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<p>I think near the end of Jan/beginning of Feb because I remember the list for housing came out before spring break (early March).</p>
<p>Can you apply for housing and then decide to live off campus? Do you get your deposit back?</p>
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<p>Yes and no. That’s the whole point of a deposit. It secures your spot, but if you back out, they keep the money.</p>
<p>Question for chocolate5, or anyone else familiar with Ruskin rooms…are all the rooms ending in 03 smaller than other apts there, or does that only apply to the triples? My daughter is planning to try for a double and we are wondering if the room number makes a difference for the doubles as well? Also, is there a “better” location to try for, if they have options once the lottery is open?</p>
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<p>Ruskin is closer to Clapp-Langley-Crawford for biology and neuroscience majors, the IS building for Information Science majors, and the Music Building and Bellefield for Music majors than it is to the Cathedral of Learning.</p>
<p>It is also closer to South Craig, if you care to hang on that street.</p>
<p>I am a sophomore and am hoping for Ruskin myself. When do upper classman receive their assignments? Do you have to wait until the summer like the incoming freshman?</p>
<p>Once you get your number, you’ll have an assign time to log in to sign up for housing. It happens in March so you’ll know well before the Spring semester ends. The lower your number the earlier your time. Here is the guide for last year. The lottery numbers and time is in the back of it. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.pc.pitt.edu/downloads/housing/Housing-Selection-Process-Deadlines-2011-2012.pdf[/url]”>http://www.pc.pitt.edu/downloads/housing/Housing-Selection-Process-Deadlines-2011-2012.pdf</a></p>
<p>Thanks so much for the great info. It says that you have to know the meal plans of your roommates for next year. Is that based on what they have this year? How do any of us really know what our meal plan will be for next year?</p>
<p>If you are going for a suite, you need to have all the info including meal plans. Well, consider the meal plan you have now – will you need to downgrade to another level or go up another level? Are you going to use up everything on your current meal plan? If not, then perhaps you need to go down a level.</p>
<p>You can also request a meal plan change later on. Based on my first semester of freshman year, I chose a meal plan that ended up being much more than I needed. When I came back to Pitt sophomore year I went to Panther Central and filled out a form to move my meal plan down a tier. Within a few weeks I was reimbursed for the difference.</p>
<p>Would a sophomore # around 3000 give any hope to secure a suite - or will the group likely need to plan for breaking into doubles? I am confused about the process basically - I get that the group all submits their deposits individually and lists each other as “roommate requests” but when the key person who is the group contact (with the lowest #) gets the 15-min signup time, what if there are no more suites of that size avail? My ds is in a 5-person group (which seems to be one suite choice for Brackenridge but no other) so far - which seems to be growing day after day. I think it might be realistic to expect the group to be broken into doubles with those #s, right? Does PC tell the contact you have a suite before the signup period or do you really have no idea?</p>
<p>amanda- this is my first time through the process too but I understand from a mom who has gone through this before that when you are signing up for a suite the person with the lowest number determines where you stand in the housing lottery. so if your son is in a 5 person group, his number would not be important unless there is no lower number in the group. I dont think 3000 is a very good number.</p>
<p>also- i don’t think there is any way to know ahead of time whether 5 person suites will be available as housing is selected by the students/groups with the lowest numbers as 15 minute intervals. therefore, if there are no 5 person suites available, the group should have a plan B in place. if only 4 person suite are available, which 4 persons will be in the suite and which 1 person is left out in the cold? it seems a bit brutal and “survivor” like. someone will be voted off the island, unfortunately, and there can be hurt feelings involved. in the case of this particular student, the suitemates at the last minute decided to exclude her from the group. she was very upset, needless to say. however, she ended up choosing a double with a random roommate which ended up working out fine for her. </p>
<p>good luck and maybe others can provide more experiences…</p>
<p>one other thought- since your son is an honors student, he may have preference to upperclass honors housing in Brackenridge… you may want to check into how that process works. <a href=“http://housing.honorscollege.pitt.edu/upperclassapply.html[/url]”>http://housing.honorscollege.pitt.edu/upperclassapply.html</a></p>
<p>From what I recall: you have to fill out the apt/suite selection form from Panther Central (there is a due date for this form) and they print out a list of all the groups who are able to select an apt/suite. Then those groups go online at their appropriate time (whoever holds the lowest number) to select their apt/suite. So if you don’t make it on to the list, you will not be able to select an apt./suite. The lowest number gets the best choice of suite/apt. available. </p>
<p>If you are on the list that Panther Central compiles, you are going to get a suite/apt. Now, which one depends on where you are on the list. The lower the number, the better the choices.</p>
<p>Also you get to choose after the current students decide whether to retain their apt./suite so PC will know exactly how many suites/apt. will be available.</p>
<p>Here is the info from this year’s brochure:</p>
<p>Suite and apartment-style selection</p>
<p>Each group is required to complete a Suite and Apartment-style Application Sheet and to nominate a representative. The application sheets will be available at Panther Central on January 3, 2012 and are due back at Panther Central no later than February 8, 2012</p>
<p>On February 20, 2012, at 5 p.m., Panther Central will post a schedule at the office and online at <a href=“http://www.pc.pitt.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.pc.pitt.edu</a> indicating when each group is scheduled for suite and apartment-style selection. Suite and apartment-style selection takes place online February 22, 23, and 24, 2012. Group representatives must be prepared to make suite, apartment, room, and meal plan selections for all students</p>
<p>Here is the list of suite/apt. winners from last year:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.pc.pitt.edu/documents/2011-2012-Suite-Winners.pdf[/url]”>http://www.pc.pitt.edu/documents/2011-2012-Suite-Winners.pdf</a></p>
<p>Thanks MT, that makes alot more sense! So basically, the suite/apt selections are all done prior to double/singles? How is Brackenridge in gen’l? Ds might have better luck securing a suite that way - I think his whole group is in UHC housing now, not sure.</p>
<p>i would also add that whenever I have had questions about things like this the people at panther central are very happy to explain- just call their main number</p>
<p>The representative for the group will do the selecting. DS was the rep. for his group. He had to select the bed #/room for each of his group members. As long as you make it on to the list, you will get a suite (it might not be where you want to be but you will get one). Just get your paperwork in to Panther Central by the due date – it has to have all the info from everyone in the group.</p>
<p>it does appear that the 5 person suites are the least numerous of all the available types…</p>
<p>It also depends upon how many are retaining the suites/apts. They have first dibs if they want to keep the suite/apt. for the next year. Once that is done, Panther Central will know exactly how many of each suite/apt. they have available.</p>