<p>Hi, I recently was accepted to Madison and have decided to attend! I was wondering if anyone could help me choose a dorm...I want to get the whole process over with, so if anyone can give me info. on the dorms and experiences with them,itd be great! Anything will help...which would be the best dorm for a freshie? Thanks!</p>
<p>What are your most important criteria? Cost, location, party, study, etc?</p>
<p>Are some dorms more expensive? Which are the most popular dorms for freshmen? I would say location is the most important.</p>
<p>Location relative to what? Visit the Madison housing website and read up on the dorms including cost and special programs in some of the dorms. There are campus maps that will show you the locations relative to the campus. All dorms will have many freshmen. At Madison many students are off campus by sophomore year.</p>
<p>Then come back and ask for some experiential recommendations. The only generalization is that the Southeast dorms are more social/active and lakeshore dorms are more laid back and studious but don’t let people tell you they are anti-social or for losers. Many students could be happy in either area.</p>
<p>You need to do your homework. The UW housing site is full of information- be sure to click on many tabs. Res Halls locations are all on campus. You can’t be sure where your classes will be based on their department- some discussions and even lectures are held in nondepartmental buildings (Comp Sci in Humanities is one example).</p>
<p>Once you have studied the excellent comparisons of dorms from the online Res Halls info you should also read past UW CC threads for the discussions. Then you will be able to ask relevant questions here.</p>
<p>I guess i didnt make myself so clear. Can anyone tell me what dorms are most popular among students? What dorms are known for partying the most? Which are better for studing…etc. These type of questions cant be answered by the Madison site.</p>
<p>I strongly suggest checking out the learning communities. My D is in WISE (women in science and engineering) in Sellery and she has had amazing opportunities, including some with other learning communities. She got her first choice, and the extra fee was really minimal compared to what she has gotten out of it. Fun stuff and learning stuff. Some of the girls are not sure they are doing science and engineering, so they are kind of checking it out, but others are so they have had some classes together. She is in a dorm “in the heart of things” so to speak but with a group with some very motivated students. Kinda the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>The most studious would be in the various learning communities of which Chadbourne is the largest and has a very good location. Highly recommended. The most party would be Sellery and Witte. The nicest aslo well located is Liz Waters. The most serene are the Lakeshore dorms but they are farther from downtown. But right on the lake. Tripp is the oldest and nicest of these.</p>
<p>[lakeshore</a> dorms are the best! - University of Wisconsin-Madison - Epinions.com](<a href=“Shopping Online at Shopping.com | Price Comparison Site”>http://www.epinions.com/review/educ-Colleges_and_Universities-All-University_of_Wisconsin_Madison/educ-review-2B81-579EC12-3938F5E3-prod5)</p>
<p>I disagree with barrons about Chad- he keeps harping on being a learning community as being better, it only works if that program suits you. No one dorm fits all people. Worrying about dorm popularity is not something to do. Get away from the HS mentality of being “popular”. No one will care which dorm or other place you live in. You need to figure out what matters most to you. For some being close to State St matters, for others having a quieter home away from city streets matters. Some like the thought of a highrise, some like the old style character… Every dorm has pros and cons- they all have been maintained. You will find more than 50% UW freshmen in any dorm you choose.</p>
<p>I agree with wis75, it’s all about what suits you. Perhaps two I might avoid are Ogg and Smith - while they’re at least half freshmen like everywhere else, they’re popular with sophomores so the percentage of freshmen might be closer to 50% and other dorms might have higher percentages of freshmen. I just know a lot of people who live in Ogg or Smith and hang out in the other dorms a lot. </p>
<p>Now that I’ve lived in Chadbourne for a few months I have mixed feelings. I’m not into the whole learning community thing - yes I do pay for it but it’s really not my scene, seems kind of summer campy with so many activities. They’re obviously optional, but it can get weird sometimes with the house fellows staring you down because you don’t want to participate in the CRC Olympics, for example. The facilities are nice, I like the location, and I have friends here, so I’m content. I just think the learning community aspect will appeal to a very specific type of person - think studious, non-partying, quirky, plays-board-games-on-Friday-nights person. (No offense to anyone, that is just not me). It’s also very strict here if you like to party, which can be annoying. </p>
<p>I also want to note that you should pick your dorm based on WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE. Don’t necessarily worry about the kind of person you might live with. Factor that in, but realize you aren’t socially confined to your dorm floor. I’ve lived in two different dorms this year and both times I haven’t really even gotten to know my floor. My friends live somewhere else (used to be a few blocks away, now it’s a few floors up) and that’s perfectly okay. In fact, for someone who needs a lot of independence and space, it’s ideal. Think about the sort of person you might be living with, but don’t let that rule your decision.</p>
<p>I think RoxSox perfectly made my case for the more studious, Chad would be a good fit. Believe it or not that would be normal life at many of you top colleges. Obviously not for everyone BUT if you want a quieter more studious atmosphere where most resdients put school first Chad is a safe bet. Maybe if you let go a bit and did some of the activities you might even enjoy them. It might seem dorky but you might end up having some fun too. I’d at least do many of the arts outings and such. It makes you a well rounded person.</p>
<p>Many studious people live everywhere else. Many different ways to be well rounded. RoxSox makes the point that Chad isn’t for everyone- even the studious, thus negating barrons point. Barrons never lived in Chad, his only information is secondhand. Thanks for some firsthand experience comments RoxSox.</p>
<p>But Barrons serves on an advisory baord that oversees Chad and has met many students who live there and value that experience highly. At every meeting students from the RLCs give presentations and have lunch with the board. I have never met such a quality group of kids at UW in my life. Most have very high goals and at the same time contribute to the UW community. They are the ones that never feel like they are just a number and they know professors on a first name basis. Yes there are good students everywhere but the odds are that in the RLCs there will be a higher percentage that are serious about school and take advantage of other social outlets besides State Street. I am all for that. The others wil always be there and do not require my encouragement.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.housing.wisc.edu/academics/positiveimpact.pdf[/url]”>http://www.housing.wisc.edu/academics/positiveimpact.pdf</a></p>
<p>If you are an outgoing person I would strongly recommend living in either Sellery or Witte. I currently live in Sellery and am having the ultimate freshman experience. The floor I live on is like a giant family. We study together, cook together, and of course party together. Living in Sellery has exceeded every expectation I had of it. It has been a truly incredible experience. In fact, at least 80% of the kids on our floor are living with other kids from our floor next year. </p>
<p>For me, Sellery was a perfect fit. I consider myself very friendly and outgoing, but I also know when to buckle down and hit the books. If you have poor self-control or find that you are easily distracted then Sellery and Witte may not be for you.</p>
<p>As someone eluded to earlier, I would avoid Ogg and Smith if you are a freshman. Although they are incredibly nice, it seems that most kids I know that live in either of those two spend a large amount of time in Sellery and Witte. </p>
<p>Also, Chadbourne appeals to a very specific person. Some kids on my floor were placed in Chadbourne to start the year and did not enjoy their stay, but have thoroughly enjoyed their time in Sellery. I also have a few friends in Chadbourne who would not even consider living anywhere else.</p>
<p>As far as Lakeshore is concerned I will hold my opinions because I know very little about specific dorms.</p>
<p>Hope this helps. Feel free to message me if you have anymore questions.</p>
<p>barrons- the students you meet are typical of, not better than, UW students as a whole. Those in math/science will not be drawn to Chad, and men can’t be in WISE. Not everyone likes the group activites in the dorms concept. Many different choices for many different good students.</p>
<p>Students also have the option of visiting the dorms before they decide. I recommend this option. I visited one and decided that I really like it so that is where I am going to stay.</p>
<p>Ok, so I have read numerous posts about the residence halls here and cannot make up my mind. I know that Lakeshore is quiet and Southeast is social, but are there any residence halls that are “in between”. I really would like to have a good social experience, but at the same time, I don’t want to get too caught up in the partying and be able to study if I need to. I know its hard to get everything, but I was wondering what the recommendations for halls that strike a good balance between the two.</p>
<p>Liz Waters is in the middle. But hard to get into–very popular. Ogg and Smith are more middle than Witte and Sellery. Then there’re the privates–Lucky and Statesider–different again.</p>
<p>It is hard to decide. You need to set your priorities. First- location. Lakeshore or Southeast- trees and grass or highrise. Do you want to be close to the State St action or have quiet surroundings to decompress in? Review with maps/streetview on Google or another map site. Closest to snack bar or dining hall. Other minor differences. Any dorm can work. Review the room attributes- older/newer layout… Make a list of pros and cons. No one can tell you what appeals most to you. No matter which dorm you choose you will be among other UW freshmen. Not all students in any dorm will be partiers or quiet, you are likely to find someone to relate to. Don’t worry if you are not fussy about the physical attributes of the dorms. Make a list and submit it. You can change your mind before May 1st.</p>
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<p>@wis75, Just wondering why you said this? D1 is leaning towards Chad and will definitely take math/science classes, though she may major in a non-science.</p>