<p>@MichiganGeorgia My husband and I were willing to pull some strings for UGA dorming because it was his top choice but since that most likely won’t happen, Georgia State is indeed a better option financially. </p>
<p>He deposited at Georgia State by May 1, right? Just confirming… I can tell you, one way or another, he will move on by himself. Eventually most schools send notification that they are not going to their waitlist any more and that will be the end if it. Then get him a Georgia State t-shirt, encourage him to join the school Facebook page, and start planning for orientation. </p>
<p>My college roommate’s friend didn’t get into our alma mater last year, and ended up at the other large state school. He, too, had plans to transfer, but his first semester GPA put an end to that thought. Typically a kid who is rejected the first time around has to up their game quite a bit to transfer, and a lot of them can’t or don’t do so. So encourage your son to settle in at Georgia State and get the most out of it. If he does well enough to transfer and decides to do so, that is gravy. But if not, he should try to get as much as he can out of the school he is attending. </p>
<p>Makenna, what do you mean by (2007)?</p>
<p>Maybe I’m missing something, but you were willing to “pull some strings for UGA dorming” but not for GSU.
Seems like the message is that you think UGA was worth it, but GSU is not. You were willing to let him live in the dorm and get the full college experience at UGA…but not at GSU, which is a much cheaper option. This may explain his reluctance to get excited about his plan B. What HS senior doesn’t dream of dorm life…</p>
<p>It may be a bit unrealistic to say No morning classes. While it’s every undergrad’s dream, I think the reality is that many (especially freshman) classes happen at 8 and 9 am.</p>
<p>If you can afford him dorming at UGA, wouldn’t you be able to afford him dorming, at least for frosh year, at GSU? Frosh year is probably the most helpful time to live on campus, since that allows the student to connect better with other students and the school (and school services aimed at frosh may be more available to those in the dorms). Living in the dorms is not as helpful in later years, when many of the resident students move off-campus anyway, and he will know many students from frosh year and in his major classes (61% of frosh live in the dorms, but only 17% overall).</p>
<p>Additionally, restricting the schedule to “no early morning classes” may hinder taking courses needed to graduate on time, if a key course in a prerequisite sequence happens to be offered at that time in the semester that the student needs to take it.</p>
<p>Commuting from home is typically cheaper than dorming, but may not be as much cheaper as you expect – a student in the dorm does not consume food or utilities at home. If the commuting involves driving a car, that can be considerable expense in car costs, particularly car insurance (with an 18-year-old primary driver) and parking costs, as well as maintenance and fuel. Even more so if you have to own an additional car for him to use.</p>
<p>If you can swing it at all I think staying in the dorms will definitely be worth it…it is so difficult getting involved and maintaining friend groups while commuting. Something as simple as meeting friends at the dining hall or attending on campus events are compromised trying to get to and from school. There are group projects and late night study sessions and trying to manipulate no morning classes will be a nightmare!</p>
<p>Got to pile on here … I don’t understand how you can afford a dorm at UGA and not at GSU … and more importantly, can’t see how this difference would not negatively affect your son.</p>
<p>@intparent Today he signed up for Georgia State’s freshmen orientation Incept program so I think that’s a positive step! </p>
<p>@gosmom @ucbalumnus @3togo I think one of our main reasons for not dorming at GSU was the close proximity to home. He would make about a 30 minute commute every day whereas UGA would almost force us to dorm with a 2.5 hour distance. I do agree that gas prices and car expenses could be probably will be expensive but I feel these would be less than that of a dorm and 7 day meal pass. But I haven’t calculated every expense and you may very well be right. </p>
<p>Another issue for me was the freshmen dorms at GSU (not the apartment style condos). They were very cramped compared to the ones at UGA as they were meant to fit 3 people. Maybe it’s because the GSU dorms were renovated motels. </p>
<p>Also, I think he knows that not dorming will sacrifice some of the connections and friends he would make but he has a list of clubs he wants to join so hopefully that helps! </p>
<p>@Sdgal2 I didn’t realize most students get stuck with morning classes. I guess a 6:30 am commute might become his new routine! </p>
<p>Thank you all for your responses. This is my first kid going to college and it is definitely a learning process! There is still much I don’t know and I am thankful for the help! </p>
<p>Sorry… just to be clear, he did DEPOSIT by May 1, right? And I am going to join in with those who think that he really might be more enthusiastic about the college if he could live on campus. Even with bad dorm rooms… Is it more expensive? Yes. Does it make a big difference in how the college experience feels and how easy it is to make friends? Yes.</p>
<p>@intparent Yes, he did submit his intent to enroll form by May1. The good thing about GSU is that they don’t require monetary commitment unless you are dorming.
I’ll ask him again about dorming.He is big on wanting the college experience though. Is it different compared to those who dorm at Georgia Tech and Emory? I know that both of those schools have more of a campus but I was also hesitant to let him dorm due to the spaced out nature of the GSU buildings all around Atlanta. </p>
<p>@sitamom - DS friends that go to Georgia State are in the dorms. Mapquest estimates that it would take 33 minutes to go from our house to Georgia State but honestly it’s a lot longer with traffic. Is it really only going to be a 30 minute commute for your DS if he is going in at rush hour? I know that Georgia State has a lot of commuters but I’m not sure what the parking lot’s are like and how full they get or how far they are from the buildings. I would do some trial runs if you haven’t already and check how long it will take to drive to Georgia State during rush hour, park and get to a class. It maybe longer than you think. DS is in a dorm at Georgia Tech and yes they have more of a campus but the main reasons we have him stay there instead of commuting is 1. social, 2. being able studying with others at all hours and 3. I really don’t want him driving in Atlanta traffic everyday. However I can understand the cost factor and if we had to take out loans to pay for housing and a meal plan I would have him commute. </p>
<p>OP, how much is parking …and where are those parking locations in relation to campus? He could be parking further away than the dorms. If they are a distance away, will they be staffed (for those late night study sessions)?</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is his early and/or late comings and goings and the impact on the rest of family. I know I was living in the fantasy that at midnight, I was sure my kid was sleeping in his dorm 
. But, if he would have been commuting, I would have been sleeping with one eye/ear open until he walked in the door. </p>
<p>If the dorms are renovated motels–does that mean no communal showers down the hall? Doesn’t sound that bad! Both of mine had cinder block rooms, baths down the hall–one at very pricey private–but they soon made very comfy. I noted too that when we toured, only some very “staged” rooms were shown on tour. Not saying UGA did that, but it does happen. </p>
<p>There’s so much to consider as a first time parent…our S benefitted from the knowledge we got first time around with our D…and I’ve learned much since (most thanks to the wisdom here on CC!)</p>
<p>His chances may not be so slim. The year before (Fall 2012) 158 of the 732 on the waitlist were admitted:</p>
<p><a href=“| | | Office of Institutional Research”>| | | Office of Institutional Research;
<p>It just depends on how things break for each particular year.</p>
<p>Plan for him not to get it, but it is possible.</p>
<p>@MichiganGeorgia Running some trial run drives are a great idea! He just recently found out he has a friend going to GSU so hopefully something can work out on that front as well!</p>
<p>@gosmom I believe parking is in the $200-$300 range but during the tour, I think they said you can park at Turner Field for free. I agree about the comings and goings. He’s already told me that there are some nights he may not come home and that scares me! At GSU they have visitor passes for the dorms where you are allowed 3 stays a month in someone else’s dorm but still! The room felt fairly staged but it might work with only one roomate instead of two!</p>
<p>I am learning much here on CC as well! </p>
<p>@dadinator The list is so unpredictable! I feel this year may have a large yield from what I’ve heard. But we can only wait and in the meantime, encourage GSU! </p>
<p>I can tell you that parents are often more turned off by dorm rooms than the kids are… remember that HE is the one who would be living in it, and if he thinks it is okay, then you shouldn’t be so concerned. Just something to keep in mind if you do consider allowing him to dorm.</p>
<p>@intparent I can definitely agree. I will also feel a bit of empty nest syndrome! </p>
<p>I can sympathize on the empty nest – my youngest went off to college in California last fall (I live in the Midwest, single parent). And now she found a summer research position on campus for the summer – yay for her, but still… but it is best for her, and she is so happy and loves it so much. Gotta let them go sometime…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I would not count on carpooling as a student, since students’ schedules can be much more irregular than work schedules. Also, traffic is often worse during the school year than during the summer when he makes trial runs, since school year traffic is affected by (a) students commuting to colleges, (b) parents taking their K-12 students to schools, and (c) the fact that families with K-12 or college students are less likely to be on vacation during the school year.</p>
<p>Commuting is more tolerable on public transportation, since one can rest, sleep, study, etc. on it, while driving time is effectively wasted. But many origins and destinations do not have very good public transportation routes.</p>
<p>If you can afford one year of college dorm (commuting the other years), frosh year is probably the best time to put him in the college dorm.</p>
<p>After all the great opinions and suggestions, we may try and work out some freshmen rooming situation provided they are still available.
GSU, in my opinion, is a great alternate to UGA and he can still try and transfer afterwards. </p>
<p>S1’s (and soon to be S2’s) school policy is that commuters not live more than 50 miles away. We are right on the borderline but I was and am adamant that they live on campus. It’s partly due to my own history as a commuter and partly for time management reasons. S1 is a sports journalism major - not demanding intellectually but extremely demanding time-wise. If he were commuting, that would be taking up two hours that he could be working, studying or just decompressing. . He never would have gotten to do things like be sports editor of the campus newspaper if he had to travel 50 miles each way every day. I also figured up costs using the IRS mileage reimbursement rate and it was about even. He’s had a great college experience and I anticipate his brother doing the same.
ETA: The thing that surprises me in all this is a state resident not getting accepted at a state flagship. Here in West Virginia, you can go to any state school you want if you’re a bona fide resident with a measurable pulse …</p>