UW Sophomore Dorms Ranked

Number 5

"Stayed here with my friends for two years. While old, it was cozy and it was nicer than we expected. We were in Building J, and my room faced the street. Laundry wasn't too far for us, about under a minute.

One of the biggest pros was the storage space, which we took advantage of.

Sound did not travel between the rooms a lot when the doors were closed, which surprised me.

For the bathroom, there were two sinks and two showers, with one of the showers being in a room by itself. We had two toilets, which was nice since one of them was located in a room with the other shower.

Its location was nice in terms of walking to and from classes, as well as the IMA. You can also walk to the Light Rail (or catch a bus since it goes along that path) easily via the Burke Trail, which passes through Stevens Court. It is not too far from the DM or Local Point, but is a little of a walk from Red Square and the Ave.

The front of our apartment faced one of the main lawns/squares, which was nice when it was snowing.

The main con for me was that our unit was upstairs and there was no elevator. So be careful when it's wet or icy, or if you're bringing in large items like furniture.

Heating in our unit was also not the best, as the rooms were not well-ventilated. I often kept my room vent partly shut or the heat would give me a headache from the lack of circulation. It was nice for the rest of the apartment though.

Came back once and wouldn't mind again!" See all 5 reviews

Number 4

"The side walls are soundproof but the ceiling and ground walls are thin so you can hear every single footstep someone makes above you. The rooms are very dusty but I personally haven't had a problem with asbestos or mold. I would not recommend getting a triple if your roommate stays in the dorm all the time because you will go crazy. Building amenities are fine, but once in a while some drunk person will destroy the elevator or burst the lounge pipeline and maintenance takes their sweet sweet time trying to fix it. Bathrooms are nice, the hot water comes fast but the shower head is kind of meh, but you can replace it with your own if you'd like. The heater smells like burnt noodles. The washing machine and dryer work fine, it's less crowded during mid-day of weekdays. Since the building is close to Greek row, you'll hear parties being thrown at a Tuesday night with very loud music. I find it a bit far from my classes but most of my classes are on the south end on campus and I am a lazy person. North campus is closer to U village if you like shopping." See all 10 reviews

Number 3

"Hansee is musty and smells bad all the time. There's no airflow in the hallways, bathrooms, or kitchens, so smells just linger for days. Stuff breaks all the time because the building is so old - one year a bunch of people's radiators started leaking and flooded their rooms over winter break. The gaps under the doors are huge so you can hear everything happening in the hallway at full volume. Also there's noise coming from all sides outside (Denny field and greek row are both often loud late at night). Bathrooms are communal, and people DO NOT keep them clean, and same with kitchenettes. There is mold growing in the showers that is never fully cleaned. There is only one full kitchen with an oven in the building (Blaine 3rd floor), all other kitchenettes only have a microwave and sink. There is one verrrrry slow and cramped elevator for the building, so you'll have to take the stairs almost all the time.

You could definitely, DEFINITELY get more bang for your buck with an off-campus apartment. But if you insist on living on-campus, it is a beautiful building with a lot of character and it's really nice to have a single room. It is quiet and peaceful most of the time." See all 4 reviews

Number 2

"Best apartments on West Campus, especially/only if you like/know all your flatmates well. My room is a 4-bedroom, and although the living room/common area in mine is MUCH smaller than the largest rooms in Mercer, it's a comfortable, cozy place to be. The fridge, microwave and oven/cooktop are great, and combined with the fact that you can opt out of the HFS dining plans as a Mercer resident, it means you can save some money by cooking your own food. The rooms themselves are small, but they've got plenty of wall outlets and lots of storage. You've got two private bathrooms per 4-bedroom apartment, and they're alright. The showers are pretty terrible, though; ultra-low-flow showerheads that can't be adjusted, and some unintuitive/weirdly-placed light switches in the bathroom. The thermostats are another problem if you tend to feel chilly often, they don't let you set the temperature above 74°F. Finally, Mercer is quite expensive, so if you're looking for a cheap place to stay on campus, definitely look elsewhere. Overall, Mercer is awesome, and it's right next to the Burke-Gilman and the water (great if you bike, walk or run like me). Just make sure you get a corner room, and you'll be set!" See all 6 reviews

Number 1

"I've lived in three different dorms during my freshman/sophomore year and I have to say, I prefer McMahon way better then any of the other halls. I liked the cluster style, though I personally am pretty introverted so I didn't really make friends with my cluster mate. But that aside, because it's a cluster, there are janitors who will come clean the washrooms twice every week (you'll have to clean your own bathroom in McCarty), and you're sharing it with only 7 other people as compared to Hansee hall where you share the bathroom with god knows how many people and you can't leave your stuff in there either.
The room itself isn't as big as McCarty but the pros are it has built in desk lights and book shelves for your stuff, and the closet in there is pretty big too, I can squeeze in there to change when my roommate is in the room but I don't want to go to the bathroom. Plus it has a built in shoe rack and mirror.
In the basement also has a little convenient store that is open to really late (though I think they've closed it recently? so rip I guess). The first floor has a little gym with some basic equipments, a music room with a pretty ratchet piano but if you're like me and only play for fun then it's no big deal. There's also a TV in the first floor though I have never figured out how to use it but I've seen people playing smash bros there every weekend.
It is also the best in terms of location. It's in North campus so pretty safe, and there's two bus stations right outside" See all 13 reviews