<p>I just wanted to know which dorms are just for freshman.</p>
<p>I know easton is, but what about Hagerstown, and LaPlata and dorms like that?</p>
<p>All dorms are open to freshman, but many due to the point system do not get freshman students. </p>
<p>Freshman are the bottom of the barrel, except for Honors, Gemstone and Scholars they are dispersed across campus to make the most room for the most students. For example, New and Old Leonardtown are filled mostly with sophs, but there will be the sprinkling of freshman in those dorms too just because they need to optimize to the best level they can.</p>
<p>If you are looking at them because they have AC, remember students that live on campus will place them on their list too, they have points and will take priority over the incoming class.</p>
<p>…which means that as an incoming freshman, unless you are in Honors, Gemstone, or Scholars you most likely will go where they place you, and it will probably be in one of the large high-rise dorms, and almost likely will NOT have AC… No one chooses UMD because of the luxurious dorms, but when it comes down to it, it usually seems to bother the parents each year more than the kids. They seem to make the most of it. And hey—maybe some day cinder block walls and communal bathrooms will become the new decorating “style”!!!</p>
<p>I think our DS would say don’t choose the dorm, chose the room in the dorm!</p>
<p>His freshman yr he was located diagonally from the bathroom. It is not fun to hear someone praying to the porcelain g*d at 4.a.m. on a Friday night, and yes you will hear them. Same is true if you are located next to the elevator.</p>
<p>He never complained about not having AC, because it is not horrific if you both bring fans.</p>
<p>Dorms primarily for freshmen are those in the Denton Community: Easton, Elkton, Denton.</p>
<p>Denton is primarily for freshmen honors students.</p>
<p>The Cambridge Community is also primarily freshmen, though primarily freshmen scholars students. Dorms in the Cambridge Community include Centreville, Cambridge, Bel Air, Chestertown, and Cumberland.</p>
<p>Both of these are “high rise” communities, so they are small dorms in tall buildings without air-conditioning. If I remember right they are starting to install air conditioning in some of them (perhaps Cambridge community), but more than likely you will get a non-airconditioned dorm whether you are in scholars, honors, or not.</p>
<p>The Ellicott Community is primarily a sophomore community, and includes La Plata, Hagerstown, and Ellicott.</p>
<p>La Plata has airconditioning and is almost exclusively sophomores.</p>
<p>Hagerstown does not and is almost exclusively sophomores.</p>
<p>Ellicott is primarily freshmen in the Gemstone program and also does not have air conditioning. </p>
<p>All of these dorms are VERY similar…</p>
<p>Branching out onto campus, anything suite or apartment styled is going to be primarily sophomores. Anything on the mall or South Campus is going to be primarily sophomores, except for Queen Anne’s, with is going to be a mix of freshmen in Honors Digital Cultures and Creativity, Wicomico, which is Honors Humanities, and Somerset, which is some scholars program but idk</p>
<p>So dorms with freshmen in no special programs: Elkton, Easton, some Cambridge community, some Denton
Scholars: Cambridge communty, Somerset
Honors: Denton, Wicomico, Queen Anne’s</p>
<p>And of course freshmen may be placed anywhere they have space for you, really, so you might get something weird, like Leonardtown, but generally the above holds true.</p>
<p>Thank you very very much, this has answered my questions!</p>
<p>Somerset is Civicus, which is a civic- and service-based living and learning community, separate from Scholars.</p>
<p>Great summary, umcp11. We’ll need to remember this thread to bump it up every time someone asks questions about the dorms for incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>I am currently a freshman at UMD and got lucky to live in Baltimore suite in south hill community. I guess it’s because spring semester 2010 is my first semester and all freshmen housing is packed.</p>
<p>What a great summary for freshmen!! umcp11 – or anyone – what are the dorm options for sophmores? If accepted, my son would be in the honors program at Wicomico next year, but some freshman we talked to yesterday said they will move out as sophmores. Is there a lottery system? Thanks.</p>
<p>YES!</p>
<p>It is based on points for living in dorms and the amount of UMD credits you have. The more you have the better the number. Most kids play the game. For example, they will “hook up” with several people. DS had his application in for 2, another friend had his in for a suite, who ever got the better number was the one they were going to use. It is confusing to explain, but just know your DS will know next yr how to play the game.</p>
<p>By sophomore yr into jr, it changes again because UMD does not guarantee housing for those yrs. Originally our DS was going for the commons, but now he has decided that he will move into a house with others and keep that for 2 yrs, instead of playing their game anymore regarding the housing situation.</p>
<p>The only bad thing I can really say about UMD is I think they lose people because housing is an issue if you need it. It is off putting to a parent to think, okay, they have a place for freshman yr, but what about after that? Will I be forced to put them into an apt and give them a car?</p>
<p>The President really needs to tackle this issue more aggressively than he is right now. If that means buying the apt complex right outside of UMD, then they should. They did that with the Knox Boxes, and they should do that with RT1 and 193.</p>
<p>Just a quick Question: Is one obliged to stay in a dorm (if he chooses one) for the entire year? Or can one leave after the first semester? </p>
<p>Also, I heard that Freshmen were once required to stay on Campus and live in UMD housing… I’m guessing that’s not true anymore.</p>
<p>So is the Commons run by UM? Is that part of the lottery system? I heard about some suites and apartments on South Campus for sophmores and juniors. Are they nice?</p>
<p>Congratulation, you are about to get the worst dorm in the entire campus. Freshmen get alloted into either Cambridge, Denton, or Easton. None of these options will provide you with an air condition; what’s more, you will have the joy of sharing two-three toilets with 15 some people.
If you get into Easton, you will have also the joy of smelling the weed and step into drunken people all the time. It is the worst, nuclear option any freshman could possibly suffer.
On another hand, if you get into the language house, writer’s house, or civics, you are going to be treated with air condition and fancy basements. </p>
<p>But here is the magical trick: get your doctor to write you a note stating that you have special needs. That way, not only will you have priority, you will also have the luxury to live alone!</p>
<p>Easton has been known as the party dorm for decades, Bullet went there in the late 80’s and it was a party dorm then.</p>
<p>A lot of kids tried that last yr with the docs note and found out that UMDCP has tried to clamp down on this. Your special needs can’t be just allergies, it has to be extreme, and they may request medical history documentation to prove you are not working the system.</p>
<p>The Commons are quasi UMD, you pay them directly not the housing dept, but to get in you have to be in the lottery, and even then not everyone gets in.</p>
<p>“If you get into Easton, you will have also the joy of smelling the weed and step into drunken people all the time. It is the worst, nuclear option any freshman could possibly suffer.” – Okay, yes, Easton is known as the “party dorm”, but it’s honestly not that bad. I’m not sure if you lived there, pharmakeus01, but I have friends who live there (currently), and they say it’s not as bad as people think it is…</p>
<p>Our DS used to joke and say he went to all of the Easton dorm parties because they are known to have all of the cute girls!</p>
<p>@fresh42jazz, last year, as I wandered from Denton to the diner, I saw one dude in Easton dropped his TV from his window. My friend who is living with a bunch of dudes in Easton smelled like weed everyday. He reported to me that his friend often came back drunk and peed on the floor.
I lived in Cambridge freshman year, and I had to carry this one drunken girl from Turtle back to her dorm. It was epic.</p>
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<p>I remember visiting yrs ago, and outside waiting to get in, they were dropping pumpkins out the windows, it was like playing dodgeball from the sky!</p>
<p>I think it is more reflective of the RA’s on the floor, if your RA turns a blind eye to it, you are fine.</p>
<p>Are Scholars kids generally stuffed into their respective dorms? I actually have some points as an incoming freshman… should I try to get a better dorm, or is it in my best interests to stick to my program’s building (=Cambridge)?</p>