<p>Do we only get housing information in the mail if we send our admissions deposit or are we supposed to get it anyways? If everyone is supposed to get it after being admitted how long after have you guys received the housing info in the mail because I was admitted weeks ago and still haven't received anything.</p>
<p>You should receive your housing package shortly after the letter of admission. Give UW Housing a call and let them know you haven't received yours.</p>
<p>When should we expect dorm assignments? Awhile, I'm guessing?</p>
<p>I think in June, they tell you about dorms.</p>
<p>If you read online/mail info it should tell you early June, in time for everyone to know before SOAR. At SOAR you get a tour of a room set up at your fall dorm- they keep the students and parents separate so you're not embarrassed by each other... They also double check your dorm rankings in the spring, in case you have changed them since you filled out the forms, or there's a mistake.</p>
<p>Received my housing packet yesterday. I love that packet they give us it's pretty sweet. I'm thinking about Liz for the hall. </p>
<p>Anyone have any good info on room sizes, thats really all I care about.</p>
<p>Dorms on the lakeshore are meant to be bigger than those at Southeast. Apparently Liz Waters has the biggest dorms.</p>
<p>I went with Liz waters because it's right by the social studies dept. building... plus it looked sweet ;0</p>
<p>Don't expect to get your first choice if it's one of the most popular dorms, as Liz was last year (1/3 of applicants chose Liz and 1/3 the new Smith Hall last year...)- have your list of desired other choices in mind and be prepared for them as well.</p>
<p>Yeah, most of the dorms are nice compared to what I've seen here at our (AZ) state universities (ASU, U of A, Northern Arizona U)</p>
<p>ASU looks like a prison or something, it's absolutely horrifying. </p>
<p>So I'm easy to please :)</p>
<p>I just received my admission packet in the mail today with the standard letter and security deposit and checklist/folder thingy but no housing. The material stated that the housing will come 2-3 weeks from the time of admission. I understand that they're not able to offer housing to 100% of postponed applicants, and am a little concerned that if my housing packet is still up to three weeks away, I might be cutting it kind of close. Should I worry?</p>
<p>Call Res Halls during business hours if you want and ask them diectly.</p>
<p>you can always get offcampus dorms if you want. university house has a nice dorm right on state street, though the food is rather expensive (8 dollars a meal)</p>
<p>edit: its expensive because you pay for the meal regardless if you eat it or not...</p>
<p>So when you live in University House apartments you can't use a Wisc Card to eat at the normal dorms? Or is it that the meal plans are bundled with the rent so you would be wasting your money anyways? </p>
<p>What hall(s) are closest to the rec center with a gym? Oh and I hear different things about housing. I read somewhere on official Wisco paper that the time you are admitted does not affect your housing chances so does that mean they randomly choose the halls at one specific time in the summer? Or is it to my benefit to get my housing info back to them ASAP. I have until April 6.</p>
<p>Lastly, about roommates. If I don't have a specific roommate do I just get put with basically anyone? I noticed theres no roommate questionnaire to fill out or anything even remotely like that, which I think sucks. Am I missing something or is it completely random?</p>
<p>We attended the "Wisconsin Real" program Monday & Tuesday of this week. What I understood about housing is that it's all done randomly. And I am assuming this is for freshmen...all freshman requesting University housing are put in a computer, the computer randomly assigns a number to the student. Obviously, they start with the first student the computer spits out...Then looks at that student's dorm list and start with their number one pick for a dorm. If that dorm is still available, the student gets his/her first choice. If not, the move to the #2 choice, and so on. They also the number 5 choice is more likely than #1 choice.</p>
<p>Roommates: Again, it's random. They said studies have shown that it works just as well to assign randomly than to have questionaires. And, they do work out other arrangements IF you and your roommate really do not get along. The housing people really seemed to have it all together.</p>
<p>The deadline you have of April 6 is important. That is IF you want University housing. It is a binding contract IF you decide to go. So, IF you want UW housing, send in your request. You can change it. And do NOT sign a contract with University housing AND Private housing.</p>
<p>Rec centers: There is not just one. There are a few around campus for the different living areas.</p>
<p>You can live in Private Housing and have a Wisc Card. </p>
<p>Hope that answers some questions.</p>
<p>Everyone has a Wisc card, it is your student ID. It has an account you, or your parents, can put money into so you can use it as a debit card- good for the Union food, University Bookstore (which is a private enterprise, BTW) and some other stores, etc, only people who live in the dorms also have a food service account on their Wisc card, good for better prices at Res Halls food facilities. Anyone can eat in the dorms, but the public- anyone not living in the dorms- pays 60% more for the food items- part of the dorm bill subsidizes the food service buildings. </p>
<p>Check the UW website for the recreational facilities- at both ends of campus. Consider the whole campus as your neighborhood, you may choose to go to a rec facility straight from a class on the opposite end of campus from your dorm.</p>
<p>The post above did an excellent job of stating information I have seen on the housing website. Read the details in the booklet sent to you and on the UW websites!</p>
<p>ps if you need to learn how to weightlift the correct way let me know, i do personal training on the side and hopefully for the university come this fall</p>
<p>please dont do bench press and curls all the time......i will be forced to make fun of you. :D</p>
<p>Thanks sdla123 and wis75. I have one more question for you, wis75, you said only the people who live in the dorms have a "food service account" on their Wisc card. Is that a separate account or does it take money from the same place as the debit card system. Also, I can't seem to find any meal plans in this housing packet, do they have X amount of meals per week plans at Wisco? Or is it just eat whenever you want because you can put in as much money as you want?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>The food service account is separate, money has to be put in it specifically, you can't move money from your other account to it, and the other account won't get you the dorm resident prices. There is no minimum or maximum food purchase required in the dorms- read the website for information. At the end of the year they put unused money into the regular Wiscard account. They state the average student spends a bit over $1,000, I would budget more based on son's spending- There is a $1.50 delivery charge for each order of pizza or subs....but he also has spent far less of his own money elsewhere... A nice thing is that you, or anyone else, can eat in any of the Res Halls food service places, you're not tied to any specific dining hall. Any food you buy at the Unions can't be purchased with the dorm account, but can with the other account- you start with some money in each and decide how much to add to each based on your spending habits.</p>
<p>SOAR has a nice booklet given to parents and students, I could quote all sorts of info but you can easily find accurate info on the website (along with the proper terminology). There are no formal meal plans, just the e-mail/phone call home asking for more money to be put into your housing account (food, washing machines- free dryers- and other dorm purchases). They recommend starting with $300 in the dorm account. We put enough money in the other debit account for books and supplies- no need to write checks... (Better than in my day when we had to purchase one of 3 plans/numbers of $10 cardboard tickets- there was a secondary buy-sell market at the end of each semester, plus realizing you wanted another ticket after hours or misplaced them...) BTW, we were told students guard their student IDs closely, no one wants to lose it, and very rarely do any lose it.</p>
<p>This is the time of the year when people, parents and students, start thinking ahead. Start reading the details in the subsites of the UW website, wait for the SOAR information- worthwhile for parents as well as students (separate for each group, even staying at the dorm floors, which I recommend for convenience and experience), and be patient as a lot of needed stuff will be available later, not now. It is nice to be able to transfer funds electronically from parents to student, you can use a Visa/Mastercard or write and mail a check directly to Res Halls.</p>
<p>Thanks wis75. I'm glad they don't have formal meal plans, this way works much better.</p>