D committed to Pitt about 10 days ago. We have had emails about Pitt Start (she’s already signed up) and paying bills, and she got a phone call from a pathfinder which was really nice, but we have not seen anything about housing yet. Does anyone know how long it takes to get the contracts and sign up forms? Do they come by email or snail mail? D is eager to get going on this.
We got my daughters a little over a week after the deposit was made. It came in the mail. It has a lot of info we already knew, but it was good to get it again with all of the other info including a data dictionary which I expect will help the process. Then when you pay their housing deposit it has an Online Application guide, we are going to do this tonight Hopefully it will be as easy as it looks.
Last year we got our housing packet in the mail about three weeks after paying tuition deposit.
My D chose Pitt and committed over the weekend. She is eager to get on with things; can’t even sign up for PittStart until she gets her id! I’m not going to tell her she has to wait even longer to apply for housing.
Thanks all. I’m hoping we are closer to the one week wait than the three week one.
The PittStart info comes via email within a week. The housing packet comes a few weeks later, but everything is done online so I don’t think you necessarily have to wait - not 100% sure though. It seems to me that once you get your ID and can get into your account, you can pay the housing deposit online and set up housing preferences. The housing packet has instructions on where the links are, but you can explore the portal and try to find it. if anybody has any trouble, I can check the packet tonight for the instructions.
Thanks @RyanG1207 I think she got the housing packet at Admitted Students Day, so I’ll have her go online once she gets her ID. From what I’ve read, as long as you pay and apply by May 1, there is no problem.
Yes @Booajo - There’s no advantage or preference if you sign up for housing early. I think there’s a mass allocation during the summer for room assignments.
And congrats! If anybody is interested, there’s a FB group for Pitt Parents Class of 2019+.
My D committed in March last year. In April we did housing deposit and application and then she found a roommate through roomsync.
As far as I know, freshmen have guaranteed on campus housing if tuition deposit is paid by May 1 and housing deposit is paid by deadline listed on housing contract (in housing packet).
You put several preferences down for housing choice, but you’re not guaranteed to get your first choice.
But my D and roommate applied for honors housing last year and got in.
@RyanG1207 – Can you PM me the link for the FB parents page? Thanks! My DD is very excited about starting at Pitt this fall.
If the housing deposit is due on May 1, I hope we get it soon. But what do they do with the kids who don’t commit until May 1? I did just check around the housing website and didn’t see any links to sign up for housing. We attended an admitted students day but were not given a housing packet. So really we have nothing for housing.
I don’t think that D got a new ID. I think she is using the same one that she was given when she applied. Maybe they gave her a new password? I will have to check with her. I am really bad at computer stuff so I could be mistaken. I’ll admit that I got the email saying bill paying was all on-line I just groaned. I hate figuring out on-line systems.
https://www.pc.pitt.edu/housing/process.php
The tuition (enrollment) deposit is due May 1. The housing deposit deadline will be a few weeks later. Each person can have a different date for that since it depends when you committed.
See link above “First year students”
@me29034, it will be fine. You will get your housing packet soon, it will have all the instructions. You have lots of time.
When you get the packet, have your D look at the different freshman housing options to see what she would prefer, also if she would be interested in any of the living learning communities. Sit down and figure out how often she would eat in dining hall or elsewhere on campus to figure out what meal plan to get.
Right now she should have her Pitt ID and email. Last year we got that after enrolling. I think it might have been different this year. Have her pick a Pittstart date so you can plan for it in case you need to book hotel etc.
You might have gotten financial aid information already. Ours came in April last year.
Paying your Pitt bill is painless. Your D will have to set up an authorized payer (parent). Also a checking account for any refunds. The parent accesses the Authorized payer site and makes a signin name and password.
I get an email and text message when a new bill posts. Then I sign in to Pitt Pay as authorized payer and make payment from my checking account (no fee).
Your D should closely watch her Pitt email so she doesn’t miss anything in coming weeks/months.
@me29034 Your D will get an email entitled “Activate Your University Computing Account at MyPitt”. It will have her new username and instructions on how to activate. Ours came within a week of paying the deposit.
@RyanG1207 D checked today and she hasn’t received that email yet. It’s been 12 days since depositing. I think I’ll have her call next week if she hasn’t received it by then.
We are at 11 days and counting. We have yet to receive the housing package either.
@PhilaSkiMom Do your D receive the email about activating her account? My D hasn’t received that yet either.
@me29034 - she did receive that email and just set it up last night. It was not easy to find because there was a flurry of emails once she made the deposit. The subject line is “Activate Your University Computing Account at My Pitt” and it was not from University of Pittsburgh. It was from “do.not.reply@pitt.edu.” Check your D’s spam or junk folder.
Now you guys have me worried that we are missing emails. Oh well, we have time.
The office of admissions is very responsive. If you send an email, they can let you know if the info has been sent or give you a timeframe. Perhaps it’s taking longer as more students are committing now vs when we did in
March.