<p>For an engineering student, would Newman Hall be a reasonable choice for housing as opposed to a dorm? In general, how does private certified housing stack up against university dorms? One big difference that I see is that all your meals would need to be gotten from the single facility in which you reside, as opposed to dorms, where you could grab a meal from any of several places on campus.</p>
<p>Newman is quite nice. Also check out nearby Illini Tower. Great location (as is Newman) and good food. If you like to eat at lots of venues, private certified may not be for you, but if you are more likely to get into a routine, the food at some of the private certified dorms is arguably better than the dorms.</p>
<p>It’s nice to be able to eat at a dorm that is closest to your classes. The meal plan is very flexible and UIUC tries to break the routine and give you some specialty restaurants at some of the dining halls. I also feel that dorms might be a bit more social than the private certified housing</p>
<p>I’ve heard from multiple people that Illini Tower is slightly boring, not that ideal although nice looking.</p>
<p>I personally would prefer dorms just because you can eat basically anywhere.</p>