my upcoming freshman (and am even less thrilled with the new "surcharge" for the next 4 years), Wisconsin is pretty much the same pricewise as the many other OOS public universities we considered - it is not disproportionately out of line with the others. And, it is much less expensive than any of the privates we looked at. Sure, we could have paid VA in-state tuition, but chose not to. Do I like paying? Of course not. BUT, my son is thrilled with his UW choice - it seems to be a great fit for him, and we are all excited! He will be in public housing and can't wait to meet new people from all over the country (and world, for that matter). He could have gone private, but we made a joint decision not to. He hopes to meet great, fun, interesting kids from public AND private housing, coast AND not.</p>
<p>Do they also have problems with animosity between instate and OOS students? I haven't heard that about Illinois, and I know that doesn't happen at Purdue (D1 is OOS in Honors Engineering there with a huge merit scholarship). </p>
<p>D2 LOVES UW, and is very excited about being a Badger! We love UW, too - what a GREAT school! We're even okay with the winter weather! :D I also agree that UW's OOS tuition is far less than other top publics' OOS (like UCB, U Mich, etc.). It's still a struggle for us, though. And we're a little concerned about the pretty obvious schism - that does give pause.</p>
<p>Edit: Forgot to add - D2 will be in public housing. Private housing just wasn't appealing to her, or us, for her freshman year.</p>
<p>JiffsMom,
We cross-posted. I don't know about all the schools, but I went to William and Mary (as an OOS) and don't recall ANY issues. Haven't heard of them at UVA (know lots of folks there), UGA or Penn State (others he considered), but don't know if that is accurate. I do wonder (like some of the others) if it is the private vs. public housing situation that seems pretty unique to UW. I also believe/hope that, while there may be some differences between students, the "divide" thing is not as big a deal in "real" daily college life as it gets talked up to be. Can't believe my son would care about any of that - he likes most people and if he doesn't, it is because they are not nice or are snobby or rude or whatever, not because of where they live or what they wear. I am sure most kids are the same. :-) Why would they choose UW if they didn't want to be there?</p>