Every year, the Assignment Office is responsible for finding homes for over 7,800 undergraduate students in our residence halls. But, no matter what building these students end up calling home, their on-campus living experiences are very much the same. They share their college life with hundreds of other Badgers in their residence hall, meeting fellow neighbors with open doors. In fact, in recent surveys, nearly 90 percent of all residents indicated that they were satisfied with their on-campus living experience, regardless of the specific residence hall or room.
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How to Apply
New UW-Madison students who are admitted to the University for the fall or spring semester are offered a contract for the University Residence Halls; a separate application for housing is not needed. University Housing communicates with you through the email address you provided to the University on your application. Admitted students will receive an email notification from University Housing, with information to complete the online contract process if space is available.
Steps for new Badgers:
- Sign and complete contract
- Submit an advance payment by the contract deadline
- Select a meal plan tier
- Enter hall preferences
- Select a room if living in a learning community
- Receive room assignment
- Contact roommate
- Pay first Housing bill
- Move into the University Residence Halls!
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Hall Preferences
Living in a residence hall is a slice of the college experience that you will remember for the rest of your life…no matter where you live on campus. With our residence halls and learning communities, we offer a variety of coed living options and room types to accommodate various interests of students. Students with completed contracts can begin submitting their University Residence Hall preferences in My UW Housing.
Helpful Tips for Submitting Your Hall Preferences
The following tips can be useful as you rank your hall preferences in My UW Housing:
- Two students wishing to become roommates must list their hall preferences in the exact same order and preference one another in My UW Housing.
- Students interested in living in a learning community should prioritize learning communities over residence halls when submitting hall preferences in My UW Housing
- Rates and room types vary throughout the residence halls. Students interested in a particular room type should list all of the buildings with that particular room type at the top of their preference list.
- Single rooms for freshman students are primarily available in Adams and Tripp. Students interested in a single room should preference these halls at the top of their list.
Items to note:
- University Housing cannot guarantee placement in a particular building or room type.
- University Housing hall assignments are not made on a first-come, first-serve basis due to multiple admissions decision releases at UW-Madison.
- University Housing does not discriminate in assignments on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, national origin, or ancestry.
Advance Payment
Contracts for freshmen and transfers will require a $50 non-refundable contract fee in addition to a $250 advance payment that is paid when the contract is signed. Review the cancellation policy in our contract that specifies what must be met to qualify for a cancellation and details of the forfeiture schedule, if applicable. Your final Housing bill will be reduced by the advance payment you have made.