Ranking the Dorms at University of Wisconsin–Madison

I lived here during the sellery's big construction year. nothing like the blaring sound of metal banging to wake up in the morning. not to mention the multiple 3am fire drills we had. since i lived here before the renovations, it wasn't really aesthetic. wasn't particularly dirty, but everything was definitely worn down and gloomy. the best part of living here would be the community. there's a bunch of dorms on each floor, which is a super easy way to make friends. also loved how close it was the state st and classes. the bathrooms were okay, but the showers were unpredictable (sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes low pressure, sometime high pressure, etc). solid 3/5 - 2 years ago

The ethernet was very fast, there were clean public gender-segregated bathrooms with showers. There was nice common area on each floor with chairs and a tv monitor which I think played cable by default. The house-fellows were generally pretty nosy about alcohol, but my floor happened to have an extremely lenient one.

Pros include amazing location at the base of state street and in house decent dining hall food at Rheta's
Cons include non-free laundry machines, the high price, long elevator waits during high-use times.

Overall, I would recommend living 1 year in Chadbourne then getting an apartment afterward with some trusted associates. - 4 years ago

This dorm may be the "hidden gem" of UW Madison. Not too many people know about it but it definitely offers one of the best rooms, if not the best rooms on campus. It comes with a private bathroom and is bigger than the average dorm on campus. It's farther from most buildings but is right on the lake and close to the hospitals, pharmacy school, and nursing school. The building is on the quieter side and there are little to know parties going on (which in my opinion is a great thing). In conclusion, Phillips is great for a more introverted student who's main priority is academics over partying. It also offers some of the best quality rooms on campus. - 4 years ago

Dejope is great! It is the best dorm on lakeshore by far. The rooms have nice, high ceilings with plenty of light, and, often, lake views. The amenities are great, and there are plenty of bathrooms per floor. The main question is if you want to live in lake shore or the south-east. For me, the lake views were unbeatable. - 2 years ago

Waters is extremely close to most classes, especially typical freshman courses (depending on your major). It’s right by the lake and about 5 minutes away from Memorial Union/the terrace. In terms of living, the rooms are average or bigger than average sized depending on the floor you live on. The air conditioning isn’t great, and I’d recommend propping open a window when it’s not winter. All the rooms are carpeted. Liz’s Market, a dining hall, is located in Waters, making it very convenient for meals. Bathrooms are communal by floor and it really depends on how clean the people on your floor are for how clean the bathrooms will be. They do clean them daily, but I have friends who had problems with their bathroom being dirty. The building is very big compared to other dorms as it is spread out in 5 wings. There is elevator access to some floors and the dining hall, but not all floors so if that’s important to you make sure to check the floor plan or contact housing. The atmosphere of Waters is quiet. I often went to other dorms when hanging out with friends on weekends etc, but it’s really nice to have a quiet place to study. From the people I met, Waters is a mix of party people and not-party people. You’ll definitely be able to find people to hang out with no matter what you like to do. Also, Waters houses the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) learning community, which you can apply to when you fill out your housing preference. - 4 years ago

Never a dull moment in Witte. Still plenty of quiet to study in the lounge and basement. Little far from class but right next to the bus stop and closest to the restaurants and state street. You will not regret choosing Witte for sure - 4 years ago

Smith was a great dorm. Many people think that it isn't social because it is so far away but from my experience, it's very social. You just have to make an effort in the first week to make friends. The worst part about it is that it is a little farther from everything. It isn't bad unless you have to go all the way to lakeshore, then I'd recommend taking the bus. Rooms are super nice. Adjustable AC, carpeting, super high ceilings, walk in closets and you only share a bathroom with your cluster so this past year I shared a bathroom with 6 girls which wasn't bad. It is a bit expensive but I would definitely recommend a triple to cut costs. I loved living in a triple. Also, Newell's deli (which might be different now idk) is in the same dorm which can be super convenient. Overall, I loved Smith. - 4 years ago

The location is pretty well campus and it’s very convenient that it’s next to state street. I also love how I could see lake mendota from my view! - 2 years ago

Ogg is one of the best dorms. It has the best location, located right next to the brand new, amazing gym on campus(The Nick) and a top two dining hall(Gordon's). It's located in the bustling, SouthEast part of campus near the two party Freshman dorms, Sellery and Witte.

Dorm quality is good. Unfortunately no private rooms, you share a room with another student. Four rooms(eight people) share one bathroom. Each wing/floor has a common area. Laundry is only available on the first floor so it can get crowded during rush hour.

Students should have Ogg as one of their top picks for dorms. But you should not pick Ogg if you don't like the bustling scene, since the area has lots of Freshman from the party dorms and business students/athletes in Ogg. It can also get crowded/loud on game days. - 2 years ago

Merit has single rooms (small, no private bathroom) & double rooms (spacious, private bathroom), It has about 60 residents total. I lived in a double my sophomore year (2019-20), so my review will be based on this.

It's quite close to a lot of classes (<10min walk) and a bus stop (<1min walk). The dining hall is 2min away by walk. The closest gym is in Ogg (<1 min) away. Having lived in lakeshore prior, I was blown away at how convenient living in south-east was. I use the buses a lot, but not depending on a bus to get somewhere was wonderful. The location is great, and knowing that you could get anywhere (gym, the terrace, UHS, Walgreens, Fresh, dining hall, memorial union, union south, etc) quickly was crazy.

I chose Merit primarily because it had private bathrooms. I cannot tell you how much of a relief it is to not rush to the communal bathroom, hoping you get a stall (+ one with hot water) every single day. The AC worked fine, maintenance was prompt, facilities were new. The kitchen is spacious. Never had an issue with the laundry, always got a washer/dryer when I needed one. The only con would be the social life. Merit is a quiet dorm. If you're looking for making friends, this may not be the best choice. If this isn’t a problem for you, and/or you spend most of your time outside the dorm, then great!

I really enjoyed living in Merit and was quite sad when we were made to move out mid-semester due to COVID-19. I definitely recommend staying in a double in Merit! :) - 4 years ago