How is Case's dorm?

Hey this is an incoming freshman that just got accepted to Case in EA, and I’m super excited! Recently I’ve been looking into other sides of Case, such as dorm, student’s life, etc. From my tour in case and my acquittance that goes to Case, the two major concern I heard is

  1. Case doesn’t have AC for freshman dorms
  2. You can’t have microwaves in your dorm rooms
    I want to hear more comments/concerns from current students regarding the dorms and just living on campus in general. I would really appreciate any comments!

RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES
As a part of the larger first-year experience, the residential colleges play an integral part in a first-year student’s personal and academic transformation. The residential colleges help students transition into their new communities, connecting them with the university through academic support, campus activities, residence hall programs and other events. Our goal is to help each resident establish a foundation for future success.

First-year students at Case Western Reserve University become a member of one of four residential colleges: Cedar, Juniper, Magnolia, and Mistletoe. Located in the North Residential Village, each residential college has its own identity and traditions.

Because of their size and structure, the residential colleges allow students to feel comfortable in their smaller building communities and, at the same time, encourage residents to become a member of a larger community of other first-year students.
Our eleven residence halls belong to one of our four Residential Colleges:

Cedar Residential College: Includes Pierce and Storrs Houses
Juniper Residential College: Includes Smith, Taft and Taplin Houses
Mistletoe Residential College: Includes Norton, Raymond, Sherman and Tyler Houses
Magnolia Residential College: Includes Cutler and Hitchcock Houses
https://students.case.edu/campus/class/firstyear/

To see the layouts/photos of the various residence halls/apartments: https://students.case.edu/housing/facilities/tour/

Honestly Case dorms are pretty much like any other freshman dorms I have seen.

A tower fan was sufficient. It is warmest during the first two or three weeks of school. Case allows AC units with if there a medical need.

My daughter lived in Clarke the first year and the Suite itself had a microwave and refrigerator in addition to the full kitchen in the basement. She never complained.

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@wildcatmom16 Your daughter was freshman when lived at Clarke ? what is the process of selecting room mates?

I think when there is a section for housing. You list your preferences and match you. My daughter joined the class Facebook page. There is always a post with introductions. From there, people sometimes find someone to room with. My daughter agreed to be roommates with a girl initially, who was still waiting for other acceptances. When the other girl cleared the waitlist at Vanderbilt, my daughter chose to room with another girl. There were six? suites in her section. Two were singles occupied by international students. Other than the those girls, my daughter is still friends with the others. She did Greek housing sophomore year (Tippit) and property management this year.

My daughter benefitted from attending a send off party in our area and meeting friends before heading to Cleveland (we are from CA).

@bopper do you happen to know whether there are any residential colleges at CWRU that a student could opt to stay in all 4 years of undergrad, e.g. like Rice and a few others?

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Back in the day, yes.
Today you generally start in one of four residential colleges: Cedar, Juniper, Magnolia, and Mistletoe.
Sophomore year you go to the Southside, into the Suites.
Junior/Senior you go to on/off campus apartments.

@bopper Incase if you have any pictures of these four residential colleges: Cedar, Juniper, Magnolia, and Mistletoe. please share.

There are pictures here: https://students.case.edu/housing/facilities/tour/

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@bopper

Are juniors and seniors not guaranteed on campus housing? This is a deal breaker for my kid. We asked at an info session and were told housing was guarantee for four years.

Yes. They guarantee all four years. My daughter is living in an on campus apartment this year (junior) and it is wonderful. Nice sized rooms and common space; no required meal plan, and she and her roommates cook together. Their is also a Starbucks on the first floor. And not very far to several inexpensive places to eat. The are also common tv/game rooms, study rooms, music practice rooms, wellness center and other amenities either in her building or nearby.

When I was a student, you had to stay on campus all 4 years. Case has plenty of housing…that should not be a dealbreaker for you.
The upper classmen can live in the village at 115 where they live in Apartment style housing.
https://students.case.edu/housing/facilities/villageat115/
You at that point have the choice of living off campus (there is a 2 year residency requirement)

The freshman housing is all very similar, so don’t get overly worried about number 1-4 above. . My son lived in Hitchcock freshman year, and Clarke Tower, which is a mix of freshman and sophomores in sophomore year with a friend. He stayed on the meal plan for two years. Then he lived for the second two years in on campus suites with kitchens with five friends, at the Village on 115th Street, which is next to a baseball diamond and near the football field, where there is a newer recreation center. Each student gets a single room at Village on 115th. Its possible to get 4 years of on campus housing, but juniors and seniors may live in fraternity/sorority houses, or off campus.

A lot of sophomores live on south residential campus,but some do live in Clarke Tower, some floors are saved for sophomores, and its fine up there, closer to class if one is on North Residential campus. South campus is nice though, view of Lake Erie in the winter, up on a hill and closer to the big gym and rec center with pool.

His friends who went off campus in senior year still walked to class and saved money over living at Village on 115th Street but the condition of the apartment or house was much older. The distance about the same though, as some off campus housing is close by.

Coventry is another place students live, about 2 miles east, really nice shopping/restaurant area. My son was able to sublet half of a duplex with a Case friend one summer. when he worked at CWRU. Co op students often stay the summer in Cleveland and can live in the dorms, or can rent an apartment or duplex.

This is fun to visit for a breakfast or dinner out. There is a bus or one can walk.
https://www.coventryvillage.org

what are the dorms around the oval track called? They look much newer than the rest. The housing website only lists them as House 1-4.

Nevermind: I see them listed elsewhere as the Village 115.

@TytoAlba My son lived for two years at Village at 115th. Freshman do not live over there, as its mostly student who shop and cook for themselves. Freshman are clustered together and have a convenient cafeteria. Upper classmen can use the cafeteria as well if they want. Most college students get off meal plans by junior year as they are so expensive and the food is mediocre at many colleges. Case is a bit better than some for cafeteria food and
also offers a point system to eat in a few fast food restaurants around the campus. Fraternities and sororities at Case may have a cook or co op type cooking arrangement. Some Greek students live off campus and only socialize with their Greek house. A few fraternities do not own their own houses yet, like Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. Delta Sig brothers are raising funds to buy a home near or on campus.
https://www.deltasigcwru.com

@aaaoki123 there are microwaves in many suites with kitchens at Case, but freshman are not expected to cook.
Its nice to adjust to college before you start to cook a lot. You can have a fridge in your dorm room, I am pretty sure, as a freshman though.

My DD is a freshman this year and stays in Norton. She loves her floor, not because it is new or even that nice (it’s not) but because of the people she has met and become very close to. Of the freshman dorms, smith is the most up to date. There are microwaves on each floor and a full kitchen on the 1st floor. She hasn’t had any complaints. She would recommend a fridge with a separate freezer compartment.

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