A Comprehensive Review of UConn Freshman Dorms
Choosing the right dormitory at the University of Connecticut (UConn) can significantly enhance your university experience. This comprehensive guide explores a variety of dorm options available at UConn, from the bustling energy of central campus locations to the quieter, apartment-style living on the outskirts. Each dormitory at UConn offers unique pros and cons, and the best choice depends on your personal preferences and needs.
Werth Tower
Rated consistently high among students, Werth Tower stands out as one of the best freshman dorms for its modern facilities and vibrant community atmosphere. It is a beautiful brand new building.
Pros: Werth Tower offers personal AC you can adjust, high-quality dining nearby, and modernized common areas that are large and each one has a TV, clean AF bathrooms that are spacious, personal AC you can adjust. You will make lots of friends in your learning community (hopefully) 10/10 best freshman dorms. Walk to Mchugh is about 5-8 minutes depending on your pace. 3 elevators so you never get stuck long (unless they break which is semi often).
Cons: Hallways get loud. Fast. You hear everything in the hallway through the door. Wall to wall not so much. People fuck here like rabbits. I had a freshman girl who thought it was a good idea to have sex on a bed that wasn't lifted properly so you can imagine how loud that thing was when it hit into my side of the wall. Vents between rooms carry sound. Careful.
Northwest Dorms
Northwest is probably the best area for Freshmen to live in. Anyone is allowed to live here but I feel like a lot of freshmen do. It's a 10 min walk from the center of campus which isn't bad at all. The rooms here are about 151 sq ft which is not that big but not too small. The desks in the room are perfect! Plus they have shelves attached to them which are so useful for decorations and storage. I was in Russell Hall, and the bathrooms were spacious and fairly clean, depending on who you're living with. Lofting/bunking is not permitted because the ceilings are low however, I bought bed risers to raise my bed to a good height. Also, Northwest has one of the better dining halls on campus!
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Pros: Northwest is probably one of the cleanest quads in freshman housing. I was in Rogers hall, and the bathrooms were the cleanest of any residence hall I visited. The rooms are a bit small--but they compensate with hutch desks. Lofting is not permitted because the ceilings are rather low. The buildings lacked decent study spaces with whiteboards, rather bare bones and all on the first floor. Also, Northwest has one of the better dining halls. Lived here throughout my 4 years at UConn. Decent dining hall, great location for STEM majors, and overall decent looking. Would be better if all rooms at AC (lucked out junior and senior years, both had AC)I enjoyed my time in Northwest SO MUCH. It is an okay distance from the center of campus (not much better you can do anyway), the dining hall is good, it has grab and go, rooms are an okay size (not too big/not too small), you don’t have to bunk/loft the beds, and the desks are magnificent! I met some forever friends in Rogers and wouldn’t have wanted to live anywhere else my freshman year! Only con is that there is no AC, but that’s only a problem the first month or so. Living in Northwest was so much fun. The dorms are kinda small but the bathrooms are pretty nice once you get past the initial grossness- they were never really too crowded. Of course it varies by year and floor, but my floor (and building) got really close and that made living there a lot of fun. Northwest dining hall is solid and just a short walk from any of the buildings in Northwest. In terms of location, it's right near a lot of the STEM buildings and super close to off-campus restaurants and the bars. I'll really miss living in Northwest and I'm super bummed that my time living there got cut short. Lived here my freshman and sophomore year because I was a member of the pre-pharmacy learning community. The rooms are really nice but the heaters are on full blast in the winter. It was really nice to be near two dining halls and have options, plus northwest serves late night. You are also really close to the warehouse if you order a large package. I really enjoyed living here my freshmen year. Not really any complaints other than the bathrooms being kinda dirty most of the time, but that depends on who lives on your floor. Being right next to northwest dining hall is the best thing about living at northwest: great food, open late, and close to subway, a pizza place, liquor store, general store, sushi place, and more all just down the road. I lived in Rogers. Private bathrooms are only located on the first floor. The ones in the other floors are not private, but they're very clean and pleasant to be in.
Cons: Rooms kind of sucked, they weren't very spacious, and the building (rooms included) was often filled with ladybugs. It's a bit of a walk from the center of the campus, but it's nothing too bad.
South Campus
The dorms at South Campus are well-regarded for their suite-style rooms, which include shared living spaces and are a hit among upperclassmen.
Pros: Located close to Storrs Center, South Campus offers easy access to dining, shopping, and recreational facilities. I lived in a 4 person suite in Snow Hall, which is Honors Housing. The suite is very spacious, and it is awesome to have your own bathroom. The bathrooms have the toilet portioned off with a stall divider, so someone can shower while another person uses the toilet or sink which is convenient. The rooms do have AC and you can adjust the heating temperature at any time by calling a phone number listed on the back of the door. There are 2 large lounges 2 smaller study alcoves on each floor. There are 2 kitchens on the main floor. Although the dining hall is in Rome Hall, you only have to walk outside for 10 seconds to get to the door of South dining hall, which is one of the only dining halls open for breakfast on weekends and grab and go. Additionally, Snow Hall is a 5 minute walk from McMahon, which has Late Night. Snow Hall is a perfect location, as it is only a 5 minute walk from the center of campus including the gym, library, and student union. I will be living here again next year.
Garrigus Suites
Garrigus gave me a pretty great experience for many reasons. Despite it being on a hill, it's an easy walk down right to the center of campus for a late night run to the Union or a quick walk to the Rec Center.
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Pros: I lived on the top floor, which meant we had high ceilings. I definitely think this made the room feel a lot bigger, as the rooms on the lower floors had low ceilings and made the rooms seem smaller. A high ceiling goes a long way! There are lounges on every floor, as well as one giant one across from the main entrance that looks out over the Sherman Family Sports Complex. The best part of Garrigus was AIR CONDITIONING! It was the only dorm I lived in that offered it, and we ended up having friends come sleep on our floor during hotter nights because their dorms were so hot. You can call and an automated voice will help you set the temperature. It was amazing. I also think the bathrooms were okay, it was nice not having to see strangers (if you lived with friends on the other side of the suite, that is). Garrigus was the best dorm I lived in by far.
McMahon Hall
McMahon Hall offers a global living experience, hosting the International/Languages floor. You may remember McMahon as the place you stayed during summer orientation.
Pros: The dining hall is within the same dorm building, which is super convenient especially during the winter. Students have said that because it is a small residential area it is easier to get to know people.
Cons: The rooms are very small (unless you were lucky enough to get corner room) and however, it is harder to meet other freshmen - it is primarily an upperclassman area.
Alumni Residence Halls
LOVE ALUMNI!! Belden is the best (BCLC!) and it is so close to everything you need on campus. The elevators are great especially on move-in day, and the location is amazing, especially compared to other standard Freshman locations.
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Pros: Alumni Residence Halls provide a traditional dorm experience with easy access to several campus dining options. Maybe not the best location for STEM majors/classes, but other than that it is so close to the two best dining halls, it is near the center of campus/bookstore/Union/Library/School of Business/new Rec Center, and basically it is the best place to live as a Freshman. Werth is nice too, but Alumni gives you the true dorm feel in a great location, and the buildings are well maintained. Werth to me feels more like a hotel than a dorm. You can't go wrong in Alumni!
Hilltop Apartments
For those who prefer a more independent lifestyle, the Hilltop Apartments offer a solution with apartment-style living.
Pros: Hilltop has high efficiency doubles (like a studio), 2br2ba, and 4br4ba. These are some of the hardest rooms to get because of how nice they are. Pro tip- 3rd floor has extra high ceilings which is great! You don’t have to have a meal plan, which can save lots of $$. It’s pretty close to the ice skating rink. There’s AC and laundry in each apt!! There’s a kitchen, game room, tv room, and study area there.
Cons: Not too sure why they’re called hilltop apartments, bc they’re at the bottom of the hill, behind hilltop dorms and Weurth. Makes getting to class a struggle and a half. Another con - the pantry is really small, so I would bring an extra shelf for food storage if you can. These are some of the most coveted spaces to live, however, if I were a science student, charter oak apartments is a better place to live better bc it’s closer to the science side of campus, has a better bus line, and is arguably just as nice. Sadly, neither have elevators.
East Campus - Holcomb & Sprague
I have lived in East Campus for three years - in a Holcomb double my sophomore year and in a Sprague single for my junior and senior years. I absolutely love this area of campus.
Pros: It's very quiet and perfect for those who want to live on campus but also want a more adult, apartment-like atmosphere, where people are respectful and generally keep to themselves. The rooms themselves are a reasonable size and comfortable, with a homey feel. I loved coming back here from a long day of classes / activities or a fun night out to some peace and quiet. Plus Whitney is the best dining hall on campus with a lot of healthy options to choose from. Despite being across the road from the center of campus, its actually not as far as it seems (7 min walk to the library, 10 min walk to TLS).
Cons: A Lot is small, so sometimes you have to park up the hill at T / W Lot. The buildings are some of the oldest on campus (from the 40s and 50s), so naturally things tend to break once in a while. The communal bathrooms can be a bit gross because of age and also for typical dorm bathroom reasons. There is no air conditioning in any of the buildings except in the dining hall, but that is only an inconvenience for the first two weeks of classes. East Campus tends to attract mostly juniors / seniors. Depending on if you have enough credits, rising sophomores might be able to nab one of the remaining doubles but probably not a single.
900 Washington Blvd (Stamford)
I absolutely loved my apartment styled dorms while living on campus. From the marble counter tops, full size kitchen and living room, to the high ceilings of the 6th floor penthouses.
Pros: I wish that I could rent an apartment at UConn stamford, but now I go to Storrs and the dorms at Storrs cant even compare to the dorms in Stamford. If you are thinking about going to Stamford, or even sad that you're going to Stamford and not Storrs you will be happily surprised that the dorms are the best aspect of the campus as a whole. Plus everyone is close by, everyone is welcoming, people love cooking for their neighbors, and parties in the apartments top and basement frat party you'll get at Storrs. I have lived in each styled dorm they offer (single, double, triple, even a 5 person apartment) I promise you the dorms are spectacular.
Other Dorms
I've only had 2 bad experiences out of the year that I stayed there. The first was due to a pipe that busted from calcium corrosion, water was flooding in my bathroom and kitchen for 4 days and the office wouldn't send anyone to look at it. Took all of 2 hours to get it all fixed. Next issue, there was one month randomly that had bugs come from eveey which way no matter what product i used to kill, or the products i used to clean. Over all though, the staff, the neighbors, the amenities I loved. It was the perfect first apartment choice.
Lived in McMahon both freshman and sophomore year. Freshman year in a standard sized double and sophomore year in the corner rooms. I’d highly suggest trying to snag a corner room if you can as the huge space is definitely worth it. The cons of Mcm would definitely be the standard sized rooms, and the bathrooms depending on the floor you live on. The shower stalls are a bit of a plus as there’s a separate changing area, but it can get a little gross of your floor mates are not as clean. Overall a really great place to live and would spring for it if one has the chance. Truly McFam for life!
West Campus For what it is, West works for sophomore-year housing. It's location is unmatched and the bathrooms were just renovated a couple years ago. If you've only lived in dorms, West will be a more than suitable spot. The biggest issues are the buildings were built around WWII and haven't been upgraded much since then. The rooms can have issues (falling ceiling tiles, door issues) but maintenance is attentive and quick to respond if you put in a work order. The lounges are big and a good place to work if your room is too loud. While having two dining halls nearby, the downside is both requires a decent walk outside, which isn't fun in the middle of winter. On top of that, both dining halls are terrible, too. But having multiple options means there's a half-decent chance you'll find something to eat. It's not going to win any awards, but West is a good place to live early in your college career.
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