There are dorms that are popular on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus: Elizabeth Waters, the scenic hall in the center of campus, or the new Ogg, which has air conditioning and walk-in closets.

And then, for whatever reason, there are the ones that aren’t. Whether it be Witte, Cole, Kronshage, or another, officials say they’re never sure which dorms will drop to the bottom of the list on any given year, falling victim to the whims of 17- and 18-year-olds.

In particular, the university has had some trouble enticing students to live in dorms they label as learning communities, or those that bring faculty, staff and unique seminars into dorm life.

There are two full dorms on campus with this mission — Chadbourne and Bradley — plus floors with special interest themes like women in science and engineering, entrepreneurship, international interests and more.

Last year, UW-Madison started a program that rewards students for picking these halls by allowing them to choose their room online, a la seat selection with the airlines. The fate of other students are left to a computer program’s random picks.

And although rooms don’t vary greatly, students like having the control of choosing the first floor or the top, near the bathroom or far, or with a view of the lake.

It seems to be working. Some 500 students used the system this year and the housing staff was able to mostly fill the learning communities with students who picked them as their No. 1 or 2 choice.

The reason for past low interest in learning communities could be a public relations problem. There is a sense among incoming freshman that it’s not clear what the dorms are, or worse, living there could mean social suicide.

"The term ‘learning community’ turned me off," said Andrew Beulen, who lived in Bradley last year because it was the only dorm left when he was accepted off the waiting list. "I didn’t understand what it was all about ... I had the idea it would probably be socially incapable students, which is untrue."

Other students say the learning communities are appealing to their parents, a sure sign for concern.

"I think my mom was kind of pulling for that," said Natalie Holzwart, from Deer Park, Ill., who will be a freshman in the fall. "It didn’t seem to interest me that much."

Employees at university housing have been working on the marketing materials for the dorms to make their missions more clear.

There’s no fear of leaving a dorm empty — UW-Madison doesn’t have enough rooms for the number of students who want to live in its dorms — but it’s a question of putting students in a hall they want to live in.

For the learning communities in particular, it’s key that the students want to live there so they will participate in the programming.

Cal Bergman, associate director of residential life for academic initiatives, said learning communities are especially important at large research universities, like UW-Madison, because they break down the size of campus, help smooth the transition, and allow for more faculty interaction.

Beulen, from Oshkosh, said although he was initially reluctant to live in Bradley, he quickly embraced it.

He said weekly discussions with peer mentors and faculty helped him adjust to college life and gave him a chance to get to know professors personally, which can be difficult for underclassmen at as large a university as UW-Madison. He’ll be a peer mentor next year for new students living in Bradley.

Officials also recognize that the learning communities are not for everyone and many students feel they get enough academics in class.

If anything, the university is investing more in its learning communities. In fall 2010, a sustainable living community is slated to open, tentatively called the Green House.