Spring Transfer Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Rochester
1

<p>Hi University of Rochester parents, students, admissions folk, etc!</p>

<p>I've been accepted as a (junior) transfer and gotten my fin aid package, and the U of R will be getting my deposit shortly. I have a few questions that I'd like to ask now that I know this is really real, as it were, and I am hoping you all can give me information.</p>

<p>Housing</p>

<p>As a transfer for the spring, what kind of housing options am I likely to be offered? Is it going to be "wherever they can slot me", or am I going to be allowed any input in the process? I'd like a single, but I realize it's not very likely given that everyone else probably wants a single as well and the availability probably won't be that great. </p>

<p>I looked at the newsletter of housing options, I think I like the "Phase"/"Hill Court" dorms sound good, specifically Chambers and Gale, as they mention kitchenette facilities, which I would view as a bonus. Does anyone know what living here is like? I am <em>not</em> interested in a long walk, so Southside and Riverview don't sound appealing to me at all. Where else might be recommended for an upperclass transfer?</p>

<p>(I'm also interested in CIF's special interest housing in Anderson; I met with them over the summer when I took my tour, and plan on getting in contact with them to see if they have free space, but I want to know more about my other housing options in case they're not an option for whatever reason.)</p>

<p>Dining</p>

<p>I'm sure everyone asks this question, but I'd love to hear about the dining. I have a food allergy (specifically to milk) and found my prior college hard to eat at because the servers were not clear at all about what was in the food; I basically lived off of salads and dry cereal. I've read that U of R has a few places with vegan options, which I like because I know they won't make me sick. Do the dining halls clearly label what's vegan and what isn't? Or do you have to find the dining hall with the vegan station and just stick there?</p>

<p>I'm also wondering how the meal plans work. I looked at the dining web page and I see that you get a set number of Club Meals and then some declining dollars, but it didn't exactly say what distinguished a Club Meal from a declining dollar. What exactly are the Club Meals and where can you use them? What about the declining dollars?</p>

<p>Registration and Orientation</p>

<p>I know that if I had come in for the fall there would have been an orientation period, which (I believe) would have included registration help. What happens for a spring transfer? When do the residence halls open for them? Do they have an orientation? When do they register for classes, and how do they get advising?</p>

<p>Sorry for the amount of questions, I've been storing them up for awhile while waiting to find out about admissions and aid. I'm really excited to be attending the U of R!</p>

2

<p>Hi! As a freshman i can’t really answer your questions, but I do know a little about the food here. I’m a vegetarian and have found that everything is clearly labeled. If there’s something that could go either way (like with soups) there’s usually a little green leaf that says vegetarian or vegan on it. Each of the dining halls has food that is vegetarian or vegan, so no matter where you go you’ll be able to find something to eat. There are a considerable number of meat free students here, we even have a vegan/vegetarian club SAVVY that has pot luck dinners and plans shopping trips. Club meals usually consist of an entree, a side, and a drink. Like if you go to Wilson Commons to eat, they have a chart on the wall listing what falls under each category. You can use declining dollars to get random items (even non-food items like at the bookstore) say if you want Starbucks before class, or a bagel for breakfast. Each meal plan has a certain number of clubs (which do not roll over from semester to semester) and a certain level of declining (which will roll over from the fall to the spring semester). I hope that helps, and if I was incorrect let me know :)</p>

3

<p>That’s exactly what I wanted to know about food. I’m glad to see that U of R labels vegan dishes- it sounds like I’ll have to worry about my food a lot less, and that’s always a good thing. Thanks for the explanation of the club meals, too, I had been wondering how those work. I appreciate your answers!</p>

4

<p>Housing–</p>

<p>Housing for transfers is NOT guaranteed and availability is extremely limited. You are likely to be offered a “take this or live off campus” choice.</p>

<p>If you are offered housing, it will most likely be in Southside or possibly one of the upperclass quad dorms since it’s those 2 places which have the greatest turnover. If you want a place with cooking facilities–Southside would be your best chance.</p>

<p>Phase/Hillcourt is very popular and since it’s all suites, the suite residents generally take care of filling any vacancies that results from a student going abroad themselves. The kitchenettes have a microwave and a stove top only and are shared by all residents of the suite. Students living in Gale and Chambers still must take a meal plan and heavy duty, routine daily cooking in the suite is discouraged. (Fire and health hazard!)</p>

<p>Dining-</p>

<p>Dining services posts weekly menus which lists all the ingredients in all menu items offered.</p>

<p>There are vegetarian items offered and they will be labelled as such. Vegan items are not labelled separately from vegetarian ones and it’s unlikely that the servers would be aware of the ingredients. If you have specific health issues, I would contact dining services. They will work with students who have food allergies.</p>

<p>[Welcome</a> to CampusDish at Rochester!](<a href=“http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSNE/Rochester/Menus/]Welcome”>http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSNE/Rochester/Menus/)</p>

<p>Your best luck in finding vegan items would be at Connections–but it doesn’t offer full meals and has limited hours. (And is declining only.)</p>

<p>Club vs. Declining–</p>

<p>A club meal is an entree (or sandwich or salad) plus a beverage and a side. Clubs meals can be used at Danforth and Douglass dining halls plus The Commons.</p>

<p>Declining is a $ for $ account that can be used at any of the campus eateries, plus the Southside Market, Starbucks, and a few off campus restaurants as well.</p>

5

<p>This is just a correction for WayOutWestMom, they do label things specifically as either vegan or vegetarian. They do make that distinction, because there are a lot of people who are very specific about what they eat. So you’ll be fine finding food to eat! There are specific vegan places, like Connections, as well as a vegan station in Douglass. Everywhere else will be specifically labeled as either vegan or vegetarian.</p>

6

<p>It looks like I’ll take whatever housing is offered to me, then. I just hope I get any offer at all, as I’m out of state and I’d be afraid to try to find an off-campus place sight unseen. I wasn’t planning on cooking a full meal every day, but I just feel more comfortable if I have the <em>option</em> of making something that I know I’m not allergic too, whether or not I decide to use it. But if it’s kitchen-free housing or no housing, I’ll take the housing! </p>

<p>But I’m relieved to hear that they mark their food, and I hope that’ll be good enough to keep me from starving. And I think it’s cool that there is an option between Club and Dining. My old school had nothing but all-you-can-eat dining halls, so the idea of some variety is really nice. I will talk to dining services before I go up, and it sounds like they’ll be way more helpful than I’d expected.</p>

<p>Thanks again, both of you! The people associated with U of R definitely seem really friendly.</p>

7

<p>Has anybody else received a decision from UR yet?</p>

8

<p>If you get placed in Southside, consider yourself lucky. My daughter who graduated in May lived there her sophomore year which was maybe the first or second year that those dorms were converted to undergrad housing and it was really a good living situation. The dorms come with a decent enough sized kitchen, the rooms are all singles within a suite although the kitchen serves as the common room, there is bus service to campus, many had bikes although not much fun biking in the winter and just as long a walk to campus from there as from hill court.</p>