Just wondering how CalPoly housing kind of works, for any of you already attending.
I already accepted, but I don’t really see any application to fill out for housing, so maybe I need to wait a few days? (I’m not sure but if anyone can clarify that for me, that’ll be great!)
Also, I noticed that there are apartments and just regular dorms. Are the apartments essentially where you would live “off campus”, or are there other livings spaces?
http://www.housing.calpoly.edu/student-housing
From another CC poster about SLO housing:
There are 4 different dorm buildings offered to Freshman: Towers (the “social dorms”) Redbricks (the “academic” dorms"), North Mountain (motel style larger dorms for Engineers) and Cerro Vista (the apartments.) Each have their downsides, but if you choose the one that is right for you, you should have a pretty good experience. I’ll give you a quick lowdown on each dorms’ pros and cons, and then I’ll let you decide which one you think is best for you: First, THE TOWERS are the “social dorms” because each floor is coed and not major specific which thus leads to a louder and more exciting environment. The towers overall (unless you are in tower 1 or tower 0) are relatively further from important areas of campus than the other dorms are. Also, they are ugly as ****. Vile 1970’s brutalist architecture makes them look like prison cells. The towers have rooms with 2 people as well as 3, yet the size of the room does not change and thus a 2 person is much more preferable. These rooms can comfortably fit 2 people, but fitting 3 is a bit of a stretch. Next, THE REDBRICKS are known as academic because each dorm delegated for one of the 6 colleges here at Poly. Also, each floor is either male or female in order to prevent loud nights of tomfoolery as much as possible. The Redbricks are the closest dorms to the main campus and the parking lot is right behind them. It is also easy to find study groups since people are usually in very similar majors. However, for what the RB have in convenience, they lack heavily in quality. The rooms in these dorms are definitely the smallest. While a double in the towers would be relatively comfortable for 2 people to live in, a double in the red bricks would be pretty cramped. Thus, a triple in the Redbricks is by far the worst housing available. It is dangerously crammed and essentially a cesspool for diseases. Next, NORTH MOUNTAIN are dorms that are specifically for Engineers, but many non-engineers live there as well. These dorms are motel style so they have no hallways which reduces noise but also social activity. These rooms are ALL triples, but the room size is huge. Imagine the size of a living room of a generously sized house except 2 bunkbeds (one with a desk underneath) taking up some of the space. Definitely very livable. Also, each of these buildings has a well-maintained lawn out in front that you can play a variety of games in. Plus many bbq pits. North Mountain are the 2nd closest dorms to the center of campus. Definitely a good bet, but if you do not like being surrounded by engineers, or really do not want to live in a triple, or want to have a hallway, not the best option. And finally, CERRO VISTA. The apartments. Where I currently live. Objectively speaking, Cerro are the best dorms. They are BY FAR the newest, they have personal heating (and some units are rumored to have air conditioning, both of which is not offered in any other freshman dorm), it’s right next to the parking lot,close to all of the hiking trials, it has the best views you get on campus without hiking, and are by far the most private dorms. Cerro has two different set ups: a 6 person apartment with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, 3 bedrooms, and a study. And a 4 person apartment with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and 4 bedrooms. The 6 person apt is the least expensive housing option on campus, and has many more perks than the more expensive ones (like guaranteeing only living in a double, having a kitchen and living room, a study room, and only sharing a bathroom with 3 people) while the 4 person apt (while being the most expensive option on campus) allows you to bring all of your electronics and clothes up to Cal Poly since you can lock everything up and prevent any of your stuff from being stolen. Plus you get the ultimate privacy. This is a must have for anyone who is going to be in a relationship here at Cal Poly. Also, it’s harder for RA’s to get jurisdiction to search your apartment than your dorm room. The only downsides to Cerro are that it is the furthest from campus (other than a select few group of Towers that are almost at the entrance of campus), and the lack of hallways makes the environment less social. If I had to rank the housing experiences personally, this is how I would rank them 1. 4 person apt Cerro… 2. Double in towers… 3. 6 person apt Cerro… 4. North mountain… 5. Double in Redbricks… 6. Triple in Towers… 7. Triple in Redbricks. DO NOT BE CAUGHT IN A TRIPLE IN THE REDBRICKS. Best value, go for a 6 person apt in Cerro. If you are VERY social and don’t care about personal space THAT much, go for a double in the towers, and if you are anything else, get a single apartment in Cerro. A single apt in Cerro is actually an amazing quality of living for ANY college’s standards. Pretty much the best place to live as a freshman in any college to be honest.
My son was in a Red Bricks triple and had a great time. Whether you’re in a double, a triple, a 4 pack or a 6 pack, your experience is FAR more dependent on who your roommates/suitemates are than how many are in the room.
At the Open House dorm tours this weekend our guides told us the Towers were segregated by floor so I think the above info regarding them being co-ed by room is out of date. The floor we saw was definitely all female.
I was just there this weekend. I have a friend who took us through the red bricks. She lives in a triple in tenaya and it looks cramped but not impossible. We saw her friend’s room, a double, and it was ok too. I would prefer a double. Red brick floors are coed but the “wings” are single sex. She told us she had air conditioning. So I assume she’s right. She said the ag school’s red brick dorm has been evacuated so unless Cal Poly gets that fixed over the summer, we are going to see more triples. I had another friend who lives in the towers (Sierra Madre building 0) show us her room. She is in a triple too. Her dorm room looked smaller and darker to me than Red Bricks one did even though the ceilings are higher. It’s farther from campus, too. I did like the big common area though. That was big and bright. I just accepted Cal Poly last night so I’m going to register for dorms tonight. I’m not sure what to write for a roommate though as my buddy is likely not going to choose SLO after all. Can we register and then request a roommate later?
I think you can update your housing app with roommate requests before May 8.