<p>I screwed up and did not send my initial payment for housing on time so now I'm in the lottery. Has anyone been through or know someone that has been in the housing lottery? How does the lottery work exactly? Were they able to get a dorm? When were they notified?</p>
<p>ouch. i have no idea, but i wish you a lot of luck.</p>
<p>I'm also in the lottery for reasons I won't explain right now. According to the Housing Office people the results of the lottery should arrive sometime in August. They are suppose to email you with a housing offer, but I am not too sure of this. It's random chance for us right now so I don't expect many people will be able to get housing. I wonder why they have a lottery now. Is it cause Sproul is being renovated?</p>
<p>No they've always had the lottery for people who haven't gotten their reservation thing in on time. Usually its almost a guarantee to get housing if you're in the lottery due to the shear overabundance of space. But now that Sproul is closing down and more upperclassmen are staying on the hill in the new res halls, I'm not sure that will be true this year. But I'd imagine you'd still have a decent chance of getting it.</p>
<p>ditto what icarus said.</p>
<p>You should have a good chance if you applied for the univ. apt. as there is always space left over there.</p>
<p>I just spoke to someone from the housing office and she said the situation for lottery housing looks really bad, even for the univerisity apartments. She said if housing offers for lottery applicants are to be made, they will be made within the next two weeks and she suggested that I search for alternative housing as housing for lottery applicants is very scarce.</p>
<p>Yeah the Sproul closure is really going to be a killer this year. I think people got used to having the luxury of lots of space (I have at least 4 friends in the res. suites who had roommates peace out and the spaces were never filled. Lots of newly formed singles for the price of doubles). It'll be interesting when it's as crowded as it's going to be.</p>
<p>g3t</p>
<p>Let me guess, the letter notifying you of your housing offer got buried in your inbox and you only discovered it after the payment deadline had passed. At least thats what happened to me. I applied for the housing lottery, but its pretty much hopeless. Living off campus isn't so bad. You get to live there 12 months instead of 9, you can bring your car and you won't get any room mates unless you want one. The downside is you won't be getting that delicious UCLA dormfood I'm hearing so much about.</p>
<p>
[quote]
you can bring your car
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</p>
<p>I laugh at your assuredness.</p>
<p>
[quote]
you won't get any room mates unless you want one...
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</p>
<p>...and are fabulously wealthy.</p>
<p>
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The downside is you won't be getting that delicious UCLA dormfood I'm hearing so much about.
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</p>
<p>This is easy to remedy. Mooch off your friends.</p>
<p>Hahahaha @ the no roommates. </p>
<p>Oh god. </p>
<p>FUNNY.</p>
<p>Why so funny? The dorms range anywhere from 8 to 14 thousand. Thats not so cheap, considering that its only for 9 months. If you want to take summer classes, you have to pay for an extra three months of housing. At least studios are rented for the whole 12 months. As for cost, I found one in Westwood Village for $800 a month. Others can cost $1,000 or $1,200, but if you split the cost with another person, thats only 500 to 600 dollars a month, compared with the high price of the dorms. </p>
<p>And about the car, why is this a problem? If you rent a place off campus, of course your going to get a parking spot.</p>
<p>Bruin4life,</p>
<p>I just searched through craigslist, and the average apartment in Westwood or within a couple miles of UCLA is $1500+. Trust me, your odds of finding a two bedroom apartment reasonably close to UCLA for $1000 are nil.</p>
<p>Also, add in the cost of food, utilities, and transportation if you live off-campus. Oh, and don't forget the deposit, which can range from nothing two another month's rent.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you rent a place off campus, of course your going to get a parking spot.
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</p>
<p>Really now? That's why tons of my friends didn't get one?</p>
<p>Trust me on this. The dorms are a bit pricey, but consider a few things:</p>
<ul>
<li> you don't pay utilities</li>
<li> you don't have to really clean much</li>
<li> you don't have to cook</li>
<li> you can walk to class</li>
<li> you never have to deal with parking on-campus</li>
<li> you have tons of friends nearby</li>
<li> you don't have to worry too much about shiesty landlords</li>
<li> you never have to deal with parking on-campus</li>
</ul>
<p>Argue this with me all you want, but here is the breakdown for the average cost of your own bedroom.</p>
<ul>
<li> $800-900 a month for rent (including deposit)</li>
<li> $50-75 a month for utilities</li>
<li> $uber for gas</li>
<li> ~$300 a quarter for parking (if you get it)</li>
<li> ~$250 a month for food</li>
<li> ~$25 a month for TP, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.</li>
<li> ~$10 a month for laundry</li>
</ul>
<p>Don't believe me? Go on craigslist and look at what places in Westwood Village really cost.</p>
<p>Sure, you can share a studio, but that defeats your NO ROOMMATES EVAR premise. </p>
<p>I agree with Ari. Honestly, a studio for $800 is somewhat of an anomaly. Most usually start at $1k and go up to around $1300. It's slightly easier to find a private room in a larger apartment for around $800, but even then the average is closer to $1000-1100, and you'd still have roommates. This also doesn't include any of the extra expenses, which add up REALLY quickly. Kids in dorms don't need to worry about buying food/paying the electric bill/cleaning/everything else. I spend MUCH more money than my friends in dorms on just everyday living expenses. MUCH. </p>
<p>And this will also usually include dealing with street parking, especially for studios or if you're a tag along in someone elses apartment. And I don't mean just bringing your car and parking in front of your building. Street parking entails moving your car every 2 hours, no parking on "street cleaning" days (in quotes because it never, ever happens and is just an extra excuse to ticket), and sometimes walking really, really far. That is, if you're lucky enough to find a space in anywhere in Westwood. It means dodging tickets/towing/boots every single day. And, if you DO get an assigned parking space, don't assume that it will always be open when you need it. Lots of people really don't care whether they're inconveniencing you or not and will park in your "assigned" space, usually without recourse. Sure, you can get them towed, but you still have nowhere to park in the meantime. </p>
<p>I just mean to say that it's a serious hassle and really not as easy as I suspect you're expecting it to be. </p>
<p>I don't mean to discourage you, and I'm sure it'll work out just fine, but I think it's really easy to say that living alone is not a problem until you actually try to do it. With or without roommates, everything seems easier on paper two months before school starts than it might after you've been doing it for a month or two or six.</p>
<p>/Prices might be slightly cheaper south of Wilshire, but you're still dealing with a serious parking shortage on top of figuring out how to get to campus every day, which may or may not include shuttles/buses/walking miles and miles/paying a ton to park on campus.</p>
<p>I'm a senior coming back to the dorms next year for many of the reasons above. Next year when I hit law school I'm going to have to live off campus, but I'll be nowhere near the school.</p>
<p>Well, I was in the housing lottery and just got an offer for a studio (2 persons) in Margan Apts for $6k for this academic year, which is $666/month with utilities included. Does this seem like a good deal?</p>
<p>I think it is. May I ask when you turned in your app and 30 dollars?</p>
<p>Back in May, 12</p>
<p>I ask because I did it around that time also. Did they email or call? Let us know what you decide.</p>
<p>Not completely related but ...</p>
<p>If one doesn't plan to stay for a quarter (taking quarter off, graduating early, study abroad), will the amount charged for housing on campus be prorated? How does this work? For those who plan to study abroad, are dorms or apt the better option?</p>