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From left to right, Hana Altabbaa, Badger parent, and Dana Tabaza, MENA programming Intern, pose for a photo during “A Night at The Bazaar” kickoff event for MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) Heritage Month at the Red Gym at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on March 1, 2024. The event featured cultural clothing, live music, food from across the region, and activities including henna, tatreez embroidery, calligraphy, and glass mosaics. (Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison)

Navigating Housing as an International Student: Daniela’s Story

An international student’s journey through housing hurdles and finally finding a home

By: Katherine Canela


Daniela Wright, an international student at the University of Wisconsin, faced many housing barriers – some unique to her immigrant status and others that are common among college students – as she navigated the housing market to secure a place for sophomore year. 

Daniela began searching for a place where she would live the following school year as soon as she arrived on campus from Cancun, Mexico. Living in the dorms has been a good experience; however, she desires the comfort of having her own room and a private bathroom among other features that only an apartment could offer. 

For the majority of freshmen, the best time to look for housing is from early October to November. However, when asked what she would change about her experience, Daniela did not hesitate.

“I think I should have started [the housing search] earlier,” said Daniela.

She believes that many of the challenges she had faced could have been avoided if she had only started searching sooner. 

One of these challenges was finding a cosigner. Having recently arrived in the United States, Daniela didn’t realize she would need a U.S. citizen to sign her lease. 

“They did require an American citizen. My parents are not American, so they don’t have an American credit score,” said Daniela. This issue caused Daniela a  lot of stress, and she questioned if she would find housing.

Fortunately, her parents were able to reach out to a close family friend who took the step and cosigned for Daniela. 

“Thankfully they do know people and they’re close with people here in the U.S., so one of their friends was able to basically sign the lease for me. But I know that not all international students have that [option],” said Daniela. 

Another challenge that Daniela faced was finding roommates. While this is a common issue among people who are looking for a place to live, Daniela’s experience was a bit more complicated—she did not know anyone on campus prior to moving to the United States. 

As she searched for housing, the people she was planning on moving in with had only been in her life a short period of time. 

“I only knew these girls for two months, and I’m already thinking that I’m gonna live with them. I wish it wasn’t like that,” said Daniela. 

Furthermore, a miscommunication, with one of the girls she believed would be her roommate, led Daniela to lose an apartment opportunity.

The girl told Daniela that she could not move in with her, after she had found an apartment. Daniela panicked and tried to find a quick replacement but by the time she found another person the apartment was gone. 

Despite the setbacks, Daniela was able to find housing that is not too far from campus and is good enough for her sophomore year.

 As she reminisces over her experience, Daniela advises other international students to begin looking for housing much earlier than she did and there is a way this process could be simplified.

OpenHouse, an app set to launch in May 2025, is designed to help students search for housing and connect with potential roommates before even stepping on campus. The app aims to remove uncertainty and give students a sense of control in their housing journey.

It promises to make finding a “home away from home” a little easier. 

Had this app been around during Daniela’s search, it would have made her process a lot more amicable. While it was not available then, the app will certainly be here for her future housing journeys. 

Source:

Daniela Wright, Freshman at University of Wisconsin-Madison, (608)896-4230

InternationalStudent. (2023). Student Housing Search – Products & Services for International Students. International Student. https://www.internationalstudent.com/products-services/student-housing/ 

Taher, S. (2024, July 7). International Student Housing: Housing Options for International Students in the US | Shorelight. Shorelight.com. https://shorelight.com/student-stories/international-student-housing/ 

University of Wisconsin Madison. (n.d.). INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS. OFFICE of ADMISSIONS and RECRUITMENT. https://admissions.wisc.edu/international/