<p>i've heard there are single rooms? And I've also heard good things about certain areas to live in as compared to others. Any input? Thanks :)</p>
<p>I know poplar and Elm have single rooms(not many), but as freshmen your chance to get one is very very low. The longer you stay in UW dorm system and the higher priority you are. DD got a single after staying in dorm for 3 quarters.</p>
<p>Hansee Hall is almost entirely single rooms. There are only one or two 4-person suites. The rest of the rooms are singles.</p>
<p>How do Elm, McMahon, and Terry Hall compare to each other? I’m looking for a good social life but also preferably close to a workout center. I will be a Freshman this coming Fall.</p>
<p>Also, what is the cost like?</p>
<p>If you have a severe allergy (ie. you can die from inhaling the smell of peanuts) you can request a single (and priority will be bumped up for you). A friend of mine has been living in Hansee for the past two years since her freshman year because of a severe peanut allergy.</p>
<p>Other than that, you’ll most likely be put in a double or triple elsewhere.</p>
<p>edit: s/there/hansee</p>
<p>How does the housing for freshmen even work? Assuming we just get put in a double or triple or whatever, do we choose which dorm/hall we’ll be living in, or is it all just completely random? I’m sure this’ll make more sense when I get my big packet in the mail, haha.</p>
<p>You can request (rank) a few dorms. You can also request a roommate (s/he will have to request you as well). There’s a survey you fill out that has questions that deal with stuff like sleeping habits… if you request a roommate, make sure you have the same answers for those (if possible, do the survey at the same time, together!). </p>
<p>Housing staff will try to pair you with someone with very similar living habits.</p>
<p>I’ve never filled out the housing form since I’ve commuted my entire time at UW, but perhaps someone else here can talk more about that.</p>
<p>Awesome, I’m glad there’s that little survey included since I have no one in particular who I want to request! Looks like I’ll do some research on the different dorms. Thanks for the info.</p>
<p>No problem! There are also ‘communities’ within dorms, like an engineering floor, international community (do not have to be an international student to be there), etc. It’s a great way to find people you have common interests with right away!</p>
<p>How is McCarty Hall? Is it good? I am planning to live in there.</p>
<p>this might be a dumb question but do you get your own bathroom in a single dorm? i doubt it haha</p>
<p>You use a communal bathroom even if you have a single. You also have an RA in your living area, etc.</p>
<p>so, for anyone that has lived on campus, do we apply for housing via the welcome packet, or do we go online?</p>
<p>In Elm, you get your own bathroom, along with stove, microwave and refrigerator. it costs $3200 per quarter. Basically it is a studio room.</p>
<p>Elm also has a on-site gym and sit-down restaurant.</p>
<p>nah dont live at mcCarty. go for elm or terry! hope this helps!</p>
<p>Getting any of the newer dorms (Elm, Poplar, Alder) is a priority for students that have already lived in the dorms, but they are mostly filled with freshman obviously. Getting single rooms for anyone is difficult, but easier for us returning students because we get to notify UW if we plan to dorm again by ~April 10 or so. The questionnaire for dorming preferences sucks. I know many people that did’t decide to dorm with specific friends, and ended up filling that crap out and getting stuck with dormmates who just checked each box and random. The questions themselves are SO generic. Things like “when do you go to sleep…how often do you study…and my favorite, do you prefer a smoker/nonsmoker” are topics on the questionnaire. Trust me, if you really want to be in control of this part of the process, then I suggest proactive searching. You’ll probably get added to some Facebook group called “University of Washington Class of 2017.” When that happens, I suggest making an attachment of some sort that organizes certain characteristics about roommates. I believe other universities have these dorming profiles on a specific site, but UW does not. After that, it’s just easy pickings as to finding a certain roommate that shares qualities that you can deal with for the next year. Then again, the fail-safe is that you can always move out. And of course, dorming as a whole is sometimes better if you go in without knowing who your roommate is just so that you’re able to realize that you never want to be in such a situation ever again. </p>
<p>@whitelightning- if you want to live close to a legitimate workout facility (the IMA, which is huge and a commonplace for everyone on campus that wants to workout), then you’ll want to live in McMahon, not Terry or Elm simply because the facility is closer to McMahon. </p>
<p>@UDUBHUSKIES- you’ll receive a few follow-up emails over the next few weeks/months that talk about residential life at UW. The actual questionnaire/dorming application will be among those emails, so try to figure out your plan within the next few weeks.</p>