D19 will be a transfer student in coming fall 2019. She want to get a feel of the campus life since previously she studied at a community college. Just wondering if anyone got recommendation regarding dorm/housing? Which one is good and which one to avoid? She would like to be in a single room(either dorm or suite style is ok) to have some privacy but can make some friends also.
Any suggestion from current students at UMinn?
If you want a single, go for Centennial. There are a ton of singles and because everyone in the same hall has one, it’s easy to make friends. Avoid Bailey if you aren’t in CFANS as you’ll be on the bus a lot. Middlebrook also has nice singles on the West Bank but not as many as Centennial.
@UMNMom thanks a lot for your advice; a recent graduate of UMinn also recommend Centennial as well
How about those apartments like “Keeler” and “Radius”? And also I saw some apartment not being run by the UMinn seems to look nice on the website, e.g “The Marshall” and “Wahu Student Apt”. Do you have any insight into those?
If you’d rather have an apartment then Keeler and Radius are good choices if you want a U sponsored one. You are going to be pretty late for a lot of the other apartments as they tend to book in late fall for the next fall but you never know. There are lots of apartment options in the area though, lots that are nice (and also expensive). I’d get out Google Maps, get to know the area and use street view to take a look. Call them to see if they have any availability or if you live locally drive around campus.
I heard some comment that Dinky town relatively not a safe area to be in? Any comment?
In Dinkytown, you are more likely to get hit by a car than anything else bad happening. Dinkytown is safe enough unless you are out alone late at night.
@CheddarcheeseMN can you elaborate more what’s the risk in Dinky town if a female is out alone late at night or just walking back to the apartment(eg. Radius @15) from campus at night? Thanks!
My daughter has lived in two places in Dinkytown, one on the block next to Radius and has never felt unsafe in that area. She uses basic city precautions like paying attention to her surroundings instead of a phone and walking alone late at night is not the best idea in any city regardless.This is a big city so there is always risk associated but I don’t think its different in that area. Plus, Radius is only 1 block from a Target, the streets are well lit and there tends to be a far amount of people moving around that makes for comfort.
how about “Bieman Place Apartment” or “The Marshall” near Dinky town? Does anyone have a comment?
I’d choose Bierman Place over the The Marshall. My daughter lived in Bierman and liked it. It’s not as fancy as some of the others (no granite countertops) but its clean, nice, and less expensive and they provide bedroom furniture. It’s also built with concrete which makes it much quieter. I’d definitely recommend that one. The Marshall is known for being a very party atmosphere.
@UMNMom thank you so much for your comment. Am just worrying that what choice my D got left if she decided to go to UMinn. I checked on the web and found that a lot of the apartments don’t have much spaces to offer. Even on campus dorm might be difficult since D is a late applicant?
@ebsclsgs Campus dorm applications for freshman opened Nov. 1 and the sooner you applied the better chance you have at getting the room you want. Not sure how it applies to transfer students though. It could be a different system.
@Henxnr thanks for your info. Yeah, transfer student didn’t get the acceptance notification until recently, and that’s why I am worrying about the limited space available…
what are the other apartments near campus worth a look? Prefer a safe and non-party environment
You can ask to join the University of Minnesota (UMN) Housing, Sublets & Roommates Facebook group. I’m the mother of a current sophomore (daughter) and a daughter who graduated in 2016. The graduate was very academic and found both Dinnaken and Grand Marc to be more to her liking. Stadium Village (area around Dinnaken) tends to be for the more academic. Grand Marc offers leases that are one term only or don’t include the summer.
The daughter who is a sophomore is now in Dinnaken and will be next year as well. You might be able to get into Dinnaken by looking on marketplace, but it is difficult to get into Dinnaken. Here is the link to marketplace:
https://www.dinnaken.com/page/show/714366-marketplace
My oldest daughter wanted to spend a semester abroad in sophomore year so she decided to stay in Middlebrook as a sophomore for a term. She found it awful because almost all sophomores are off campus and those who stay don’t socialize together. She had a meal plan (I believe it might be required if you are in the dorms) and she ate a lot of meals alone. Middlebrook was a very different experience for her as a sophomore. Probably the best thing your daughter can do is look into clubs where she might meet people.
@katrina1 what’s your daughter majoring in? My D will be in the college of liberal arts, so is it better to stay east bank?
She is majoring in Spanish and English. Dinnaken is a hike from her classes, but she enjoys having a separation between home and work. Money is a consideration. Rent at Dinnaken is $480 per month next year. That is on the low end for furnished apartments. I’d stay away from the St Paul campus for housing, but West Bank can be OK. East Bank seems preferable. The nice thing about Stadium Village area is it is East Bank but you aren’t right in the middle of the partying. If your daughter has money to spend, The Hub is high cost but also has a lot of amenities.
@katrina1 $480/month is a shared room? I guess a private room in a multi room apartment will cost more? Also do I need to find my apartment mate if I want a private room in a multi room apartment?
Yes, $480 per month is a shared room with four people total. A private room would cost more. That is the low end. Mostly summer sublets are being advertised now because college kids don’t necessarily think that far ahead. If you find an ad for next year, my guess is the roommates are likely to be more responsible.
Look on Reddit for a thread from a student transferring to the U who was considering an LLC and who got responses from students.
Reddit has more student input than this site. It appears that there is an LLC (living learning community) for transfer students. You might want to have your daughter put her hat in the ring for that. I’ve found the umn housing site to be a helpful place for questions. I think you can also call them.
A word of warning on reddit: parental questions are not always treated respectfully.
Daughter is still waiting for a reply from the U of Minn Housing after applying 1.5 months ago. Does anyone know if this mean a very slim chance to get a space in the dormitory now? Anyone knows if there is a social media group which my daughter could try to see if she can get a flate mate for a furnished apartment nearby campus?