Is Madrona Hall the best dorm at UW?

Madrona Hall had its debute in 2018, so it's a very new dorm! Because of the construction of Oak Hall that was going on during the year, getting to class took a little longer than if I had lived in McMahon or Haggett, but it wasn't a big deal at all. I lived on the communal bathroom side, which I think is the best way to go if you're trying to meet people and become acquainted with those you're living around. The bathrooms themselves were good, but just a lil gross cause with a lot of people using them, they are subjected to many different hygienic practices. Think U.S. public school bathrooms, but just slightly cleaner. The rooms are a good size, there's enough room to feel like you have your own space, the windows can be a little faulty sometimes but work out great no matter what. There are two lounges on each floor that have an oven, stove top, and sink. There are also two study lounges per floor.

North campus is the best location for new freshman as it’s right on campus and close to everything! This dorm is also fairly new and just as nice if not nicer than the west campus dorms but in a better location. Any dorm experience really depends on the people on your dorm floor which I was lucky with and communal bathrooms really gives you the full college of experience.

Chose this dorm because it was brand new and featured a communal gender-neutral bathroom (1 big room with many smaller completely covered bathrooms/showers). Dining is just downstairs in the next dorm. Close to campus. May smell weed occasionally because of frat bois.

Last year, I lived on the 7th floor of Madrona Hall, a dorm on North Campus with 8 floors and an L-shaped layout. My 3 bed, 1 private bathroom dorm overlooked Denny Field, and sometimes I still wish I lived in the dorms. The hallways in Madrona Hall are divided into two, with one hallway having rooms that share a communal bathroom and the other hallway having rooms with private bathrooms. Each room in the dorm comes with beds, desks, and dressers for every resident, and the room layout is ultimately up to the students. In addition, the ends of each floor have one study room and one kitchen that are both accessible 24/7. Other amenities include washer and dryer units, vending machines, a piano room, and public and private study tables for students within the dorm, all available on the first floor of the hall. Madrona Hall is located on North Campus (within campus grounds) compared to West Campus dorms (off campus grounds). For this reason, North Campus is safer and more social for students. There is an RA on call 24/7 as well as security guards on patrol during all night hours. My overall experience living in the dorms during my freshman year is 5/5 stars :)