Boston University Freshman Dorms: A Comprehensive Guide

Choosing where to live during your freshman year at Boston University is a big decision. With a large undergraduate population and guaranteed on-campus housing, BU offers a variety of options. This guide provides an overview of the freshman dorms to help you rank your choices and find the best fit.

Understanding the Freshman Housing Application

When filling out the housing application, freshmen make several choices, including selecting a roommate, indicating interest in a single room, and, most importantly, ranking their preferred freshman dorms. The application process includes:

Welcome Page: Provides introductory information about the application.
Residence License Agreement: Must be signed to continue.
Medical/Dietary Preferences: Indicate any relevant needs.
Living-Learning & Specialty Communities: Apply to live with students who share your interests.
Residence Preferences: List your top five choices for dorms.
Dining Plan Selection: Choose a dining plan.
Additional Questions: Provide information to help with assignments.
Roommate Search: Find potential roommates by profile or details.

While BU tries to accommodate preferences, no requests are guaranteed.

Traditional Freshman Dorm Options

Most first-year students choose the large dormitories for their convenience and social opportunities. Here's a breakdown of the most common options:

Warren Towers

Warren Towers is the most popular freshman dorm on central/east campus. As the largest dorm on campus, composed of three towers, it offers a high chance of getting a spot there. It is a traditional-style residence hall primarily filled with doubles, quads, and some singles, all with communal bathrooms.

Location: Centrally located across from the College of Arts and Sciences building and the Center for Computing and Data Sciences. It is also within a five-minute walk of other colleges, the George Sherman Union (student center), and the Mugar Memorial Library.
Social Aspect: Warren provides an easy opportunity to make friends. The first few weeks are filled with introductions and chances to connect with other freshmen.
Dining Hall: Warren has its own dining hall, which is not the highest-rated but offers a good range of ice cream toppings and plays music.
Drawbacks: Some downsides stem from the age and quality of the dorm itself.
Overall: Warren is convenient and social, making it a popular choice for many freshmen.

West Campus Dorms

The West Campus dorms are equally popular with Warren for freshmen. They consist of three identical buildings: Claflin, Sleeper, and Rich Hall. It is home to most of the athletes, partiers (near Allston!), and CGS/CFA students. The layout is similar to Warren but with more separation between the three dorm towers.

Amenities: Includes a built-in dining hall generally ranked higher than Warren. The buildings were renovated in the early 2010s, making them newer than Warren.
Location: West campus is about a 15-minute walk from most classes (except those in the College of Fine Arts, College of General Studies, and School of Hospitality Administration).
Perspective: Some find the distance from classes a negative, while others appreciate the separation between academic and social life.
Campus Feel: West has a more campus-esque feel.
Views: You have a 50/50 chance of getting a scenic view of Nickerson Field and StuVi, or the less scenic Comm Ave.
Common Rooms: West has no common rooms for each floor, which might not be ideal for those who are shy.
Dining Hall: The dining hall is generally viewed as more appealing than the Warren one, but if you live in Rich, you’ll have to go outside to get to it.
Overall: West is a good option for those who want a balance between social life and academics, with newer facilities and a better dining hall.

The Towers

The Towers offer a similar living experience to Warren or West but with fewer social aspects and no built-in dining hall.

Atmosphere: It is known as the quiet dorm, which can be a positive or negative depending on your needs.
Dining Hall: The lack of a dedicated in-building dining hall might be a detractor.
Community: People who live in The Towers seem to have the closest floor friendships.
Location: It’s on a quieter street than Warren, still pretty close to most of the classes, and closer to East Campus and downtown Boston.
Feel: If you want more of a city feel while still being in a freshman dorm, this is your kind of place.
Overall: The Towers are ideal for those seeking a quieter, more relaxed living environment with a close-knit community.

Unique Living Experiences

Kilachand Hall

Kilachand Hall (the honors college dorm) provides the most unique living experience among all the freshman dorm options.

Amenities: Kilachand Hall provides a plethora of amenities that the other freshmen dorms do not. It offers air conditioning, private bathrooms, and a study lounge. The "common room" looks like more of a ballroom.
Drawbacks: Even with all of these amenities, Kilachand has had some issues with age.
Community: It is possible to live in Kilachand and not be in the honors college, which I’ve heard very mixed things about. Since you’re in the minority, it can be hard to meet people in your situation, but at least there are plenty of freshmen (in the honors college).
Security: The security guards are a lot more friendly.
Overall: Kilachand is perfect for honors students or those seeking a more luxurious dorm experience with a strong academic focus.

The Brownstones on Bay State Road

Getting a Bay State room as a freshman is rare.

Benefits: It comes with the benefit of sharing a bathroom with only 3-4 other students, not needing to sign guests in, and living in a very aesthetically pleasing building. Most freshmen living on Bay State will be placed in doubles or quads. You’ll be living in a gorgeous building with a kitchen and lots of space without having to worry about getting an apartment.
Drawbacks: It can be hard to make friends there since there aren’t many other freshmen. If you have a random roommate, it could even be a senior.
Overall: The Brownstones offer a unique, apartment-like living experience with beautiful surroundings, but may not be the most social option.

Myles Standish Hall

Everyone’s going to be jealous of you if you live here freshman year.

Amenities: Whether you want a kitchen, air conditioning, or you just love the Citgo sign, it’s the perfect place to live.
Drawbacks: On the negative side, the rooms are all in suites which makes it a bit more expensive. Also, again, fewer freshmen live here. You’ll have to walk to the dining hall, but at least Bay State is one of the better dining halls.
Overall: Myles Standish is a desirable option with great amenities, but it comes at a higher cost and may not be as social as other freshman dorms.

Specialty Communities

BU offers specialty communities for students interested in living with like-minded peers. These communities are faculty-guided and focus on experiential learning. Options include living with other College of Communication or College of Fine Arts students, or classmates interested in community service or wellness. The Faculty-in-Residence program puts professors in residence halls, serving as role models and resources for students.

Read also: History of the BU Bridge

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