So Johns Hopkins has become a serious option for me to consider and I wanted to ask either former or current students on their opinions on housing? Which residential hall was your favorite and why? If you could go back and pick another would you?
My favorites are Wolman / McCoy (freshman). The suite / common room setup gives you privacy when you want it and a social environment when you want it. Also you’re closer to CharMar and St. Paul Street (which has better food than FFC) and have generally nicer amenities than the AMRs.
There are reasons to like the AMRs, but I don’t think I would choose a different dorm.
I’m a current freshman. Last year, my first choice was AMR II with one roommate, which I got. I’ve been pretty happy with it. Both AMR I and AMR II are set up in the typical “college dorm” style- each room has a bed/desk/closet, and there are communal bathrooms down the hall. Both split residents into different “Houses” based on what part of the building you live in, with each House getting a Residential Advisor. Both have communal study areas and communal kitchens. Both are on campus, with benches and the Freshman Quad right outside, and are right next to the FFC, the main dining hall. Both got air conditioning for the first time this year, but only for the fall semester (which is annoying). There are little things that make them different. In general, AMR II has more amenities (mail room, trunk storage room, larger social room with pool and foosball, all new furniture this year). AMR I is an older building, but it’s essentially the same deal. A difference in AMR I that I like is that each House has a little lounge in the house area itself, and the hallways are shorter, so you see the same people more often and may get to know them better. But there are some Houses in AMR II that bond a lot, and some in AMR I that don’t. It really depends on the people who end up living there. Both are pretty social, and the location is great. You’re never more than a ten minute walk from class.
I wouldn’t choose to live in AMR III (A and B), Wolman, or McCoy. All are good options. But all are suite style, and I really wanted that typical college experience at least once. AMR III A and B are both right next to the Freshman Quad and on top of the Dining Hall. I haven’t been in a room since I know very few people who live there. Wolman and McCoy are across the street, but that’s right nearby. The living space is a little larger, and the people I know who live there are generally happy with both.
(Probably not a big deal, but I’ll just mention it- apparently only 2 of the 7 Houses in AMR I have the lounge areas in the house area itself, not all of them, as I thought. Just a quick clarification!)