To add to the meal plan discussion, D had the Standard meal plan this year as well. She ran out of points during finals week in the fall, but then had a surplus part way through spring finals (we are 1 hour from campus, so some of her meals wound up being at home, admittedly).
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You will not be eating an average of 21 meals a week on campus. You will tire of the dining halls, guaranteed, and you may only eat two meals on a Saturday or Sunday if you do the whole brunch/dinner thing. Also, if you get a to-go box ($5.00 up front), you can take another meal from the dining hall on your way out from having a meal all year long.
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Even with a meal plan, students will tend to search for any and all free food opportunities: Calapalooza, clubs, dorm parties, etc. No college student will pass up free grub if they can help it.
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While the food quality is decidedly better, on-campus food purchases outside of the dinings halls (i.e. those listed above) are on a one-point-equals-one-dollar ratio, so this eats up meal plan points fast (ask one of D’s roommates who ran out of points by Thanksgiving buying smoothies and potato chips).
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There a lot of great, cheap places to eat off-campus: Asian Ghetto, Top Dog, pizza, etc. Depending on what you order, you can easily squeak another meal out of it. You will be doing this more than you think.
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The Ultimate Access plan tends to cater to athletes who are burning a gajillion calories a day and need the fuel that 3 swipes a day can provide.
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You can roll over 100 meal points from Fall to Spring. If you still have extra points at the end of the year to burn (because you use them or lose them), you can buy stuff at Golden Bear Cafe or wherever (D came home with wasabi peas and chocolate bars). People have been known to buy french presses and anything else in order not to waste meal points.
If you will have little to no extra money to eat off campus (and aren’t close enough to home to bum meals there), you may want to go with the Premium; otherwise, stick with the Standard.