Ranking the Dorms at University of Washington

I lived in a 4br2ba apartment at Cedar for the 2019-2020 school year. The building is new and well-maintained but gets very hot during the summer without any air conditioning or decent ventilation. The windows only open a tiny amount. I never interacted with anyone else outside my apartment and the RAs in the building. RA hours are extremely limited and the residential life office is almost never open, and never any help with anything. - 4 years ago

The rooms themselves are new and decent sized. Lived on 9th floor of building A and had a great view of the water and space needle. Gets super hot (80+) when weather is above 70 and sunny out and is extremely difficult to cool it down. Windows have no screens but living on upper floor, did not have any issue with bugs. Bathrooms light switched are weirdly placed but have lots of counter space and drawers. Shower heads do not move but aren't awful. Kitchen is large with tons of storage space and huge fridge. Freezer gets super cold too! On the outer side of west campus and can make going to class feel like a trek. If you struggle with going to class, the distance will NOT be your friend, especially in winter quarter. Overall really enjoyed Mercer! - 5 months ago

pros: nice people, not too big, new building, roof deck, fairly quiet if your upstairs neighbors are chill

cons:
-LOCATION. it’s not that far from campus but i have a health condition that makes it so that i get lightheaded doing physical activity and the amount of stairs that it takes to get to campus has been a struggle… i feel like it should be slightly cheaper than, say, alder because the location is worse
-the bathrooms are nice but there’s no ventilation of any kind which makes sharing it a bit awkward, i would also be worried about this leading to mold/mildew, but the dorm is new enough that it’s not a problem right now
-i didn’t actually take any stars for this because it’s petty but the furniture was not designed for actual human beings. the couches in the lounges are so rectangular that your ass falls asleep after sitting there for like an hour and the beds are made of metal (???) that will clank loudly if they toss or turn a lot in bed - 2 years ago

Compared to the other dorms, Poplar is a centralized location, being the closest to the Ave and Red Square. The District Market, buses, and Dining Hall are all located just across the street. The Northgate bus is right outside, which was very nice.

My year had everyone talking to each other, and I actually made a number of my friends (that I still talk with) there.

The alleyway is used for easy loading and unloading when you move in and move out.

The part I did not like was how there was only one kitchen, and it was on the second floor, where the studios were.

It is also arguably the most secure building, with a lot of the doors requiring your UW ID to open. My friends and I liked to use the office rooms on the first floor to study, and usually the only other people there shared the same interests, so we'd watch each other's stuff if someone had to use the restroom (which was always clean on that floor). In the springtime, the office rooms also had AC.

While it does not have the DM or Local Point, I stayed there my first two years. It was a cozy hall, not too loud like Alder. - 4 years ago

McCarty Hall was a great dorm! Having the Mill in the basement, close to the food halls, ice cream shop, our own field to have a picnic or play activities on, and the list goes on. The only con I experienced living there was being on the side of the building closest to Greek row. You might hear the music coming from the frat houses if you live on a certain side, extra noise. Other than that, I really enjoyed it. Do take advantage of living there especially if you get in for Foster Direct Admissions and be in a llc (learning, living, community), it’s worth it. - 2 months ago

All west campus housing is great, but Maple is the best since they have two kitchens on each floor of the building while most other dorms only have one or two for the whole building. Two kitchens + four study rooms on each floor, plus all the added common areas and conference rooms give plenty of options for places to work and hangout with friends. Area 01 is right downstairs and Local Point is next door, so probably the best dorm choice in my opinion. Highly recommend. - 4 years ago

Cons:
-my shower constantly flooded due to clogged drains.
-there is only one kitchen and it is in the lobby, so 8/10 times it was already being used.
-No air conditioning so the rooms get HOT.
-Not enough study rooms, during midterms and finals, so you will likely need to go to the library unless you secure a study room in the morning and never leave.

Pros:
-it looks nice
-great location (minus screaming from the ave)
-Very social dorm - 4 years ago

Pretty good room overall. I had a triple with some friends and it felt a little cramped. Get a double if you value space. It's a little farther from campus compared to other west dorms but not too big of a deal. Just be prepared to walk up a lot of stairs everyday on the way to Red Square. My only complaint is that there is only a kitchen on the lobby floor and not every floor. As for the social aspect, not too crazy, everyone was pretty chill. - 4 years ago

Willow hall is a very optimal hall, relative to the other north campus halls. This is mostly due to the fact that the main North campus amenities are built directly into Willow. Otherwise, the rooms are perfectly fine, with a few caveats, such as some (not significant) space limitations, and a faulty set of lights in the bathroom (although i doubt this is common). - 4 years ago

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. - 4 years ago