<p>A.) Warren Towers
B.) West Campus
C.) 575 Commonwealth Ave (former Howard Johnson hotel)
D.) Other (The Towers, Myles Standish, Shelton Hall, etc.)</p>
<p>As I’m anxiously waiting to starting college life at BU in the fall (COM '10), I am also curious as to which Freshman dorm is the “best” in your eyes and why. I know BU gives an edge to Early Decision applicants in terms of where they want to be - hopefully that helps.</p>
<p>I'd steer clear of the "freshman dorms" if I were you. I live in 575 (the Hojo) and it's pretty cool. Choose the dorm based on the features and you'll be happiest. I really wanted the private bathroom and it's been lovely.</p>
<p>I will be in COM, which is much closer to Warren than West Campus. That is one "plus" for Warren Towers. Location-wise, Warren is much better. It's right in the middle of everything at BU.</p>
<p>The catch however, is how people like/dislike the dorms. Warren is great for meeting people, but everyone says West Campus dorms are better. It is also right down the street from FitRec and Agganis. Warren doesn't seem too bad, but I haven't been inside Warren yet (I'm going up there in a few weeks to see a hockey game and hopefully see some dorm rooms and maybe see the cafeterias). And according to Kcirsch, Warren is like a prison - I've read that it's always very busy and things are real cramped. </p>
<p>And for liznowen - HoJo has fine anemities (sp) like a private bathroom and whatnot, but I wouldn't want to be in a triple (no room) and dining halls and mailboxes are in Warren Towers.</p>
<p>I definately like Brownstones and places like that, but I want to make a bunch of friends Freshman year and socialize. At Warren and West Campus, there's always socializing and it seems VERY easy to make friends.</p>
<p>I'd think that the Warren rooms are better than the ones in West. I've only been in Rich, I think (but they're supposed to be all the same) and it was very dingy and gross. </p>
<p>Warren does feel like a jail (cinderblock walls and such) and don't forget that Warren has quadruples (I know someone in one and it's worse than my triple). Anyway, don't worry too much, tons of freshman don't get their first choices anyway.</p>
<p>My S was accepted ED and his first preference was a double at Warren, which is where he lives now. He wanted the whole freshman experience and to meet a lot of people. If you are Jewish and will be at the Hillel often, Warren is two blocks away from BU Hillel.
He hasn't had any big complaints about Warren.</p>
<p>The best freshman dorm for the "complete freshman experience" is Warren Towers. Although the rooms are small they are adequate and the kids there get very close. It is centrally located to classes and public transportation and has a great dining hall and a movie house inside it. That being said, When I was at BU many, many moons ago, I was in The Towers on Bay State Road (both as a freshman and again as a sophomore. I loved the Towers and felt that I had the best of both worlds...a social dorm (with bigger double rooms than Warren), with the dining hall downstairs (no getting soaked or freezing in bad weather), location to classes, nicer and greener on Bay State Road than Comm. Ave, and not as noisy and chaotic as Warren Towers (known as "the zoo"). I loved visiting friends in Warren Towers but was really happy to go back to Bay State Road to study and sleep. When I was at BU, West Campus was mostly jocks and CGS kids but I hear it is more mixed now that BU doesn't have the football team. I felt bad for the kids who got put in Danielson or even Myles because of the walk to classes. The kids in Shelton Hall were mostly upperclassman (it has an amazing study lounge on the top floor) so my freshman friends were not as happy with their social lives in Shelton. My junior year I lived in a single on Park Drive/Audubon Court and senior year I moved to an apartment with some friends.</p>
<p>One note about communal bathrooms. I thought they were great because any time of the day or night you could get a shower or toilet stall with no wait. My friend who shared a suite in another dorm was always late for things because she shared a bathroom with 3 other girls....they had to coordinate their schedules and it rarely worked out well.</p>
<p>im currently a freshmen and live in a quad in Warren and honestly it isnt that bad. i love living in warren and even though it does have its negatives it really lets u make freinds and gives u the real college experience. if you wanan be closer to fitrec and also alot of the parties west might be a better option but dont forget its alot longer walk to com and in teh winter you def feel the coldness when you even have to walk for five minutes. Also West does have a lot of CGS kids and mostly jocks so when it comes down to needing help from friends or studying together ur less likely gonan be able to find that easily.</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight! I also got an E-Mail from some intern that works for my dad (who went to BU) and he gave some insight as well on several places.</p>
<p>When decision time arrives, I think I'll go with Warren Towers. I really had it down to Warren and West Campus, but Warren is much closer to my classes (COM is right next to it) and almost everything seems closer to Warren than West. The socializing on each floor is a plus too.</p>
<p>I live in Warren right now, and I love it. I can leave 7 minutes before all my classes and get there early. You have a T stop right outside the door, and all my friends are from my floor. If you want more of a community, you might want to think about specialty floors. I'm on a COM floor, and its wonderful.</p>
<p>Forget about the "freshman dorm" thing. Put whatever looks least bad to you-- I'd say West Campus, since I'm in CFA and the dining hall is relatively good-- as your third choice on the app, and use the other two slots for something nicer. Your freshman dorm is whatever dorm you happen to live in as a freshman. I live in South Campus right now.</p>
<p>West has more of a campus feel with green space between where the three buildings intersect looking over the field plus an outstanding dining hall. Many of the rooms have huge awesome views of the city lights and the Charles River. Although far from some classes, the better to walk off the Freshman 15, it is close to the "newer centers of campus" meaning the Student Village (cobblestone pathways, outdoor/indoor cafes) and the new rec. center/arena area. (music venues) With yoga, climbing walls, and everything under the sun it attracts many non-jocks now. The T is free one way and very cheap the other direction if you don't wish to walk. Most still consider Warren the most sociable but West is 85% freshman so a lot of fun too.</p>
<p>i live in a quad at warren too! and i am very very happy with it for my freshman experience. my floor is amazingly outgoing and fun, and warren is so great for meeting people. it has the best dining hall and the difference between dorm size at warren compared to the towers or west campus is not noticeable. also the location is great. yes it is hard to study on my floor, but i'd much rather have a dorm where i can meet people than one where i can study since there are study lounges downstairs and libraries nearby (i recommend smg library..soo nice...). Whether its warren, west, or the towers, i HIGHLY recommend living in a "freshmen dorm" your freshmen year. People i've talked to who got put in upper classmen dorms hated it and had a lot more trouble making friends. They might not be as nice living accommodations, but its a must have experience for your freshman year in college.</p>
<p>I got into BU under EDII and will be starting at COM this fall, and I've talked to a friend of mine who's from BU and he strongly recommended Shelton Hall and said that the Warren towers are really cramped 'cause it actually used to be a prison and was then converted into a dorm, and the rooms are really small...but now I'm quite confused seeing so many people recommend Warren. Anyway, I'd like to live in an apartment-style dorm, any suggestions?</p>
<p>Warren was NEVER a prison...that is crazy. It was built as a BU dorm. Shelton is nice, but its mostly sophmores and juniors and it's sometimes hard to make friends there for freshmen. So many people recommend warren because it is basically all freshmen, it's in the center of campus...right next door to COM, and has a dining hall in the building. Even if you wanted Shelton, the chances of getting it are really slim.</p>
<p>Most people live in Warren and West because others, like Shelton and apartment style, are very hard to get into. You can request them, but you might still end up in a big freshman dorm. Shelton is mostly juniors and some sophomores. Apartment style is at 722-726 Comm Ave or Bay State / South Campus brownstones. Also, there is the Student Village, but you can't live there until junior or senior year.</p>