College Dorms Question

[Pembo]

We visited a college this weekend with my ds. We were quite surprised to learn that there was a 3 tier system for the dorms. The cheapest option were the oldest, smallest dorm rooms. Next up in price were the suites and at the top price you could stay in the brand new dorms.

Is this the norm???? Dorm choices based on your financial ability???

Also the bulk of the orientation and tour was about all the extras this college offered not a lot of information on academics. Is that also the norm???

 

[zurgswife]

We visited a college this weekend with my ds. We were quite surprised to learn that there was a 3 tier system for the dorms. The cheapest option were the oldest, smallest dorm rooms. Next up in price were the suites and at the top price you could stay in the brand new dorms.

Is this the norm???? Dorm choices based on your financial ability???

Also the bulk of the orientation and tour was about all the extras this college offered not a lot of information on academics. Is that also the norm???

I found the same thing at my dd's private college and my son's public state college. So, I'm guess it is beginning to be the norm if it isn't already.

 

[Debbie7452]

Yes, this is normal. You get what you pay for...

As far as the rest, colleges find it more successful to market the fun aspects of college to their teenage demographic. Hopefully the teens in question will be influenced about the academic stuff by their parents.

 

[The Princess]

Yes this is normal as the previous poster stated you get what you pay for.

 

[crashbb]

I don't see anything weird (or wrong) about it. If there is a large difference in the accommodations, I would expect that the nicer/better ones cost more - just like apartments/houses in real life.

The lack of discussion about academics could be because there was a mix of students at the orientation (if there was). We could the "academic" talks in program specific orientation, not a general one (which is where discussions about residence would take place).

 

[VAfamily1998]

We visited a college this weekend with my ds. We were quite surprised to learn that there was a 3 tier system for the dorms. The cheapest option were the oldest, smallest dorm rooms. Next up in price were the suites and at the top price you could stay in the brand new dorms.

Is this the norm???? Dorm choices based on your financial ability???

?
Did you think that everyone should pay the same, even if some people have much better accomodations than the others? If you go to a restaurant and order soup and a glass of water, should you pay the same as the guy at the next table that ordered lobster and a bottle of fine wine?

 

[LisaR]

I'm confused as to why this would surprise you? If you book a hotel, there are smaller rooms with less amenities all the way up to the presidential suite and they are priced accordingly. You pay based on what you can afford and what matters most to you. The dorms aren't any different.


And yes, most college tours seem to focus on their extras. It bugs me. I want to know about their academics but I am sure they feel the majority of the kids want to hear about the game rooms, clubs and activities.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Absolutely, it is the norm. More amenities, newer facilities, higher price.

The college tours focus on the extras because that is what most incoming freshman are lured by. IMHO

 

[Swan4Me]

It was like this when i went to college 30 years ago
older dorms had only stairs

the two new high rise dorms had elevators and more perks

 

[zurgswife]

I'm confused as to why this would surprise you? If you book a hotel, there are smaller rooms with less amenities all the way up to the presidential suite and they are priced accordingly. You pay based on what you can afford and what matters most to you. The dorms aren't any different.


And yes, most college tours seem to focus on their extras. It bugs me. I want to know about their academics but I am sure they feel the majority of the kids want to hear about the game rooms, clubs and activities.

I have to admit the first time I saw the numbers on my dd's college I was surprised. When I attended college 20+ years ago all the dorms were the same price. It does make sense when you think about it but when I first saw it have have to admit I was taken back.

 

[Art 1]

Normal.

 

[minkydog]

Of course it's normal! My DD18 had all those same choices--swank dorms, single suites, and traditional 2-roommates-with-bathroom-at-the-end-of-the-hall. The el cheapo dorm is almost $1000/year less expensive. Not a small thing to a starving college student. DD is putting herself through college. She chose the cheap dorms because she just couldn't justify spending all that extra money.

Isn't this this the same choice we all have? People who have more money can buy a big expensive house. People who have less money will buy a less valuable house, or even live in an apartment. We all have to live within our means. These dorm options allow students to decide where their money will be spent. For my DD, living in the cheaper dorm means she doesn't have to take out more loans, which in the long run will be a very good thing for her.

 

[donac]

This is the norm now. With the suites the colleges are losing money on the meal plan. Since my son has been in a suite he has cut his meal plan down to a minimum and does some of his own cooking. He even owns his own crockpot.

 

[laurie31]

It was like this when I went to college back in 1985.

The cheap-o dorms had baths on the hall; the nicest were 2 bedroom 2 bath suites with a kitchen and laundry room. There were a couple of other options too. I would not have been happy to be living in the ancient rooms with no bath if I paid the same as someone in the suites.

 

[nancygirl1]

I have 3 kids in college...1 Junior and 2 Freshman. Between the 3 of them they applied to at least 20 colleges and there was never an option to choose their living space. The freshman got the oldest dorms and the Juniors and Seniors got the better/best dorms & apartments. Up until reading this post, I never heard of schools giving Freshman an option. Why is it that in our society everything is based on who can afford to pay vs. those that can't? No more earning your dues. You can now pay and start right off at the top.

As far as the extras offered at college. All the visits we did they did play up the extras. I think they probably figure the kids & parents are interested in the school for the academcs & programs offered and the extras are what get them to commit.

 

[pacrosby]

It was like this when i went to college 30 years ago
older dorms had only stairs

the two new high rise dorms had elevators and more perks

yeah, but there wasn't a difference in the cost.

At least in my college back in the early 80's there wasn't. New dorms, old dorms. Fancy looking dorms, basic run-of-the-mill dorms. The cost was the same. The only difference would be single vs a double or a quad.......which makes sense. Personally I don't see a problem with offering a limited number of premium options with extra perks at an extra price, but what the OP seems to be describing, IMO, is a bit much.

 

[MIGrandma]

That was not the way it was done when DD was in college, but then that was about 11 years ago so it has probably changed, maybe even at the college she attended.

When she was a freshman her dorm was set up with two bedrooms, their own bathroom and a small living room so she had a roommate plus two "suite mates" in the other bedroom. She wasn't charged any extra for it, it was the "freshman dorm."

Now our oldest granddaughter is attending a private college and they don't pay for better dorms either. Freshmen get the crappy dorms, then each year they move up to better ones. At least that's the way she explained it to us when we went to visit her before Christmas for her choir concert. She is on the third floor of a 3-level dorm, very small room with a roommate. They have bunk beds and each one has a desk, and they have a couple of chairs, stands for frig and micro, etc. but very little extra room. The bathroom/showers are at the end of the hall and there is a kitchen and lounge on each floor.

 

[tvguy]

Well, the college my daughter went to her Freshman year did charge $250 a semester more if you got the private room in the new suite type dorms, but otherwise, the base fee for the new and old dorms was the same. And the old dorms were more popular because the rooms were much bigger and had walkin closets, and you only had to share it with one person, not 4. But her college was built on an old Army base, the old dorms were the old barracks.

 

[Pembo]

I have 3 kids in college...1 Junior and 2 Freshman. Between the 3 of them they applied to at least 20 colleges and there was never an option to choose their living space. The freshman got the oldest dorms and the Juniors and Seniors got the better/best dorms & apartments. Up until reading this post, I never heard of schools giving Freshman an option. Why is it that in our society everything is based on who can afford to pay vs. those that can't? No more earning your dues. You can now pay and start right off at the top.
.

OP here - that's what I was thinking. DH said when he went to school in the 80's, you got to list your top dorm choices and some were nicer than others, but it was a lottery system that chose where you were going to live. Everybody paid the same for housing.

and for the person who asked if everyone should pay the same...yes I think they should. There's enough competition in life, having to accept your fate, so to speak, is a great lesson that more kids need to learn. Money doesn't buy everything. imho

 

[Robinrs]

My son's school is brand new... 5 years old.. and the last dorm bldg opened last summer. The difference in the price is based on how many people are in the suite, only.

The 12 bedroom, 6 bath suite is less than 1000 a semester less than the 2 bedroom 1 bath suite so guess which one WE chose?