The housing and residential life departments have been hard at work to make sure everything is ready for the big Welcome Week move-in.
"We are eager for students to move into the dorms," said Jane Olson, an area coordinator for Residence Life.
"We are now in the process of developing staff members and preparing for the coming weeks."
With most of the summer spent dealing with summer camps, both departments are now in the process of getting ready for the students.
"As of right now we are dealing with the opening as the weeks approach," said Tim Knight, the director for Case Hall and Wonders Hall.
"We are taking care of maintenance concerns right now and started final prep for the students' arrival."
Knight considers welcome weekend a very busy but enjoyable time around the dorm because of the number of people out there.
"There are more people out during this time than any time, given it is the first week of the year," Knight said.
"But more people make it more festive, and with the nice weather it is always a fun time of the year."
This year, though, is slightly different from past years because Synder Hall and Phillips Hall dorms will be closed for renovations.
"One of the changes that has occurred now that Synder and Phillips (halls) are closed is we are limiting the number of singles we can occupy in the dorms this year," Knight said.
In past years, the university has offered about 2,500 single rooms to students, but this year, less than half of those are designated as singles.
Olson added they have known for a while about the closing and planned ahead for it, but added that each year there's a different plan.
"Planning for each is always different," Olson said.
"We are planning around how we can help students adapt to living in a residence hall."
Angela Brown, University Housing director, said Housing & Food Services planned for the dorms' closure a few years ago.
Besides the two dorms undergoing construction, an influx of students could also make moving in more crowded for some students .
There are 600 transitional rooms this year — three students living in a space that usually holds two — as compared to about 650 last year.
Brown said the number will continue to drop as move-in gets closer because some students will decide not to attend MSU.
The total size of the university is expected to be similar to last year — about 7,300 incoming freshmen and transfer students, said James Cotter, admissions senior associate director.
Cotter also worked with University Housing and Food Services to plan for the arrival of students.
An adjustment in the percentage of students accepted was made to accommodate for the influx of applications this year, Cotter said.
This year, 23,200 students applied to MSU, while about 21,800 applied last year.
Because of this increase, he said, the university accepted 73 percent of applicants rather than last year's 76 percent.
"I think the increase in applications reflects a growth of visibility both outside the state of Michigan and outside the U.S." Cotter said.
"I think that it also suggests a number of folks are looking at Michigan State both in state and out of state as an institution with outstanding opportunities."
