How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you get there, the RA will have your kid’s name on a sign on the door. If your kid’s name is on the left, left-hand bed. Right, right-hand bed.

This depends on the college. At my kid's college, if you get there first, you pick the bed; doesn't matter which side of the door your name tag is on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was a freshman, my roommate got there first. She picked the bed that was stable. I got the one tilted at a 45 degree angle to the floor. As I had flown out to Stanford alone, I figured out how to get the wheel casing back on the bed leg by myself.

Getting there first is definitely advantageous. But be careful what you foist on your roommate.

My kid is a sophomore. Arrived first for freshman year, second this year.

First year, better bed orientation to a window sill and did not have the HVAC vent near the bed.

Second year, parents and kid had to figure out how to recombine all the modular furniture to unloft the bed. The desk has to be against the HVAC unit. And worse closet door location (blocked by main door to room when open).

Of course, this is kind of minor. But if you're picky it might be an irritant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m interested in this too. DD would just love for her room to have its own bathroom, she doesn’t care about a single.

apply to a school that has suite style dorms like Wash U

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never heard of “Honors College”- so kids with top grades, high school honor student's, get better, first choice dorms?

Schools with Honors College programs sometimes have special dorms or dorm floors. This goes school by school. Usually you must apply to the Honors College and receive notification that you have been admitted.

It's possible to be a top student and not be in the Honors College. And I think you still would have to complete a contract or opt-in to the Honors College dorms. So you could request a different dorm.

[Anonymous]

Don’t apply for financial aid.

[Anonymous]

Some schools have FCFS based on the receipt of the housing deposit. My son's college has a lottery over the summer for housing selection. Order of selection is mostly random except for some honors students and students with accommodations.

[Anonymous]

At many schools, earliest housing deposits get preferential treatment, BUT that does not usually mean freshmen can get either a single-room or mean a "suite vs a hallway dormitory".

It often means choices among similar dorm rooms and density, but older dorm bldg vs newer dorm building -- or better location for the dorm building -- or such like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never heard of “Honors College”- so kids with top grades, high school honor student's, get better, first choice dorms?

Schools with Honors College programs sometimes have special dorms or dorm floors. This goes school by school. Usually you must apply to the Honors College and receive notification that you have been admitted.

It's possible to be a top student and not be in the Honors College. And I think you still would have to complete a contract or opt-in to the Honors College dorms. So you could request a different dorm.

I think umd has nicer dorm for students in the honors program

[Anonymous]

Go to the right college. Some freshman get a single room in a modern suite at WashU, with bathroom cleaned weekly by staff. Tempur Pedic mattress. Incredibly supportive Office of Student Life. Ranked #1 in Best College Dorms and Best Quality of Life by Princeton Review. https://www.princetonreview.com/college/washington-university-in-st-louis-1022620
Ranked #1 in Best College Dorms by Niche https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-college-dorms/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never heard of “Honors College”- so kids with top grades, high school honor student's, get better, first choice dorms?

That’s because they don’t get better dorms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For private schools, it's something like this:

- Big donor/board member's kids get the newest dorms
- kids with documented (and medical note) allergies or medical conditions get newer AC dorms
- Financial aid kids often get their last choice....

This is so wrong it’s funny.

[Anonymous]

DS has amazing dorm at UMd in the honors college.
New dorm for honors kids at W&M looks great.
Agree Wash U’s are beautiful.

[Anonymous]

FYI - sometimes the suite style down rooms cost more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS has amazing dorm at UMd in the honors college.
New dorm for honors kids at W&M looks great.
Agree Wash U’s are beautiful.

My DS may be in the same dorm
He wasn't necessarily interested in accepting the honors college offer, but (like many other students) he did so for the better dorm.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps this would be a good time to let your kid adjust to not always getting “the best” of everything.