Meal Plan Advice to Frosh

The Meal Plan selection deadline of August 1st is fast approaching. The Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) wants to make sure you, as an incoming student, have as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision. We hope this letter will help you choose the Meal Plan best suited to your lifestyle.

Wesleyan offers four Meal Plan options for freshmen: Block 135 (the default plan), Block 165, Block 210, and Block 285. The overwhelming majority of freshmen choose Block 135: last spring, after frosh had a semester to figure out their dining habits, 83.4% of frosh selected the Block 135 plan.

The reason Block 135 is so popular is that it provides the most “points” of any Meal Plan. “Points,” unlike “Meals”, can be used at any dining location on campus including Pi Café, Weshop, WesWings , Usdan Café, and Red and Black Cafe. In comparison, “Meals” can only be used at the two traditional dining hall locations (Usdan Marketplace and Summerfields). All grab-and-go sandwiches, a la carte items, coffee, sushi, breakfast pastries, snacks, and groceries, plus all other items not sold at Usdan Marketplace or Summerfields, can only be purchased with “Points.” Also, while “points” roll-over from fall to spring semester—although not from year to year—leftover “meals” are wiped out at the end of every semester. For the greater flexibility afforded by more “points”, most students favor the Block 135 plan.

Even students who chose Block 135 usually have extra “Meals” left over (this spring the average frosh on block 135 had over 21 unused “Meals”). Block 135 provided more than enough “Meals” for most students on the plan. Very few students, even on the Block 135, end up running out of “Meals”. “Points”, conversely, often run out, especially for students not on the Block 135 plan.

Block 135 may not be the best plan for everybody. Three alternative plans exist with a greater ratio of “meals” to “points,” including the Block 165 plan which may be suitable for students who intend to eat breakfast in the Usdan Marketplace every day. However, we want to make sure you are aware that Block 135 is the best plan for most students.

If you have any further questions about the Meal Plan selection process, or the Wesleyan dining program, feel free to contact Evan Weber (Dining Committee Chair) at eweber@wesleyan.edu or the WSA at wsa@wesleyan.edu

Bon Appétit or just Dig In!

Sincerely,

Evan Weber ‘13, Chair of WSA Finance and Facilities Committee
Co-Chair of Student Dining Committee
eweber@wesleyan.edu

Zachary Malter’13, WSA President
zmalter@wesleyan.edu