Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 08:44     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
Which schools give priority dorm selection to freshman who pay a deposit early vs those who pay later? I’ve only heard of priority in the sense of being guaranteed housing vs not when placing an early deposit (I’m pretty sure UF does this), not priority dorm choice. Typically freshman get the worst dorm options unless you go to a school that acknowledges living disabilities and you have a documented one.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 08:14     Subject: Re:How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
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?


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


Depends on the school. In some cases they do get the newer, nicer dorms.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 04:22     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
Pitt honors college has very nice new dorm

DS at UMd chose his honors college strategically to end up in one of the 2 “best” dorms. Totally worth it.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 22:05     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
The RA gets to have a single.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 22:04     Subject: Re:How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
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?
Not always. My DC was admitted to UMD -Honors and the honors dorm needed a major redo and did not have AC.


It depends on which honors program they're in at UMD. University Honors students are generally in the two newest dorms, which are really nice.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 16:37     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
LLCs (living and learning communities) sometimes have newer dorms, depends on the school.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 16:14     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
Totally college depending. My student only got to rank choices of areas 1-3 (quiet, not so quiet, in the middle of the action) and roommate was random. No choosing allowed. As a sophomore, student was allowed to stick with same room and roommate or move. If students choose to move in with a different roommate though, they can't keep the same room and had to move to a different dorm.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 12:55     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
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 is cute but not a thing.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 11:08     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
Be a recruited athlete.

Other than that, there is no definitive way. What I'm seeing on here does not apply to my DC's school. The housing is a lottery. You have no say.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 10:59     Subject: Re:How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
Anonymous wrote:I never heard of “Honors College”- so kids with top grades, high school honor student's, get better, first choice dorms?
Not always. My DC was admitted to UMD -Honors and the honors dorm needed a major redo and did not have AC.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 10:43     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
Anonymous wrote:Perhaps this would be a good time to let your kid adjust to not always getting “the best” of everything.


Amen. What is there to work towards if you have the best of everything at 18?
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 10:32     Subject: Re:How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
Anonymous wrote:
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.


This is still asking a lot for most university housing.


Clean and no mold is asking a lot for most university housing.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 08:25     Subject: How to get the best dorm room - ahead of time
Anonymous wrote:
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.


My DC's freshman room was a quad. One of the kids just marched in there. Walked up to the bed desired. Put all their stuff on it and had no discussion with any of the others about how to decide who was going to get what bed or how they were going to set up the room. And the rest of the year seemed to go like that.
Needless to say, three of them are still friends and one the other one has continued to socially struggle. But presumably has a good bed. Not sure it's worth it if you have to act like a selfish fool.