As the school year draws to an end for PV seniors, figuring out their post-secondary plans, especially with college and housing, is a top concern. Future Hawkeyes at the University of Iowa are worried about the dorm issues and housing application changes.
Starting Jan. 5, the University of Iowa opened up their housing registration. This is open for all students who have applied and been accepted to the university, regardless of commitment. This year, however, the process changed from first come, first served to a randomized selection.
In previous years, the order in which you applied determined your placement. The new system gives undecided students a chance to pick their preferred dorms, potentially leading them to fully committing to the university.
With these new standards, the order that you are chosen can be varied, depending if these uncommitted students chose to go elsewhere. If they chose a different path, then one could potentially be moved up in placement.
Many students have mixed emotions about this change. Future Hawkeye Olivia Rogers applied for her dorm at the start of January and is concerned about this change. “I feel like it should be first come, first served due to people not deciding if they are attending Iowa and taking up spaces within the line, and then upperclassmen filling up the dorm,” she said.
With numbers being varied, the university has run into issues regarding inaccurate dorm space estimation. In recent years, many residence lobbies and lounges were turned into new sleeping spaces. This summer, the university announced updates about limiting the number of returning students in the residence halls, making more room for the new students, in hopes of solving the overpopulation problems.
On Feb. 1, the first round of applicants received their placement in the queue of room selection, causing some nervousness about getting their top choices. “I’m really worried that I won’t be able to get the dorm that I want,” Rogers expressed.
There were over 3,250 applicants for dorm assignments this month, and throughout PV, the numbers have varied with the number selection. Maddie Glaus applied to housing on Jan. 25, but that did not make a difference on her jeopardized number. “I was given number 299 even though I applied later, and I am a bit relieved because I have a really good chance of getting the dorm I want as compared to some of my friends,” she said.
Though these new requirements are causing uncertainty for future Hawkeyes, this change can allow for undecided students to reconsider—for better or worse—depending on their given number. Whatever the case, the University of Iowa has a lot of great options for student dorms and hopefully will provide a dorm room for all student’s top requests.
Katelyn • Feb 24, 2023 at 11:38 pm
It is interesting to see the different approaches schools are taking to dorm rooms. I feel like a first come first serve basis should still be used when applying for housing. If colleges want to have different windows, they could consider randomizing the applicants within each month that they apply and get accepted.