Otago Halls of Residence

[Cathay]

St Mags is highly competitive but I still found a place in January/February

Result not typical.

Every now and then there are these small miracles of chance where people on the waiting list manage to get places at popular halls (vacated by people who accepted a place there and *then* found out they weren't coming to Otago).

It's nice to acknowledge that such miracles happen, but if every health sci turned down whatever they got expecting an offer from smags they will be very, very disappointed indeed.

 

[Rey]

Result not typical.

Every now and then there are these small miracles of chance where people on the waiting list manage to get places at popular halls (vacated by people who accepted a place there and *then* found out they weren't coming to Otago).

It's nice to acknowledge that such miracles happen, but if every health sci turned down whatever they got expecting an offer from smags they will be very, very disappointed indeed.

Wow I feel special then.

But yeah I wasn't that wonderful in high school, certainly didn't have stellar grades or awesome extra circs but I still got in.

 

[ching]

Hey I got an offer for Arana, but for one of the Arana houses, does anyone know about these, if they're better/worse than the main building and if you still make friends fine with everyone at Arana?

 

[platonically yours]

Hi [MENTION=16214]ching[/MENTION]! 1. Welcome to mso! 2. Breathe. Your time will at Uni is not going to hinge on living arrangements. 3. As my Careers Advisor puts it, 'as long as you're not an axe-murderer, you'll be fine.'

Sorry I don't know anything about Arana houses. That being said, it's unlikely living in one will make an outcast of anyone.

 

[marsupial]

Hey I got an offer for Arana, but for one of the Arana houses, does anyone know about these, if they're better/worse than the main building and if you still make friends fine with everyone at Arana?

One generally makes friends with the people who live on the same floor... so living in a house is really just the same. Living in a main building doesn't necessarily mean it'll be easier to make friends. Sure, you live in the same building but you only see them as much as you see people from other buildings/houses. You'll meet other people during meals and tutorials and it'll be much the same!

 

[Kpin]

hey does anyone know what happens if you let the offer lapse, because they want a $900 deposit by the 15th and $400 is non- refundable and iam unsure whether or not iam going to otago. The offer is from st mags, if i let it lapse i can still get back in or will they put me in some random hall?

 

[Havox]

hey does anyone know what happens if you let the offer lapse, because they want a $900 deposit by the 15th and $400 is non- refundable and iam unsure whether or not iam going to otago. The offer is from st mags, if i let it lapse i can still get back in or will they put me in some random hall?

The answer can be found by reading this thread. Also, please don't txttype on our forums, grammar and punctuation thanks

 

[marsupial]

hey does anyone know what happens if you let the offer lapse, because they want a $900 deposit by the 15th and $400 is non- refundable and iam unsure whether or not iam going to otago. The offer is from st mags, if i let it lapse i can still get back in or will they put me in some random hall?

Hey Kpin,

If you read some of the previous posts, they seem to suggest that you can get on a general waiting list and the chances that you get a spot in St Margs again is pretty slim.

However for your own assurance I would suggest that you read the contract that you may or may not have received. Then if that doesn't clear things up, perhaps ring them and tell them about your situation.
Last year my friend was in the same position as you and she called them and ended up on a 'St Margs' waiting list -- her words, not mine.
She only got the spot again because someone else had dropped out.

 

[Canon23]

Hello,
I had put my 3 choices as 1) St Margaret's 2) Carrington 3) Arana but now I got an offer from Salmond College instead. So I actually got rejected by all 3 colleges? I am a bit dumbfounded by this.

 

[greenglacier]

Hello,
I had put my 3 choices as 1) St Margaret's 2) Carrington 3) Arana but now I got an offer from Salmond College instead. So I actually got rejected by all 3 colleges? I am a bit dumbfounded by this.

Carrington and Arana generally don't even consider people who put them 2nd or 3rd... So what most likely happened is that St Margaret's turned you down and Carrington/Arana didn't even consider you (they've got enough people putting them 1st that they really can't start adding 2nd/3rd choicers into the mix).

 

[Canon23]

Carrington and Arana generally don't even consider people who put them 2nd or 3rd... So what most likely happened is that St Margaret's turned you down and Carrington/Arana didn't even consider you (they've got enough people putting them 1st that they really can't start adding 2nd/3rd choicers into the mix).

Oh okay...is there anything I can do? Should I go and get put on the general waiting list? Also, for the waiting list how does it work? Do I get "locked" into a random college's waiting list or can I actually choose the colleges I wish to apply to like the first time?

 

[mighty]

Oh okay...is there anything I can do? Should I go and get put on the general waiting list? Also, for the waiting list how does it work? Do I get "locked" into a random college's waiting list or can I actually choose the colleges I wish to apply to like the first time?

When I applied for accommodation and was put on the general waiting list I wasn't given an option to choose which college I got to apply to. I just got offered a random college (wasn't even on my preference list) - pretty much you just get whichever college has free spots and you don't get much (if any) choice in the matter.

 

[Cathay]

Oh okay...is there anything I can do? Should I go and get put on the general waiting list? Also, for the waiting list how does it work? Do I get "locked" into a random college's waiting list or can I actually choose the colleges I wish to apply to like the first time?

Check out and carefully consider Salmond before the waiting list. The general waiting list is the list that people waiting for spots go onto, and is generalized - everyone waiting for a spot is on there, and whichever college has space takes people from it. There is no choice or preference, you simply go onto it, and there's no telling who could give you an offer.

Although you'll hear stories of people getting into popular colleges off the GWL, they are the exceptions, not the trend.

As usual, we don't advise turning down what you're offered unless there's a very good reason - and simply saying "oh this one doesn't look as good" is not one. You're likely to end up in colleges considered 'rowdy' via the GWL, and if you ask me I'd say you could be doing much worse than Salmond. Also, if you're really unlucky on the GWL you may end up without an offer at all, meaning you'll have to come down to Dunedin and try to sort out some sort of flatting arrangement, which I'm pretty sure is much more stressful than being at a not-as-popular-as-StMargs college.

I don't know how many times this has come up in this thread, but turning down an offer because you wanted a "better" college is NEVER a good idea. At its core a college provides you with warm shelter, regular cooked meals of reasonable quality*, and a bunch of other freshers to make friends with; NEVER underestimate the importance of these three things, and don't overestimate the importance of other things.

In short, if you go on the general waiting list, you do so at your peril - your chances at getting a "better" offer is tiny, and you're not guaranteed an offer at all.

*: I believe meals are extra at Toroa?

 

[musica209]

Can anyone tell me their HONEST opinion on Salmond College. I've been offered a place there but........I've done a lot of reading and from what I've read it doesn't seem very good (I'm not saying that it won't get me into the degree I want just the College itself).
Please tell me it's nothing like it says here:
Salmond college - GP Forums Open Discussion

Because if it is I am seriously considering turning down the offer and risking it all by going on the GWL since I know Carrington won't accept anyone who doesn't put them as 1st reference.

[MENTION=7433]Canon23[/MENTION] Here's someone who was basically in the exact same position as you... Maybe you should message her and ask her how it went and what she ended up doing?

That GP forums thread didn't seem particularly negative to me...

Putting that aside, it's good you've realised that Salmond wouldn't reduce your chances of med compared to Carrington. I can understand why you'd be feeling skeptical about Salmond, and I'd be disappointed too if I got offered Salmond when I wanted Carrington. However, it's not all that bad - I know someone from my old school who wanted Carrington and got Salmond, and he's really enjoying it this year. I think it's unusual to not enjoy your hall, whichever hall that is. Heck, the current president of the medical students association is currently an RA at Salmond!

I suggest you accept the Salmond offer - you'll still have a blast there, you'll still get the same chance of med, and you really don't want to end up flatting (and there is a reasonable chance that's what you'll end up doing if you decline the offer).

And this is the advice she got, which is the same as what you're getting from gg, mighty and Cathay.

 

[Canon23]

@Canon23 Here's someone who was basically in the exact same position as you... Maybe you should message her and ask her how it went and what she ended up doing?



And this is the advice she got, which is the same as what you're getting from gg, mighty and Cathay.

Ok thank you music209! I have contacted crucible1317, though I think the last time she logged in was in May this year. Thanks everybody for being such a great help

 

[musica209]

Can anyone tell me their HONEST opinion on Salmond College. I've been offered a place there but........I've done a lot of reading and from what I've read it doesn't seem very good (I'm not saying that it won't get me into the degree I want just the College itself).
Please tell me it's nothing like it says here:
Salmond college - GP Forums Open Discussion

Because if it is I am seriously considering turning down the offer and risking it all by going on the GWL since I know Carrington won't accept anyone who doesn't put them as 1st reference.

Ok thank you music209! I have contacted crucible1317, though I think the last time she logged in was in May this year. Thanks everybody for being such a great help

If she doesn't respond, I heard from rurururuth (no idea how many ru's there are so I won't tag) that crucible ended up in Salmond, cos she's a friend of a friend.

 

[Voldemort]

Yeah I have a few friends who went to Salmond, and they really enjoyed it. I guess its just like any other hall, only maybe not as Smags-ish...

 

[cripwalker]

Hey guys, new to this but was just wondering, peoples opinions of Toroa college? I was on GWL and was given an offer from Toroa... The thing is I really want Unicol... Advice?

 

[frootloop]

Hey guys, new to this but was just wondering, peoples opinions of Toroa college? I was on GWL and was given an offer from Toroa... The thing is I really want Unicol... Advice?

This is probably the only time I'm ever going to say that rejecting an offer may not be a stupid idea. I gather living at Toroa isn't really all that different from flatting, so worst case scenario if you go back on the GWL and miss out entirely is that you end up more or less back to square one.
I don't even know if Toroa feeds you? (And if it does, I think it costs extra or something).

 

[cripwalker]

This is probably the only time I'm ever going to say that rejecting an offer may not be a stupid idea. I gather living at Toroa isn't really all that different from flatting, so worst case scenario if you go back on the GWL and miss out entirely is that you end up more or less back to square one.
I don't even know if Toroa feeds you? (And if it does, I think it costs extra or something).

Yea, exactly what i was thinking! What do you think the likelihood of me declining this and then getting an offer from the likes of Unicol or something of the sort?

Thanks for your time!