University of Wisconsin - Madison (UW Madison) 2016

[biochemm]

Did a quick search and didn't see a 2016 thread up.

Accepted my offer at UW Madison for the IGPNS PhD program (nutrition) and looking to meet some other grads. I'm actually currently in Madison on a short internship anyways but I'm a little anxious about finding friends in a similar situation (graduate students) since it seems like a lot of the people I've met are either undergrads or much older. Let me know if you have any questions about the city and I can answer a little (only been here since Jan), otherwise let's all get to know each other.

[pallavib]

Hey, I've been offered a place at Wisconsin for the MS Economics program, starting Fall 2016. Here to find out more and meet people who are living there. How do you find the city so far? And how are the housing situations?

[biochemm]

21 minutes ago, pallavib said:

Hey, I've been offered a place at Wisconsin for the MS Economics program, starting Fall 2016. Here to find out more and meet people who are living there. How do you find the city so far? And how are the housing situations?

City has been awesome so far, although it gets fairly cold during the winter (and it's apparently been mild this year). Any time it has warmed up there are a ton of people outside tossing a frisbee or whatever. The main socializing that seems to go on is mostly bar related since the state is known for its beer, so finding other groups/stuff to do takes a little more effort. Madison is really bike friendly and the downtown/campus area is well served by transit (outside of that a little less so). As to housing some places seem really nice on the listing but are grungy inside or whatever. I'm signing a lease (they all seem to start around Aug. 15 here) for a 250 sq ft studio on Lake Mendota for about $725 plus electric, there are cheaper options if you want to have a house or roommate or live further away, and more expensive options if you want to be closer to campus or in a nice place. One big thing to check for in housing is that heat is included, apparently it costs a ton in the winter so either get it included or budget for that as well.

Edited March 22, 2016 by biochemm

[far25]

Hi, i was accepted in UW-madison too! I'm heading to the MS in Civil Engineering. This was my first option, so I'm very happy with the decision and a little anxious too about meeting people and find friends.

Now I'm starting to figure out about housing. I have been thinking in two options. One, trying to find a place (studio or share with someone) near the University, that way I have not to worry about transport, however I believe or I guess it will be full of undergraduate students in that area. The second option would be find something further away, in a quieter area, but I don't know how the public transportation works, I mean, I'm most worried about the transport in winter, I don't want to wait in a bus stop so much time in the middle of a snow storm.

What do you guys think it is better?

[ClassApp]

On March 24, 2016 at 11:13 AM, far25 said:

Now I'm starting to figure out about housing. I have been thinking in two options. One, trying to find a place (studio or share with someone) near the University, that way I have not to worry about transport, however I believe or I guess it will be full of undergraduate students in that area. The second option would be find something further away, in a quieter area, but I don't know how the public transportation works, I mean, I'm most worried about the transport in winter, I don't want to wait in a bus stop so much time in the middle of a snow storm.

What do you guys think it is better?

Hi! I haven't accepted an offer from UW Madison, but I am considering and went to their recruiting weekend. Their public transportation/bus system is very good. The buses are pretty much always on time--if anything, they're early. If the buses get too crowded and they need extra buses, the extra ones actually come earlier/before the main bus rather than after, which is great. Because the campus is pretty spread out and doesn't really have a central pedestrian area, they are able to get right up next to most of the buildings. We stayed at the Lowell Center and took a bus to Van Hise Hall, and it was actually quicker than walking in very good weather (and that's not a long walk at all). There are certain buses that come very frequently (like I think maybe the 10 and 80 buses??? don't remember for sure), so you'll probably want to look that info up and search for an apartment right along one of those bus lines. In addition, buses run every day of the week, although less frequently on weekends. The bus is free for students, I think. I currently attend UNC Chapel Hill, which has a decent bus system (certainly way better than a lot of places) and I was extremely impressed with their transportation system. That being said, I think that the grad students recommended that new students live within 2 miles-ish of campus (but double check on that, numbers aren't my strong point).

[biochemm]

On 3/27/2016 at 0:32 AM, ClassApp said:

Hi! I haven't accepted an offer from UW Madison, but I am considering and went to their recruiting weekend. Their public transportation/bus system is very good. The buses are pretty much always on time--if anything, they're early. If the buses get too crowded and they need extra buses, the extra ones actually come earlier/before the main bus rather than after, which is great. Because the campus is pretty spread out and doesn't really have a central pedestrian area, they are able to get right up next to most of the buildings. We stayed at the Lowell Center and took a bus to Van Hise Hall, and it was actually quicker than walking in very good weather (and that's not a long walk at all). There are certain buses that come very frequently (like I think maybe the 10 and 80 buses??? don't remember for sure), so you'll probably want to look that info up and search for an apartment right along one of those bus lines. In addition, buses run every day of the week, although less frequently on weekends. The bus is free for students, I think. I currently attend UNC Chapel Hill, which has a decent bus system (certainly way better than a lot of places) and I was extremely impressed with their transportation system. That being said, I think that the grad students recommended that new students live within 2 miles-ish of campus (but double check on that, numbers aren't my strong point).

This is all pretty much accurate. The 80 bus is like a campus bus that runs every six minutes east and west through campus. You can look up all the other routes on their website I'm sure. With segregated fees (which you have to pay) you get a bus pass valid all fall, and then another one valid for spring/summer as long as you're here. There are a lot of different areas to live, some quiet and some not, I think people have summed it up in the Madison city guide. You can check cdliving.com, craigslist and campusareahousing.wisc.edu for places, or google the facebook group UW madison sublets if you want something short term

[far25]

Thank you for your answer @ClassApp and @biochemm I think I will look for a place in the Near East Side, near the James Madison Park, it seems nice. Anyway, I am from Chile, so I guess I have to wait to get there and see what to do, since I'm not able to travel before. Do you know how international students do to find a place?  In the meantime I'm applying to on campus housing in Harvey Street Apartments.

[biochemm]

8 minutes ago, far25 said:

Thank you for your answer @ClassApp and @biochemm I think I will look for a place in the Near East Side, near the James Madison Park, it seems nice. Anyway, I am from Chile, so I guess I have to wait to get there and see what to do, since I'm not able to travel before. Do you know how international students do to find a place?  In the meantime I'm applying to on campus housing in Harvey Street Apartments.

I personally found a sublet on facebook for a few months, then looked for a new place while I'm here. I've heard that the campus run housing is really nice and everything included so that's good, it just might be a little ways away from downtown and probably equidistant to campus

[pallavib]

On March 29, 2016 at 7:30 PM, biochemm said:

I personally found a sublet on facebook for a few months, then looked for a new place while I'm here. I've heard that the campus run housing is really nice and everything included so that's good, it just might be a little ways away from downtown and probably equidistant to campus

Are you sure the heating is included in campus housing? It says no Air conditioner, so I was worried!

[pallavib]

On March 29, 2016 at 7:20 PM, far25 said:

Thank you for your answer @ClassApp and @biochemm I think I will look for a place in the Near East Side, near the James Madison Park, it seems nice. Anyway, I am from Chile, so I guess I have to wait to get there and see what to do, since I'm not able to travel before. Do you know how international students do to find a place?  In the meantime I'm applying to on campus housing in Harvey Street Apartments.

Do you know when you get to hear about where you will be placed for housing on campus?

[biochemm]

8 hours ago, pallavib said:

Are you sure the heating is included in campus housing? It says no Air conditioner, so I was worried!

I was talking about the Harvey Street ones. The other two you have to pay electric but the other utilities are included. Either way all three you need to pay a bit extra to get an A/C installed, heating refers to the heating systems for when it's cold, not the A/C

[far25]

16 hours ago, pallavib said:

Do you know when you get to hear about where you will be placed for housing on campus?

I have no idea, I applied just in case, but I think I prefer something closer to the downtown.

What about you? Are you waiting for the housing on campus or you are looking for something else?

[pallavib]

On March 31, 2016 at 7:32 PM, biochemm said:

I was talking about the Harvey Street ones. The other two you have to pay electric but the other utilities are included. Either way all three you need to pay a bit extra to get an A/C installed, heating refers to the heating systems for when it's cold, not the A/C

Oh okay! Thanks! I am from Dubai so we really never need heating  Do you need an A/C in summer in Madison though?

[pallavib]

On March 31, 2016 at 3:41 AM, far25 said:

I have no idea, I applied just in case, but I think I prefer something closer to the downtown.

What about you? Are you waiting for the housing on campus or you are looking for something else?

I've done the same, applied for single rooms in all three university owned apartments, but will hopefully look for some more places once I reach in December.

[mahtog]

Hi Everyone,

I plan to attend the PhD program starting Fall 2016. I too have applied to the university housing- Eagle Heights since I have family. Has anyone so far received any notification from the system about application verification or waitlist? It's been 3-4 weeks since I applied on the website. 

Also, I am not sure if I should look for another place as a backup. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Stevia11]

On 3/29/2016 at 10:20 AM, far25 said:

Thank you for your answer @ClassApp and @biochemm I think I will look for a place in the Near East Side, near the James Madison Park, it seems nice. Anyway, I am from Chile, so I guess I have to wait to get there and see what to do, since I'm not able to travel before. Do you know how international students do to find a place?  In the meantime I'm applying to on campus housing in Harvey Street Apartments.

There's a facebook group called "New UW Madison Sublet and Roommate Board". A lot of undergraduates and grads post there to find roommates and sublet. If not, a lot of people also post on Craigslist. The main property management companies are Madison Property Management, Steve Brown Apartments, Keller, Greenbush, JSM, etc.

Generally rents at newer, downtown-located apartments like The Hub, Domain, Grand Central, Lucky Apartments, etc. are pretty expensive and can get up to 1500/month for a studio or 1 bedroom. But if you look for 3+ rooms, they can get pretty reasonable ~500. Also, parking downtown is really annoying and parking spots are highly sought after at about 80-100+/month. I honestly don't think a car is necessary because the bus system is pretty good (you get free bus pass if you're a student) and biking around downtown is also a good option.

[far25]

On 2/4/2016 at 9:41 AM, mahtog said:

Hi Everyone,

I plan to attend the PhD program starting Fall 2016. I too have applied to the university housing- Eagle Heights since I have family. Has anyone so far received any notification from the system about application verification or waitlist? It's been 3-4 weeks since I applied on the website. 

Also, I am not sure if I should look for another place as a backup. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

It seems that they will not notify about your position in the waitlist. They only let you know if something shows up, and that will be with 30 days notice. Therefore, I think you should look for another place as a option B.

23 hours ago, Stevia11 said:

There's a facebook group called "New UW Madison Sublet and Roommate Board". A lot of undergraduates and grads post there to find roommates and sublet. If not, a lot of people also post on Craigslist. The main property management companies are Madison Property Management, Steve Brown Apartments, Keller, Greenbush, JSM, etc.

Generally rents at newer, downtown-located apartments like The Hub, Domain, Grand Central, Lucky Apartments, etc. are pretty expensive and can get up to 1500/month for a studio or 1 bedroom. But if you look for 3+ rooms, they can get pretty reasonable ~500. Also, parking downtown is really annoying and parking spots are highly sought after at about 80-100+/month. I honestly don't think a car is necessary because the bus system is pretty good (you get free bus pass if you're a student) and biking around downtown is also a good option.

 

Yes! I read about that group in facebook too. Look at this webpage has plenty of useful information. http://international.engr.wisc.edu/incoming/housing.php 

And yes, I think I'll try to get a room in a share apartment, It's the best option.

 

[theNormalONE]

Hello everyone,

I will be joining U Wisconsin, Madison for my PhD in Psychology this Fall. I am interested in sharing an apartment. Anyone interested? We can talk or have have a skype about location, price etc.

[mahtog]

On 4/6/2016 at 11:33 PM, far25 said:

It seems that they will not notify about your position in the waitlist. They only let you know if something shows up, and that will be with 30 days notice. Therefore, I think you should look for another place as a option B.

 

Yes! I read about that group in facebook too. Look at this webpage has plenty of useful information. http://international.engr.wisc.edu/incoming/housing.php 

And yes, I think I'll try to get a room in a share apartment, It's the best option.

 

Thanks Far25. I guess I will wait for sometime before I go for plan B. 

Anyone else on this forum who has applied for housing in Eagle Heights?

[Denominator]

10 hours ago, mahtog said:

Thanks Far25. I guess I will wait for sometime before I go for plan B. 

Anyone else on this forum who has applied for housing in Eagle Heights?

I will be attending Wisconsin. I just confirmed my funding on Monday, but I applied to graduate student housing months ago. I have a wife and 3 kids.  I was told I should be able to get a 2 bedroom, but that 3 bedrooms have a wait list. So the plan for now is to have a 2 bedroom in either Eagle Heights or University Houses, until a 3 bedroom opens up.  They told me to expect to wait at least 6 months for a 3 bedroom to open up.  

Edited April 13, 2016 by Denominator

[mahtog]

On 4/13/2016 at 11:52 PM, Denominator said:

I will be attending Wisconsin. I just confirmed my funding on Monday, but I applied to graduate student housing months ago. I have a wife and 3 kids.  I was told I should be able to get a 2 bedroom, but that 3 bedrooms have a wait list. So the plan for now is to have a 2 bedroom in either Eagle Heights or University Houses, until a 3 bedroom opens up.  They told me to expect to wait at least 6 months for a 3 bedroom to open up.  

Thanks Denominator..this was helpful. I too have a family and would prefer a 2 bedroom. I am not sure whom to contact to know the status or chances of getting accommodation. Could you please share whom did you reach out to- email or phone? Was it the contact info on housing.wisc website?

Thanks again.

[Denominator]

5 hours ago, mahtog said:

Thanks Denominator..this was helpful. I too have a family and would prefer a 2 bedroom. I am not sure whom to contact to know the status or chances of getting accommodation. Could you please share whom did you reach out to- email or phone? Was it the contact info on housing.wisc website?

Thanks again.

I spoke with Leasing Coordinator, Peggy Lockhart.  Her contact info is:

• (608) 262-2789
• leasing@housing.wisc.edu

 

https://www.housing.wisc.edu/about-accommodationrequests.htm 

 

I did not think the info was located in a particularly obvious place.  I actually knew who she was (I had been transferred to her several times over the phone) and did a google search to find her info.

She has been very pleasant to deal with and has been able to answer all my questions the couple times I've spoken to her.  

She said offers would start going out in May for the upcoming fall.  I'm hoping to move up (I'm coming from Texas) mid to late August.  She made it sound as if once you've accepted an offer the actual move in very open to your schedule.  It sounded like a fairly painless process.

 

Edited April 15, 2016 by Denominator

[currentphilgrad]

I'm joining the Madison Philosophy Department in the fall. As for housing, I'm going to live off campus in a one bedroom. I actually just put the application in today!

[mahtog]

On 4/15/2016 at 8:31 PM, Denominator said:

I spoke with Leasing Coordinator, Peggy Lockhart.  Her contact info is:

• (608) 262-2789
• leasing@housing.wisc.edu

 

https://www.housing.wisc.edu/about-accommodationrequests.htm 

 

I did not think the info was located in a particularly obvious place.  I actually knew who she was (I had been transferred to her several times over the phone) and did a google search to find her info.

She has been very pleasant to deal with and has been able to answer all my questions the couple times I've spoken to her.  

She said offers would start going out in May for the upcoming fall.  I'm hoping to move up (I'm coming from Texas) mid to late August.  She made it sound as if once you've accepted an offer the actual move in very open to your schedule.  It sounded like a fairly painless process.

 

Thank you Denominator. Really appreciate your detailed reply.

Regards.

[mandark]

Hi Everyone,

Does any current UW student have any experience with the "Harvey Street" apartments.

At $900 for a furnished 2 bedroom, this deal sounds too good to be true.

https://www.housing.wisc.edu/apartments-apply-rates.htm