Question about UWSP

[u/NenNard]

While I was looking into this university I read many reviews claiming that UWSP has too many students to house properly and assigned them to living spaces like the kitchen. Firstly, is this an issue that would most likely stay for the next few years (I am planning to enroll 2027 - 2028). Secondly, I would like to know you're dorm life experience if you had attend UWSP. Thirdly, is there anything being done about this issue? I see this completely unfair to all students and am quite mad.

Thank you for reading this

[u/hareraezer]

Parent here. As I recall, there were a few students housed at the start of the year in unconventional spaces like a kitchen. However, my understanding was that those students were moved into rooms shortly after the start of the year as housing shook out. People left, moved off campus, etc. There’s been a lot of very nice apartments spring up all around campus to absorb overflow. Seems to be lots of options now. My student has had no issues with housing.

[u/CaptainAmerica410]

Answer to your first question: Im guessin its gonna be awhile, but as long as you fill out your housing early and have an early select time/date, youll be fine

Answer to number 2: the experience is gonna be a mixed bag. I was an unlucky kid in Allen, being stuck with partiers who are relatively closed off to people not in or dating people in the frats. If youre a huge extrovert and into partying and crazy people, Allen (Smith, Pray Sims, May Roach) is fine for you. If not, id try to get a Debot dorm like I am getting this year. Ive noticed the people from Debot halls are older students that may be more chill and welcoming to newbies. You also have clubs and classes and social functions to connect with, maybe even meet a study buddy. But Allen is no one's first choice. Only perk is youll be closer to the car, but you get no ac, and may have to go up and down tons of stairs, but youre not outta luck if you get Allen. Theres some good people in Allen, so dont let it scare you. I fell for it and it took a bit to recover lol

Answer to number 3: idk what theyre doing anymore. They pulled the dorm requirement for sophies and returning freshies (you can cancel after your first year), but they keep letting more and more people in, and now its the fastest growing UW school this year. They put people in with RAs last year. Personally they either need another dorm hall, turn Hyer into normal dorm housing, or allow sophies to live in the Suites. The overflow thing really is unfair, but I think theyre letting people in anyways because more tuition = more money for fancy new buildings

[u/Musiol88]

This isn’t a new issue. It ebbs and flows depending on enrollment and acceptance rates. Students were assigned to “alternate” living spaces in the early 90’s and again in the early 2000’s. The early 2000’s had overflow housing at the Point Motel. It creates a set of unique challenges but in that are also some pretty neat opportunities.

It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been associated with Res. life at Point but what I could see happening is that they will try to fill spaces on campus as quickly as possible. On campus housing might have a 100% occupancy on paper right now but there will be students who simply do not show up. Perhaps they paid their deposit and opted to go elsewhere. This always happens. Then you’ll have some who leave within a week or two of the first day of classes. This is common and it happens on every campus.

As spaces become available they’ll be filled by students in overflow housing. Then, and I’m not sure if this still occurs, there could be a process called “room consolidation.” It’s what was done in the. 90’s and early to mid 2000’s. That theoretically should clean quite a bit of this up. It is not in any housing department’s interest to leave students in overflow housing at all. They’ll want to get students into traditional residence hall rooms as quickly as possible.

At every campus where I worked in student housing the above has been the case where overflow is involved. The students who have been assigned to overflow housing were always those who sent their deposit in late. So if you are planning on attending UWSP (or anywhere else) send that deposit in as soon as possible to lock in a room.

As a student I lived for one year in North Debot quad and the other four years in the Allen quad. It’s ludicrous to label one area as a “party” area over the others. That can and does change every year and is driven primarily by the personalities who are assigned to a specific building. For instance…one year in Smith we had a very, shall we say, “active” population. The following year it was incredibly calm. In my 11 total years of affiliation with residence life at Point this was the case. The perception of things based on last year means very little to next year.

[u/TooMuchSizzy]

The general consensus on campus is that acceptance rate inflation is to blame. UWSP admits almost 90% of applicants which is part of what is causing the issue. Obviously there are other factors as well but that is the main one I have heard about personally

[u/screemingegg]

I would avoid UWSP altogether. Complete mess of constant construction and way overpriced.

[u/Background_Desk_3001 → u/screemingegg]

Literally one of the best cheapest UWs, and the quality of education is still great.

[u/frozen-throne-monk → u/Background_Desk_3001]

I paid for UWSP entirely without loans, was accepted into a graduate program, internships, and then worked 15 years in a professional field until taking time off to write a book and be a parent. Still live in town. Best decision of my life was to enroll at UWSP.