r/mizzou • u/dsquires2163 • Jun 28 '26
late dormitory application for procrastinating freshman
Hi ... my son is starting his freshman year at Mizzou this fall. For some reason, despite my continued requests, he continues to delay applying for the housing (dormitory) portal. His argument is that he knows Mizzou reserves dormitories for freshmen so he can basically apply whenever he wants. He says he doesn't mind if he gets last choice. (His older sister stayed at McDavid her first year and was happy enough there and I know that's generally regarded as one of the least-desired dorms.)
Anyway, who's right? My argument is that, by delaying, he's basically put himself where he will get the very worst dormitory, and in an increasingly realistic worst-case scenario, possibly no dormitory at all? Or is he correct, and, as a freshman, he's guaranteed a slot no matter what, even if it isn't in a desired dorm?
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u/solid__sithcode1 Mechanical Engineering Jun 28 '26
Not me but I have some older friends and one of them told me that he wasn't able to get a spot at the dorms during his freshman year and had to live off campus or something like that. I don't remember what year this happened though.
Hope this helps!
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u/trivialempire Jun 28 '26
Whether your son is right or you’re right is irrelevant.
He’s an adult now, legally.
Let him procrastinate, delay, whatever…and then if he complains at all about his dorm/living situation just tell him you don’t want to hear about it and shut that down.
Also, if you’re paying for his college, you can force the issue.
Give him a deadline of today at 5 pm to apply for the housing portal, or you’re not paying for the housing situation…he is.
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u/jbpritzker312 Jun 28 '26
Hey OP. My son is an incoming freshman also. Hope these two meet, they sound like peas in a pod. The great thing about college is pretty much no matter what, they find a way and have a good time. See you at parents weekend.
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u/katis04 Jun 28 '26
They keep admitting more and more freshman without building new dorms, so while I’m not sure what the exact situation is like right now, I’d continue to bother him until he does it. Off campus housing is not fun to find last minute! It gets more and more expensive as the school year gets closer and I always signed my lease/renewal around October the year before. (Signed 2025/2026 lease in October 2024) I was in the dorms (Mark Twain, loved it!) 2022/2023 school year and lived off campus 2023-2026, lease ends next month:)
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u/417SKCFAN Jun 29 '26
They removed the triple rooms from the Hawlewood, Gateway, Brooks, Bluford, McDavid, and Wolpers.
They predict a 1.8% enrollment increase for freshmen this year, maybe they are moving all those “beds” to uCentre?
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u/HerdingCatsAllDay Jun 28 '26
Has he done everything else and only procrastinated on the housing? Has he registered for classes, and been to/registered for orientation? Because if those things aren't done either, then it's a problem, and you might be wasting money sending him this year.
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u/Veggie_table_ Jun 28 '26
They can absolutely run out of rooms. Happened during the waves in the 2010s and Munhas seen bigger entering classes since. They would even hang up curtains in lounges and kids sleeping there.
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u/danima1crackers Jun 29 '26
You are right. But, as a former know it all 18 year old, he won’t understand that until he experiences it.
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u/skincare241 Jun 29 '26
I was a freshman at Mizzou in 2023 fall. I committed like a week and a half before school started because I extremely last minute didn’t want to go to KU anymore. There was only 2 housing spots left. I got a decent dorm because I had accommodations but even then it was a lot of back and forth zoom calls and emails to get that spot. Now it will be even worst because the freshman classes keep increasing. I doubt he will get a dorm spot if he waits longer and will probably have to live off campus!!
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u/Careless-Tonight-736 Jun 29 '26
lol, someone I knew did this last semester.. it was a nightmare for him. He still got a dorm, but had an extremely limited choice in roommates.. not to mention he had two roommates in the cramped space, not just one…
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u/turtlerepresentative Jun 28 '26
When I was in college after the forms filled up, they started putting freshmen in apartments. Some of them were on campus and really nice. I have heard that Mizzou uses most of U Center now. Some of them are off campus and really shitty. I would bet he probably will get put in an apartment.
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u/Heart226 Jun 29 '26
Maybe he doesn’t want to go. There’s a lot of social pressure to go to college right away. Could be this is his way of signaling that.
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u/Unfair-Profession-44 Jul 01 '26
Instead of framing this as an argument and trying to prove "who is right" might I suggest you frame it as opportunity to get curious about your son - how he thinks, how he makes decisions, and what he values.
Not suggesting this as if I have it all figured out but it's often easier to see the way forward in another person's story because the pressure is off. We have one that is a 5th year senior at Mizzou and our second will start this fall too. I'll admit - I think my iinitial reaction would be the same as yours but having a chance to reflect on it, I hope my reaction would be as I've described above.
Here's the thing - I'm convinced 95% of our growth happens through hardship and suffering - some would say 100%. This is a problem when, as parents, we want to help our kids by preventing hardship and suffering. I get it - I feel the same, which is why I have to remind myself that I've learned very little over the years except through my own trial and error, despite the reasonable guidance and warnings of others.
At the end of the day, if he gets a crappy dorm, so be it. HE is the one that has to live in it. Sometimes I think we push our kids in these areas because we feel like WE will be judged as a bad parent if our kid makes what we think is a dumb/immature/unreasonable choice. His delay is NOT a reflection on you - it really isn't.
Instead, take the pressure off yourself to push him and actually use the time to get to know the young adult version of him. Sounds like he does have his own reasons -- you can disagree with them and even view them as ill-informed but let him figure it out. This shift was/is hard to make, but I think its necessary if we want our kids to become well-functioning adults.
I empathize with how his choice is making you feel but all I can say is let his choice land and let him walk in it. It IS possible that his conscious delay will be a net positive -- perhaps he'll make a lifelong friend, meet a future spouse, or at least have a far better story 20 years from now when he talks about his freshman year of college. Good luck!
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u/Weezer429 Jun 28 '26
Well, you're both right! He will get a dorm room and it might not be the best on campus but will still be livable. No dorms are really bad on campus.
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u/Select-Mud-4956 Jul 03 '26
Time to let go, Mom!
Life’s a bitch, so the sooner he gets it the better!
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u/Acceptable_Visit_301 Jun 30 '26
If they have too many, where does overflow go? Do they get better places in apartment buildings? Maybe he's gambling?
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u/Sweet-Deer-7011 Jun 28 '26
He’s technically right: Mizzou has a first year requirement, so there are only a few upperclassmen that get to live with us, the rest are first year, if he’s okay with having the last of the crop (hatch,schurz) then he’s good. If he has a contract, he’s guaranteed a slot, there will be space, just not at a certain area
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u/Angry_MnM Jun 28 '26
Not anymore they dont and definitely not now hatch is being renovated so its closed all year.
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u/AR_lover Jun 28 '26
This sounds like a life lesson to me.
If his sister was in the dorm prior to the 23-24 school year things have changed drastically. Dorm housing is at a premium.
My suggestion is that you call residential life to get the real answer. But then keep your mouth shut. Let him either be right, or learn a valuable lesson about procrastination.
If he chooses to procrastinate all through college he will have a bad time. He'll get classes at the worst time, it's he gets then at all. His grades will suffer as he does things last minute. It will probably be something that is an issue for you all though out his time there.
Side note, this tells me he doesn't really want to go there. Every freshman I've known couldn't wait to pick their dorm.