<p>About two weeks ago I was accepted into the University of Texas at Austin. Imagine my excitement. But the second I got in my concern was transferred from whether or not I would be accepted early to whether or not I'd get my dorm preference. </p>
<p>There are a few dorms I've been looking at, but for the most part I'm up in the air. </p>
<p>I absolutely love San Jacinto. It's my number one without a doubt because of privacy, location on campus, and amenities. (Private bathrooms!)</p>
<p>On the other hand I love Duren. It's the newest of the new, and has private bathrooms as well. However, it's on the COMPLETE opposite side of campus from where I want to be. </p>
<p>Then of course, seeing as I'll be a freshman, Jester has to be somewhere on my list. I love the whole thought of a social atmosphere, and that I'll be given an option to have a semi-private bathroom... although I'll share it with three others. However, I've heard that Jester absolutely STINKS and I'm not too perky at the thought of the noise complaints I've heard about, or that the furniture is literally immovable. </p>
<p>Then there's Kinsolving, but I run into the same problem of it being on the opposite side of campus from the gym and virtually all of the freshman that I'll likely be making friends with.</p>
<p>What I'd really like to know, is what order do you recommend that I put these dorms in, after my number one, San Jacinto. I'm also somewhat curious about what community bath life is like. Is it really that terrible? Should I apply for Roberts, Prather, or Brackenridge instead of Jester?</p>
<p>Jester does have a smell but only on certain floors. While it doesn’t make for a good first impression, you’ll get used to it before you know it. I had a suite (shared bathroom) in Jester and it worked out well. But if you’re a girl, I’d be a little worried about one or more of them taking hour long showers when you need to use the bathroom. Even then, you can easily get the code for the community bath around the corner and use that if need be. You seem to be interested in meeting a lot of freshmen so I’d shy away from Duren. I would stay in Jester over Duren. Of course, if you’re worried about the noise then Roberts/Prather/Brackenridge and Moore Hill may be better matches. They’re a tad quieter but I don’t think any of them have sinks in the room. </p>
<p>Oh and just a little known tidbit about living in a suite in Jester. Since the study lounges aren’t in the immediate vicinity of a community bathroom, they cannot be converted in to supplemental housing. This means that you’ll have a closed room located just a couple doors down for you to study while a lot of other people make the (short) trek to the PCL.</p>
<p>Just to let you know, location > comfort. You’ll hardly be in your dorm, I promise. All you really need in there is your bed. I live on the “Jester-side” of campus and have some friends who live near Kinsolving and Duren but I hardly ever see them. It’s so far-removed. Kids over there stick together, and kids by Jester stick together.</p>
<p>I don’t have a community bath, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about them.</p>
<p>I honestly don’t like San Jac that much. It’s at the bottom of a hill and seems a bit removed. Jester really isn’t bad at all. My friends that live there don’t mind it. Look into BRP and Moore-Hill. Moore-Hill is my personal favorite. It’s smaller, has decent rooms, and they have a great community there if you want to meet people. Plus they have a kitchen!</p>
<p>Oh, and you’l most likely get your first choice since you’re applying for housing so early, so don’t sweat it.</p>
<p>^really good advice but dorm preference is based on when you pay the $50 housing fee with your general app unless things have changed since I applied a couple years ago</p>
<p>So even though I haven’t payed my enrollment deposit or gotten a contract that doesn’t affect my spot on the list? It is only based on the $50 housing application?</p>
<p>The fifty dollar deposit solidifies your “spot in line” so to speak. This is because it wouldn’t be fair for them to only allow housing spots to people who have already enrolled. What if you’re waiting to hear back from some school that only responds in late February? They don’t want to make it unfair for you, to where you get stuck in some diminutive little dorm room and have no choice in the matter.</p>
<p>This applies to your entire time at UT, so if you plan on staying on campus for more than 1 year it is critical to get your application in early.</p>
<p>I’m also trying to choose a dorm and I know from some of my older friends that some dorms are coed by floor while others have guys and girls on the same floor. Do you know which are which?</p>
<p>I’m a freshman and I live in Duren. I absolutely love it, aesthetics-wise AND location. It seems like its so far away and I guess it is, but it’s actually extremely convenient. What’s your major? I’m a biology major and duren is really close to all my classes which are on the north-side of campus. Also, I don’t know if it’s your scene but Duren is the absolute best location for frat parties and west campus parties. I’m a sorority girl so being literally across the street from west campus is very convenient.
As for San Jac and Jester…well, San Jac is quiet like Duren but I would say it’s probably the worst location. It’s not near anything (except the stadium which is only good for game days) and you have to walk up a huge hill everyday if you want to go anywhere. Jester is jester, I guess. It’s always full of people because of jcl, j2, wendy’s, etc. It really just depends on what floor you get as far as how good the rooms are. My friend lives on the floor with all the football guys (score right?) so it’s a renovated one but it seriously is like half the size of mine.
The right dorm really just depends on what you’re looking for. But I will say that even though you aren’t in you’re dorm all that much, I wouldn’t completely agree with location>amenities.</p>