UC Irvine Student Housing - Current Students

2008-09 Continuing Student Housing
Frequently Asked Questions

The information provided on this page is primarily for students who are eligible for guaranteed housing in 2008-09.

If you are not eligible for guaranteed housing, you may still apply to get on the 2008-09 housing wait-list for Arroyo Vista or Campus Village. Look below for more information on application timelines. Housing offers to the wait-list will be limited and will not begin until summer 2008. Off-campus housing information is available at www.housing.uci.edu/och/.

1. Who is eligible for guaranteed housing?
New freshmen who live on campus for their entire first year are eligible for a second year of guaranteed housing in 2008-09.
Campuswide Honors Program students, Regents Scholars, and Chancellor's Excellence Scholars are also eligible for guaranteed housing. Chancellor's Achievement Scholars are eligible for two years of guaranteed housing.

Eligible students must meet all application and contract deadlines to receive guaranteed housing. Students who miss deadlines will forfeit their guarantee and be placed on a housing wait-list. Wait-list applicants will be served by application date order, and only as space becomes available for 2008-09. It is likely that few if any wait-list applicants will be offered housing before Fall quarter begins.
2. What are my Housing options for 2008-09?
Housing options for guaranteed students include Arroyo Vista, Campus Village, Vista del Campo, and Vista del Campo Norte. Your housing application will ask you to rank at least three of of the four communities in order of preference; however, we cannot guarantee that all students will receive their first choice. To access information on each community, please visit the Housing Web site. Please note: Arroyo Vista is the only housing community offering academic year contracts (September - June) to continuing students. All other communities offer 12 month leases/contracts only.
After 11:59 p.m., November 21, 2007, ANY student applying for housing will do so without a guarantee of placement. See description of non-guaranteed housing options below.

2008-09 Housing Options for Non-Guaranteed Students: The online housing wait-list application for non-guaranteed students only offers Arroyo Vista and Campus Village as options. Non-guaranteed students who want to get on a VdC/VdCN wait-list may submit a paper application directly to those communities beginning on December 3. No application fee is required for these wait-list applications. If space remains available after guaranteed students are served, communities will notify wait-listed students of potential openings. It is likely that few if any wait-list applicants will be offered housing before Fall quarter begins.
3. How do I apply for guaranteed housing for 2008-09?
Step 1: Apply online -- Window opens at 6 a.m. on November 5, 2007; Window closes at 11:59 p.m. on November 21, 2007
There is no application fee to apply for housing as a continuing student. Eligible students will receive an e-mail with a link to the online application system prior to November 5. The application will ask you to rank at least three housing options in order of preference; however, we cannot guarantee that everyone will be offered housing in their first choice community.

Students who select Arroyo Vista as their first or second choice option will be required to select up to four theme houses and respond to two brief essay questions as part of their application. See below for AV essay questions.
If your top preferences are Vista del Campo, Vista del Campo Norte, or Campus Village, you will increase your chances of being offered those communities if you APPLY EARLY!

Step 2: Community Assignments -- VdC and VdC Norte notification by November 30th; Arroyo Vista and Campus Village notification by January 31, 2008.
Students will be notified by UCI e-mail by November 30th as to whether they have been selected for placement in Vista del Campo and Vista del Campo Norte OR remain in the pool for Arroyo Vista or Campus Village. Those selected for VdC/VdCN will be instructed to submit a separate application and $150 security deposit to either the VdC or VdC Norte housing office by Dec 21, 2007.

Students selected for either Arroyo Vista or Campus Village will be notified by UCI e-mail sometime between January 15 - 31 with their housing community assignment.

Step 3: Leasing / Housing Contracts -- December '07 - March '08
2008-09 Leases for Vista del Campo and Vista del Campo Norte will be completed between December 2007 and March 2008. Only 12-month leases will be offered in these communities, running either from June - June or September - September.

2008-09 Housing contracts for Arroyo Vista and Campus Village will be completed in February and March, 2008. Campus Village contracts are for a 12-month period running from June 2008 - June 2009. Arroyo Vista contracts are academic year contracts running from mid-Septmeber 2008 - June 2009.

Step 4: Room/Roommate/Apartment Assignments -- March '08 - May '08
Specific room/roommate/apartment assignments will be completed by each housing community sometime after their leasing period. After signing a 2008-09 housing contract/lease, check with your housing community for specific information on the assignment process and timeline.
4. Housing Time Line -- Important Dates
October 2007: Find out about your options! Open House events will be offered in Arroyo Vista and Campus Village. Vista del Campo and Vista del Campo Norte have regular hours when you can view a model room and see. See dates and times on the 2008-09 Guaranteed Housing Information page.
November 5 - 21, 2007: Submit your online application for 2008-09 guaranteed housing. Eligible students will be sent a link to the online application on November 2nd. The application window opens at 6 a.m. on November 5th. (Beginning at this time non-guaranteed students may begin applying to be on the 2008-09 housing wait-lists for Arroyo Vista and Campus Village.) While the windo is open, students may go back and make changes to their application if they wish to. The guaranteed housing application window remains open until 11:59 p.m., November 21, 2007. Once the window closes, guaranteed students will no longer be able to access their application and make changes.

After 11:59 PM, November 21, 2007, only wait-list housing applications will be available online for Arroyo Vista and Campus Village. Students interested in applying to VdC/VdCN after that date should submit a paper application and security deposit directly to the VdC/VdCN office. They will be placed on a waiting list and will only be offered a space after all guaranteed freshmen who act within the established deadline and interested current residents are placed.

December 3, 2007, students interested in applying to VdC/VdCN should submit a paper application directly to the VdC/VdCN office. They will be placed on a waiting list and will only be offered a space after all guaranteed freshmen who act within the established deadline and interested current residents are placed.

November 26 - November 30, 2007: On-time housing applicants will be notified by e-mail as to whether they were selected for placement in VdC or VdCN or remain in the Arroyo Vista/Campus Village pool. Students selected for VdC/VdCN must submit a paper VdC/VdCN application and $150 security deposit directly to those communities by December 21, 2007. Because of high demand for these communities, the housing offer window for VdC and VdC Norte will be extended through March 2008. Offers will be made in multiple rounds as spaces become available.

Arroyo Vista and Campus Village assignments will be e-mailed sometime between January 15 - 31, 2008.

December 2007– March 2008: Leases for Vista del Campo & VdC Norte leases will be completed between December 2007 and March 2008.

January 2008: Students selected for placement in Arroyo Vista and Campus Village will be notified by email of their housing community assignment sometime between January 15 - 31.

February - March 2008: Arroyo Vista and Campus Village contracts will be completed in February and March 2008. Turn in your Personal Information Form with your housing contract.

March - May 2008: Room/Roommate/Apartment assignments will be completed by each community. After signing a 2008-09 housing contract/lease, check with your housing community for more specific information on the assignment process and timeline.
5. Can I still apply for housing after the November 21 deadline?
Yes, but all online applications completed after 11:59 PM on November 21 will only be able to preference Arroyo Vista and Campus Village, and all will be placed on a wait-list. Housing offers to the wait-list will be limited, made in date order, and will not be made until summer 2008.

Students may also submit a paper application to be on the Vista del Campo or Vista del Campo Norte wait-list beginning on December 3, 2007. You can download an application from their website and turn it in directly to the applicable community leasing office. Offers will be made on a first come, first serve basis after all guaranteed students and current residents are served. As information becomes available, it will be posted at www.vistadelcampo.com. You can also contact them directly (VdC 949.854.0900/VdC Norte 949.856.4600) for more information.
6. What are the main differences between the communities? And how much will it cost?

Arroyo Vista is the only community that offers academic year housing contracts to continuing students. Arroyo Vista is a theme house community, with each house accommodating 16-32 students in double occupancy rooms. Themes include a variety of academic interests as well as Greek chapter affiliations. Cleaning service is provided for house bathrooms and common areas.

Campus Village, Vista del Campo, and VdC Norte are apartment communities that offer 12-month housing contracts/leases only, Vista del Campo and VdC Norte contract run either from June - June or September - September, and Campus Village contracts run from June to June. Residents maintain regular cleaning of their own apartments. None of the continuing student communities requires a meal plan. Students may purchase an optional meal plan through UCI Dining, and eat at the dining commons located in Mesa Court or Middle Earth and many on campus dining venues. See the chart below for additional information.

Since the costs associated with each community vary substantially, we strongly urge students to discuss their housing preferences with parents BEFORE completing their guaranteed housing application. You will only receive one offer of guaranteed housing, and will not be allowed to change community preferences after the application deadline.

2007-08 Housing Options
Community Differences	Arroyo Vista	Campus Village**	Vista del Campo	Vista del Campo Norte
Avg. Monthly Payment *(2007-08)**	$490* Furnished	$451* (Furnished) $399* (Unfurnished)	$617* 4 bedroom/2 bath	$497-788* 3 bedroom/2 bath
Contract Type	Academic Year (Sept - June)	Year-Round (June- June)	Year-Round (Sept –Sept or June-June)	Year-Round (Sept –Sept or June-June)
Bedrooms	Shared by 2	Shared by 2	Private	Private or Shared by 2
Furnished	Yes	Yes/No	Yes	Yes
Bathrooms	Shared by 12-16	Shared by 4	Private or Shared by 2	Private or Shared by 2
Free Parking	No	No	Parking is limited	Parking is limited
Air Conditioning	No	No	Yes	Yes

*Rates are for 2007-08. Rates are subject to change for 2008-09. For more information on current rates, click here.

7. How will people be selected for each community?
Students will be selected for Vista del Campo, VdC Norte, and Campus Village based on student preferences, date that the application is completed*, and space availability. Last year, we received many more requests for Vista del Campo and VdC Norte than we had space for. If you want to increase your chances of being offered housing in these communities, apply early and select them as your top two choices. Selections for Arroyo Vista are made by House Sponsors, based on student responses on their theme house application essay.

*Please note that the date your application is considered “complete” can change if you make any changes to your application. In particular, all elements of the AV portion of the application (i.e., house selections and sometimes essay responses) must be completed for your application as a whole to be complete. If you decide to modify your application and add AV as one of your top two community preferences, your application is considered “incomplete” until you select the house(s) you want to apply for and (if the house requires) complete the essay questions for each house. The online application screen will indicate whether your application status is “complete” or “incomplete”. If it is “incomplete”, check to make sure that you have ranked a minimum of three housing community options, and if AV is in your top 2, that you have completed all elements of the AV application section.”
8. What questions will I be asked on the Arroyo Vista housing application?
All Academic Theme Houses (with the exception of the Campuswide Honors Program house) select residents based on brief essay responses required on the housing application. Greek Houses do not require essays, but applicants must belong to the chapter in order to be considered for residency in the house. Essay questions are the same for all other AV Theme Houses (Please see questions listed below). Students are advised to draft their essay responses in advance of completing their housing application. You can copy and paste your responses into the application screens. Responses to each question must be between 50-500 words in length.

AV Academic Theme House Questions:

(1) Please describe how your background, academic interests/major, personal interests, achievements, and/or aspirations specifically fit the house theme. Include examples of any leadership experience, skills, and/or unique personal qualities you will bring to this specific house community. (If you are applying to International Village, also include any experiences living or studying abroad.)

(2) All residents are expected to participate in and help coordinate house activities and events. Describe at least one program or activity directly relevant to the house theme that you would like to participate in or help coordinate. What will be your contributing role in that program or activity?
9. If I am assigned to Vista del Campo or Vista del Campo Norte, how do I request a specific type of unit?
Students who are assigned to Vista del Campo or Vista del Campo Norte will make their unit type (and roommate) requests on the paper application that they turn in directly to those community housing offices. Your guaranteed housing offer in these communities is NOT a guarantee of an offer for a specific unit type. Lease offers will be based on available spaces at the time. Students who turn down a lease offer because it does not match their preferred unit type will forfeit their housing guarantee for next year.
10. Can I apply for housing with another person?
No. Every student applies for housing as an individual. However, if you and a friend are both offered housing in the same community, you may request to room with that person during the room/roommate assignment process. You will be more likely to be offered the same community as a friend if you both apply early and rank your community preferences in the same order.
11. How are roommates assigned?
Roommate assignments are made separately by each housing community. Generally speaking, assignments are made with the help of information you provide on the Personal Information Form, which you will receive with your housing contract or lease. All assigned roommates are of the same gender. Factors heavily weighed are roommate requests, smoking/non-smoking requests, and sleeping habits.
12. When will I find out about my room/roommate assignment?
You will be notified of the time line for roommate assignments when you receive your housing community lease or contract.
13. How far are the housing communities from the center of campus?
Campus Village is located near Ring Road next to the Science Library and the School of Biological Sciences. Campus Village is close to the center of campus.
Arroyo Vista, Vista del Campo, and Vista del Campo Norte are all located on the east campus, near the Anteater Recreation Center (ARC). The walk to campus is about 10-15 minutes, biking takes even less time, and you can also use the free shuttle service which brings students to and around the center of campus.

LINK: Campus Map
14. Are the rooms/apartments furnished?
Arroyo Vista, Vista del Campo, and Vista del Campo Norte offer furnished rooms/apartments. Campus Village offers mostly furnished units, but does have a limited number of unfurnished apartments. For more information, please visit the respective community Web sites.
15. Are utilities included in the rent?
All utilities except for telephone (and some electricity in Vista del Campo/VdC Norte) are included in the rent. VdC/VdCN have monthly electricity “caps” ranging from $60-$120 depending on the unit type. If residents exceed the cap in any given month, the excess cost above the cap is billed equally to all residents of the apartment.
16. Are there facilities for washing and drying clothes?
In Campus Village there are 2 coin-operated laundry rooms, which are open 24 hours for all CV residents. In Arroyo Vista, coin-operated washers and dryers are located in each house. In Vista del Campo and Vista del Campo Norte there are laundry facilities located throughout the communities.
17. What kinds of housekeeping facilities are provided?
In Arroyo Vista, housekeeping services for public areas (including house bathrooms) are provided on a daily basis, Monday through Friday. Individual rooms are NOT cleaned by the housekeeping staff, although vacuums are available for resident use. Roommates are expected to work together to keep individual rooms clean.
Residents in Campus Village, Vista del Campo, and Vista del Campo Norte are responsible for cleaning their own apartments.
18. Can I bring a car? Where do I park?
Parking on campus requires a parking permit. You can purchase a Resident parking permit for Arroyo Vista or Campus Village from the UCI Parking & Transportation office. For rates and information, please visit www.parking.uci.edu.
In Vista del Campo and Vista del Campo Norte, there is no separate fee for parking, but spaces are limited. Residents will be notified whether or not they will receive parking when they receive their lease. For VdC and VdC Norte residents who do not receive parking, there are a limited number of campus resident permits. Please refer to the UCI Parking and Transportation Services Web site for more information.

VdC and VdC Norte parking permits are valid for use in those communities only and cannot be used in campus lots. Undergraduate residents of VdC and VdC Norte are not eligible for commuter parking on the campus before 5pm. Evening commuter permits can be purchased from the UCI Parking and Transportation Services office.

Shuttle service runs regularly between Arroyo Vista, Vista del Campo and the main campus. Check the ASUCI Shuttles Web page for schedules.
19. Dining Options
Students living in Arroyo Vista, Campus Village, Vista del Campo, Vista del Campo Norte or off campus may purchase voluntary meal plans from UCI Dining at www.ucidining.com. Meals are served in three dining commons located in the residence hall communities, Middle Earth and Mesa Court. FlexDine dollars and Zot Bucks may also be used at several campus dining venues. Visit the UCI Dining Web site for sample menus and more information on meal plan options.
20. What are my other housing options?
Off Campus Housing Options
Students who choose to live off campus can visit the Housing Outreach Services on the 4th floor of the Student Center (G465) for assistance with finding a place to live or a roommate. You can view computerized listings of housing options available in the community, as well as a list of students looking for others to share a room or apartment. If you are looking for housing for fall 2008 with a group of people, you should begin your search no later than March 2008. If you do not have roommates and are looking for a room or shared bedroom, mid-summer is the best time to begin your search. For information, stop by our office, call (949) 824-7247, email housing@uci.edu, or go to the Off Campus Housing Web Site at www.housing.uci.edu/och/
21. Still have questions?
Please contact a Housing Advisor at housing@uci.edu or (949) 824-7247.

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