Best freshman dorm for me at UMass Amherst?

Hey guys,

I’m attending UMass in the class of 2023, and I’m aiming to transfer into the Computer Science program (I got accepted into the College of Natural Sciences exploratory track, but changed my mind). However, I don’t have much interest in living with CS majors, so I’m not thinking of that RAP. Maybe it would be good to live in a Gen Ed RAP for the purpose of meeting people.

I’m the kind of person who will be super friendly if you strike up a conversation with me, but not the most outgoing. I’d like a dorm that helps me get out of my shell a little. I value my alone/study time, but I’m still up for parties. Basically looking for a balance. I was thinking of Central, maybe Van Meter or Gorman? I heard people there are super chill; I’m down for moderate drinking/smoking but personally wouldn’t do it daily. I’m also a gay girl, not that it matters much, but I’ve heard of Southwest being filled with frat guys and girls with uggs and north face jackets, and (not to stereotype but) I’m not sure those are my people.

I also have celiac disease, so I’m not sure where the best dining halls are for people with allergies. But yeah, looking for somewhere chill, fun, and friendly. I will have a car on campus, and can bring a bike.

If anyone has any advice, let me hear it!

Guy who lives in SW who isn’t a frat boy here. It’s honestly not as bad as you think, sure there are some really annoying people and it’s definitely louder than any of the other residential areas, but it’s also got a charm to it. I wasn’t the biggest fan on living here either freshman year, but now as a junior, being in SW has almost forced me out of my shell a bit and made me interact with people more. Plus, since I’m in Isenberg, like 80% of the people who I have classes with live in SW too (or off-campus).
Regardless, as for you, I’d say you have the right idea going for Central. O’Hill would be a very good option too; a bit less weed in the dorms and the dynamic is a bit more normal and less hippy-ish than Central, if that makes sense. Also, any of the freshman dorms besides for the one in Sylvan (which isn’t even a dorm so much so as a suite) and Northeast will help you get out of your shell. People tend to be very outgoing the first couple of weeks of freshman year, so use that to your advantage.
As for the Celiac’s thing, all the dining halls have options to accommodate as far as I’m aware. I haven’t been to Worcester since NSO though, but it would be kinda weird if they were the only ones who didn’t.

Thanks for the reply. I’ve heard O’Hill is pretty socially dead or otherwise cliquey from other people, but I’m sure it’s not all like that. I am leaning the most toward Central, though. Do you happen to know what the different dorms are like there? Like are they slightly different vibes? And are there z rooms or traditional doubles? As for Southwest, I’ve heard it’s closest to the best food and the gym, which is great. However, I do like my sleep, so if it’s loud that would be a downside.

Sorry for the double post, but also:

Anyone know what gay life is like at UMass? Is there a specific dorm they tend to gravitate toward, or is it mixed everywhere? Honestly, I think Southwest would be really nice but I’m afraid of not meeting a lot of queer folk there, which is something that’s pretty important to me. For some reason, I feel like Central would have an advantage.

O’Hill isn’t dead, you’re thinking of Sylvan, where all the internationals and transfers go. O’Hill is just a bit out of the way, but it’s very much alive, more than Northeast and almost to the point of Central. Central has all the different type of rooms that you’d find anywhere else on campus, except for the Z-Rooms, which are southwest exclusive. Also no apartment or suite living, but unless you live in the honors college, north apartments, or Sylvan, you won’t have suite living as an option.
As for the sleeping thing, it’s kind of a tossup when it comes to southwest. The loudness tends to vary from year to year since all the freshmen are kinda clumped into their own buildings. You could get a quite floor that never talks or a loud one that’s noisy till 3-4 AM on weekends, it’s really just a gamble.
As for LGBQ life, the Stonewall center exists and pretty much is where that type of culture gravitate towards (this is not a dorm, but rather like a meeting area). Stonewall is also in SW, right under Crampton and next to Prince and Mackimme (you probably have no idea where this is, but this will all make more sense when you actually get here). If you live in Crampton, then this is basically just downstairs, but Crampton isn’t an option for freshmen. I don’t have any experience with Stonewall nor the people in it, so I can’t really speak about what it’s like.

Stonewall center is in SW and is very active throughout campus. You can call them and ask all your questions about housing; they exist to support lgbtq students!