Waiting List for Contract Offers
Students and their families have many questions about how our waiting list works. We’ve tried to provide answers below to some of the most common questions we receive. We understand that students and families are anxious about their living arrangements – you can be assured that we analyze our numbers on a daily basis in the hope that we can send additional housing contracts to offer as many students as possible the chance to live on-campus in the University Residence Halls.
I received an email about having my name placed on a waiting list to receive a contract. Why did this happen?
The University Residence Halls continues to send contracts to newly admitted students as long as space remains available. However, as we near our capacity, we sometimes pause in our sending of contracts to ensure we have not exceeded our capacity. By responding to the email and letting us know of their interest, students help us to pare down our waiting list so that if additional contracts are offered, we can more quickly reach those students who are truly interested.
If I am placed on the waiting list, do I still have a chance of getting a housing contract?
Absolutely. In fact in years past, over 80% of the students who were initially on the University's waiting list and were later admitted actually wound up receiving a housing contract offer for the University Residence Halls.
Do I need to start looking for other housing options immediately?
Every student and family is unique in determining how long they are comfortable waiting before having their housing arrangements settled. In the past, students have been able to find alternative housing options right up to the beginning of classes at UW-Madison if they were not able to receive a housing contract for the University Residence Halls.
How can I find out what number I am on the waiting list?
Students do not have an individual number on our waiting list, rather it is based on their date of admission. For example, if we paused sending out contracts on April 1st, we would go back and pick up all students admitted on April 2 who indicated an interest in receiving a contract offer. If you call our office and ask about the waiting list, it is better to ask us what date we have reached so we can best provide you guidance.
How would you contact me if my status changes and a contract can be offered?
- Continue to watch your mail – once we know we can send out more contracts, we like to do it quickly. Watch for a 9”x12” envelope from us.
- Check the email address you have on file with the University regularly – email will be our main form of communication for important updates and possible offerings.
- Your name remains on our waiting list until we’ve offered you a contract or you indicate to us that you want your name removed from the waiting list. We will do our best to notify you in a timely manner if we feel we are unable to send out any additional contracts and that you should look into other options.
