Michigan State University Sophomore Dorms Ranked

Holmes is definitely nicer than the other residence halls in East Neighborhood (Akers and Hubbard), but it is not amazing. The rooms are a decent size, but I recommend that you and your roommate loft your bed to maximize space. The bathroom is not the best. My ceiling was moldy and leaked probably 2 or 3 times throughout the year, and the shower had mold in it when I moved in. In terms of amenities, the laundry room, in East Holmes at least, is terrible. The dryers are often left out of order for weeks and/or months with an out-of-order sign, so plan accordingly when you plan to do a load of laundry. In terms of location, Holmes is only a 20-minute walk from downtown or a 15-minute bus ride, but East Neighborhood is far from most things anyway, and you will get used to the distance. - 2 weeks ago

I lived on the first floor of east. Never had a roach problem but ik people who had mice. Walls are really thin so don't be an asshole and be loud.

Bathrooms are fine just make sure you have clean roommates/suitemates cuz that ruined it for me tbh. Depends on the room but you might get lucky with a good shower or toilet.

East Mcdonel is full of freshman and business majors so it gets really loud. West is usually sophomores and a lot quieter.

Spartys lowkey sucks compared to the others but it's not bad since it's in the building. The community kitchen is nice and huge. There are many study spots in the building you can access anytime.

I loved being near the rivertrail especially when it's fall! It also takes you straight to the business building. The walk to the dining hall+hubbard spartys isn't horrible. I have nothing to complain about location to be honest because there is a bus stop right in front of McDonel.

Overall, I really enjoyed staying at McDonel especially since it fit my needs for living. Most of the battle is getting along with the people you live with and making sure everyone is living content! - 1 year ago

Location is great! I highly recommend living there if you want to be close to off campus activities. The issue is that I had a lot of terrible bathroom experiences with some people being inconsiderate of others who lived on the floor. The dorms are also old so they are not in the best condition, which is understandable. Overall if you want a dorm close to one of the better dining halls on campus and grand river I highly recommend it! - 1 year ago

Bathrooms are new and having the dining hall below you on the first floor was amazing! Having a corner room is a plus because the room is like double the size as the average Landon dorm room. 10 minute walk to IM west, 5 minute walk to library, 5 minute walk to grand river. Bus stop is also right outside the dorm and takes you anywhere on campus. Loved the dining hall food especially the make your own panini and pizza station. - 1 year ago

Terrible dorm to live in not considering its location. The bathrooms were always trashed - which was more of a resident issue but we couldn’t do anything about it until maintenance came through the next day. We never had toilet paper or soap either. There are very few study rooms, and even those are bare and not welcoming of more than one party. The elevator on the east side was often out of service, which was a huge inconvenience for laundry. Also, if your room jutted out a little further than the neighboring rooms, you could see perfectly into your neighbors room which felt like a complete violation of privacy. - 1 year ago