Let's talk about housing!

Colleges & Universities Penn State
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When you accept your offer at Penn State, you will also be making housing decisions. Since everyone will be on pins and needles this week, let’s talk about housing, now! Because we know there will be questions:

If you accept before April/May, your chance of getting your first choice is pretty good. After that, you are likely to get supplemental housing – a large multiple-roommate space converted from a dorms common area. It’s cheaper, and not a catastrophe. Most students in supplemental are eventually offered a conventional room later in the semester as people leave, don’t show, etc…

You don’t pick a specific dorm, you pick a general area. All freshmen are required to dorm. After that, you hope to get in the lottery or move to an apartment. Housing for upperclassmen is not guaranteed.

Housing doesn’t all cost the same. A few dorms are brand new, a few have A/C and are not cinderblock cubes.

East Halls is very nearly all freshmen, Eastview Terrace is only for upperclassmen, but freshmen are everywhere and in every set of dorms.

Every dorm has a slightly different personality open to interpretation. For example: East is by far the furthest from classes, noisest, partiest, and largest— but it’s closest to the Blue Band building, athletic fields, and Intrmural Building North is smallest, closest to Arts/Arch, the Creamery, and has carpeting and are all doubles and quads.

You can eat anywhere on campus. East has a new allergy-free/kosher bistro. North has a dining hall that closes part of the weekend. West has legendary cookies. All dorm areas have little convenience stores. There is no “best” dorm.

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Way to get ahead of all of the incoming questions! I’d love it if they could pin this to the top!

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How much difference in cost is there in the dorms?

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Here are this year’s rates: https://hfs.psu.edu/fall-2017-spring-2018

They can go up from year to year. The tables are formatted a little weird on mobile so make sure you’re matching the right number to the type of room you’re looking at.

Ex. A renovated double at UP is about $300 more than a non-renovated double, but I believe there are fewer of them. Supplemental is cheaper. Singles are absurdly expensive.

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The cost for the upgraded dorm is very reasonable, considering your kid will get A/C, newer bathrooms (possibly private bathroom “pods”), furniture you can move around, brighter rooms, etc. that’s worth the extra $300 imho.

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How do you apply for the newer rooms?

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@greenbutton thank you for starting a timely topic!

Quick question for you: does it matter when you put your housing preferences into the portal? I know that earlier dates are more likely to get their first choice - is the date used the date of acceptance to Penn State or the date that you enter the housing preferences ?

Also, I think my kid is interested in Pollock for the location. Are any of those renovated? (I don’t think so?)

My guess is that the recently renovated dorms are in East Halls and that either 2+2 transfers or sophomores staying in the dorms are more likely to get a renovated dorm than an incoming freshman? Or am I overthinking it?

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Page of info: https://housing.psu.edu/future-first-year-students

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MODERATOR’S NOTE: I pinned the thread. :slight_smile:

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What are some perks and cons to Pollock? Also, any suggestions for which hall in pollock?

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Important bits from that link earlier (several of which are also in the original post, which is a VERY good summary of the process!):

  • Order is determined by the date that you accept the offer of admission and pay your deposits
  • You can pick housing area (East, Pollock, etc.) and room type (double renovated, double traditional, etc.) but I don't think you can pick a specific hall
  • East is only open to freshmen; I know they have been building new halls over there and renovating old ones, but I am not sure how much of the work is done yet -- https://housing.psu.edu/construction-and-renovations may be helpful if it's up to date
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Pennypacker (East) is being renovated and is offline. The new dorms are at North, East and South, but again, you don’t pick a building. I don’t know if the dorm under construction at East is planned to open in 2018, but it sure isn’t done!

Pollock is just fine. Not as close to College Ave, so slightly less noisy. I believe South halls are where the sororities are kept, by floor.

The lottery is very complicated to explain, so let’s not think too hard about that one right now :slight_smile:

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@bodangles thanks for the link! I think that got the questions.

@mackintoshm my daughter likes the proximity to downtown, the HUB, and campus of Pollock. I think South is also appealing for similar reasons, but she isn’t a sorority kind of kid, and I’m afraid that may be a bit of a turnoff for her.

experts, am I reading those things right ?

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So when do I apply for specific housing? When I accepted my offer I paid the housing fee but thats all I’ve seen so far with regards to housing.

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what is the latest you should accept so that you dont get supplimental housing. My D Wants to wait for Upitt decision before she decides. Upitt has requested mid term grades which will go out nextweek.please advise.

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to be certain, Jan -Feb. Pretty certain is March, early April. take your chances after that. It also depends on whether this is a year where everyone accepts immediately, but supplemental really isnt so bad that I would worry too much about it.

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What’s the difference between a small double and double dorm room?

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I understand priority is based on when you accept, but when do they begin the process where the students request dorm/location? thanks!

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ignore above-found the link under eLiving.

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Are there dorms that have kitchens that freshman stay in?